The Highest Metacritic Review-Scored Game Of 2026 Is ‘Mina The Hollower’
- Yacht Club Games' Mina the Hollower releases Friday, May 29 across Nintendo Switch 2, Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC with a 93 metascore, claiming first place this year ahead of Forza Horizon 6's 91.
- More than a decade after Shovel Knight's 2014 debut, the extended development cycle put Yacht Club Games in financial jeopardy, prompting founder Sean Velasco to call Mina 'make-or-break for sure.'
- The game earned 11 perfect 10 scores—nearly a third of all reviews—with IGN awarding 10/10 and Game Informer scoring 8.8/10, praising its blend of retro aesthetics and contemporary design; Mina's 93 exceeds Shovel Knight's 85.
- Critical success positions Mina as a financial lifeline for Yacht Club Games, with Game Informer identifying it as a Game of the Year contender and Gamer's 10/10 proving the studio remains a 'bonafide classic' creator.
- The design synthesizes The Legend of Zelda's open-world structure, Castlevania's horror atmosphere, and FromSoft's Souls combat into cohesive gameplay that 'becomes more than the sum of those parts,' with seven New Game+ iterations offering extended replayability.
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Another Indie Game of the Year Contender Releases Tomorrow
The first half of 2026 has been absolutely stacked with possible game of the year contenders and the trend isn’t slowing down as May comes to an end. Tomorrow brings the release of a highly-anticipated indie title that is already getting 10/10 scores from some early reviews. Mina The Hollower Releases On May 29 The creator of Shovel Knight is finally back with Mina the Hollower. The new indie action-adventure platformer was announced a few year…
2026 just got its latest GOTY contender — here's what you need to know
One of the most anticipated games of 2026 is finally here. Mina the Hollower is a new Zelda-like from the celebrated developer behind Shovel Knight. Here's everything you need to know about the latest 2026 Game of the Year contender, including where and when you can play it — and even if you should.
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