There are few games on the PAX East 2026 show floor with as much hype and expectations as Mina the Hollower.
The long-awaited follow-up to Shovel Knight from Yacht Club Games, Mina the Hollower is inspired by the Game Boy Color games of old. It’s similar to how Shovel Knight was inspired by classic NES titles. In theory, this is yet another match made in heaven. However, my initial impressions of Mina leave me unsure about the game.
Don’t get me wrong; when it works, Mina the Hollower is a blast. Sadly, the highs of the Pax East 2026 demo were met with some frustrating lows.
My favorite thing about Shovel Knight is how easy the game is to pick up and play. It’s an NES platformer with a cool twist. That intuitiveness doesn’t always translate to Mina the Hollower.
It’s a shame because the gameplay hook is more than just the Game Boy Color aesthetics. As Mina, you are a Hollower who can burrow underground. This is the game’s main mechanic, which lets you traverse the world and navigate past various obstacles.
When you get into a rhythm, this movement, combined with the classic combat reminiscent of old-school Legend of Zelda games, is a blast. The two mechanics work in harmony to help you deal with the demo’s enemies, who are no pushovers. The issue, though, is that it’s not always obvious where you should be going.
I expect more from Mina the Hollower
I had some serious trial and error from the very beginning of my play session. It’s frustrating when I’m so focused on getting into a groove. Every time I ventured into a new area, I had to stop what I was doing and spend time figuring out where I needed to go. That’s expected, and part of the appeal, but the problem here is that I also have to figure out how to get there.
In the meantime, burrowing to dodge enemies and unleashing attacks is as much fun as you’d imagine. It’s what makes my time with Mina the Hollower so frustrating. I get that a place like PAX East isn’t the best place to get some hands-on time with the game for the first time, especially when I feel the pressure of a line building behind me. That said, there are plenty of other demos on the show floor that feature complex mechanics but are also far easier to get into.
It’s a shame, because everything else Mina the Hollower does is perfect. It nails the Game Boy Color aesthetic perfectly, and you can feel Shovel Knight’s DNA through and through. There’s a reason this game has been on everyone’s radar for so long, but given the delays and my hands-on time, I’m concerned it won’t live up to the hype.
Mina the Hollower is hopefully releasing this Spring. There’s still a lot of promise here, but I’m not as confident that it’ll stick the landing as I’d like to be.
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