A Short Hike: A Pleasant Stroll, Not a Grand Expedition

A Short Hike is exactly what it says on the tin — a short hike. This indie darling from developer adamgryu landed on the Nintendo Switch promising a cozy, bite-sized adventure, and it delivers precisely that. You play as Claire, a bird visiting a provincial park with her aunt, and your goal is simple: reach the peak of Hawk Peak to get cell phone reception. It's charming, it's breezy, and it's over before you know it. The question is whether that brevity is a feature or a limitation.

Wokeness: 0.0

This is about as agenda-free as gaming gets. A Short Hike is a wholesome little adventure about a bird climbing a mountain. The characters you meet along the way are quirky woodland creatures with small personal dilemmas — someone needs help fishing, another wants a shell for their collection. There's nothing here that feels like it's trying to lecture you or push a message beyond "hey, maybe slow down and enjoy nature." Pure, simple game design focused entirely on being a pleasant experience.

Gameplay: 6.5

The controls are simple and functional — you run, climb, glide, and collect golden feathers that extend your stamina. Nothing here is cumbersome, and the movement feels satisfying enough, particularly the gliding mechanics which give you a nice sense of freedom as you soar between cliffsides. That said, the mechanics are limited by design. There's no combat, no real puzzle-solving, and the challenge is virtually nonexistent. What's here works well, but there isn't much of it. On a system loaded with platforming excellence like Mario Odyssey and Celeste, the gameplay here feels pleasant but unremarkable.

Story: 4.0

You're on a camping trip. You need to climb a mountain to get cell reception for a phone call you're waiting on. That's essentially it. There's a mild emotional payoff at the summit, and the NPCs scattered around the island offer small, endearing side stories, but this is far from a narrative experience. It gives you just enough motivation to put one foot in front of the other, and nothing more.

Graphics: 7.0

A Short Hike leans into a deliberately chunky, low-resolution pixel art style that gives it a nostalgic, almost PS1-era charm. The environments are colorful and varied enough for the small map, and the art direction does a solid job of making the island feel like a cohesive little world. It's not pushing the Switch hardware by any means, but the aesthetic is intentional and well-executed. It won't wow you, but it fits the vibe perfectly.

Audio: 7.5

The soundtrack is genuinely one of the game's strongest elements. Mark Sparling's score is warm, mellow, and perfectly complements the laid-back atmosphere. Tracks shift naturally as you ascend the mountain, and the ambient sound design — wind, waves, birdsong — creates an immersive sense of place. For a relaxation-focused title, the audio does a lot of heavy lifting in establishing mood.

Replayability: 3.0

Here's where things get tough. You can finish A Short Hike in under two hours, and that's if you're taking your time exploring every nook and talking to every NPC. A focused run to the summit could take thirty minutes. Once you've collected the feathers, completed the side quests, and reached the peak, there's little reason to return. You could chase down every collectible or try the volleyball and racing mini-games, but the pull to revisit simply isn't strong. It's a one-and-done experience for most players.

A Short Hike is a perfectly pleasant palate cleanser — a game you pick up between larger titles when you want something low-stakes and calming. It accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do, no more and no less. The problem is that on a platform bursting with indie gems offering far more depth and longevity for similar price points, it's hard to make a strong case for this over the competition. It's a nice afternoon. Just don't expect it to stick with you much longer than that.