Forza Horizon 6 har kastats omkull – Mina the Hollower är nu det högst rankade videospelet 2026

In the gaming industry, it often happens that large, high-budget AAA projects receive lower reviews from the press than lesser-known indie games. Among the examples, one can recall Journey, Hades, and, of course, last year's best game, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. It seems that yet another such small title has just joined them.

This is about the game Mina the Hollower - developed and published by Yacht Club Games, known for the Shovel Knight franchise. It is a pixel action-adventure game with a top-down view, where we play as a mouse named Mina, who is a member of the Hollowers guild. The events of the game take place on an island filled with monsters, and the setting of the game resembles a mix of gothic horror and fantasy. At the same time, Mina the Hollower has a combat system inspired by soulslike games.

On the eve of its upcoming release, Mina the Hollower received its first reviews from the gaming press—and they are so high that the game has already become the highest-rated game of 2026 on Metacritic, surpassing Forza Horizon 6, as well as many other major releases this year, including the recently released 007 First Light. Like the new racing game from Playground Games, the indie project also earned a 'Must-Play' rating.

The gaming press praised Mina the Hollower for its combat system, atmosphere, music, beautiful visuals, and varied gameplay. According to reviews, it is one of the clear contenders for the title of "Game of the Year," despite its modest budget. The game is currently having a 92 score on Metacritic (based on 42 Critics Reviews) and 92 Top Critic Average at OpenCritic, with 98% Critics Recommend. Some of the media’s reviews you can check out below:

IGN - 100/100:

Mina the Hollower will burrow into your brain and set up a cozy little house there. I couldn’t let it go: Clues to unsolved puzzles pop into my brain before bed; a corner high out of reach that I never set foot on beckons me every time I pass it on my way to the shops in Ossex; the math tells me maxing out my attack power would just take one really good grinding spot, and then I could beat that secret boss that destroyed me. Mina achieves the same heights in both action and style that its impressive inspirations – Zelda, Castlevania, and FromSoft RPGs – reach on a regular basis, and with far fewer resources. Even if all you’ve played is Breath of the Wild and Elden Ring, don’t let the retro look fool you: Mina the Hollower will scratch the same itch, with an open world that’s crammed with mysteries worth finding and lively, clever combat I couldn’t get enough of. It’s a big game in a small package, and an absolute masterpiece of an adventure.

DualShockers - 100/100:

With Mina the Hollower, Yacht Club Games managed to beautifully pay homage to some of the absolute greatest classics in gaming history, all while carving out their own entirely fresh identity with an irresistible experience. It’s like a gothic Zelda with touches of Castlevania and Dark Souls that I never knew I needed. If you have a passing love for classic adventures, gothic atmospheres, or tightly-knit game design, do yourself a favor and fully dive into this world.

Screen Rant - 100/100:

Best of all, Mina the Hollower is no mere nostalgia bait, proving the player-first design ethos evident in Yacht Club Games' past successes. As much as I love the Blue Burrower, I'm truly grateful that the studio took the risk of this new character and setting and followed it through. If you grew up with old-school Zelda, all the better, but Mina the Hollower is a magnificent adventure regardless of the era, a giddily creative labor of love with no prior experience required.

TheGamer - 100/100:

Mina the Hollower is an almost faultless game that combines elements of nostalgic classics we know and love with a healthy dose of Yacht Club’s flair and expertise to make it something that truly stands out as a retro-inspired masterpiece. I could honestly play it forever, with Yacht Club proving that it’s not just a one game studio with yet another bonafide classic.

CGMagazine - 95/100

With Mina the Hollower, Yacht Club Games captured lightning in a bottle a second time. It’s a must play experience.

GamesRadar+ - 90/100:

Mina the Hollower is one of the best indie games I've played in a long, long time. It borrows familiar ideas from Zelda, Dark Souls, and a million others to make its own, and offers endless choice and variety in how you carve your way through its world. It's an uncommon tribute to classic games that often surpasses the quality of the titles that inspired it.

• RPG Site – 10/10
• Shacknews – 10/10
• TechRaptor – 10/10
• SteamDeckHQ – 10/10
• Noisy Pixel – 9.5/10
• DayOne – 9/10
• PSX Brazil – 9/10
• Gameliner – 9/10
• Gamespot – 9/10
• Nintendo Life – 9/10
• GameReactor – 9/10
• Metro – 8

Are you excited about Mina the Hollower, the new game from Yacht Club Games? Do you consider this indie title a potential ‘Game of the Year’ contender? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The game releases on May 29 for PC, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.