A Short Hike is a very sweet and serene experience

Taking a break to go on A Short Hike turned out to be a rather beautiful experience, one that has allowed me to sit back and appreciate the calmer side of life for a moment.

Released on itch.io and Steam at the end of last month, it was previously a Humble Original that was updated with some little extra bits. Since I always try to go back and actually play games we sometimes only do a short news tip on, A Short Hike was high up on my list to make some time for. I'm very glad I did.

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Feature Highlight:

• Explore the island any way you like. Choose your own path to follow and see where it leads you. You never know what you might stumble into!
• Hike at your own pace — there’s no need to rush to the summit! Take your time fishing along the river banks or swimming by the lakeshore.
• Collect hidden treasures to reach new heights. Try taking a dive off the mountain peaks to soar above the forests.
• Chat with the other hikers you meet along your route. You might be able to help each other out!
• Listen to a lush original soundtrack by Mark Sparling that progresses dynamically as you explore the wilderness.

If you decide to pick it up and have a Steam Controller, be sure to set the right pad to Joystick Camera as the default doesn't hold your thumb position. Other than that, it was a lovely experience overall.

My favourite part of it has to be that you're able to glide around from a height, I think I must have spent an hour just doing that to explore other little areas and take it all in. Sometimes it's just the simple things right? Especially once you get some golden feathers, enabling you to reach new heights. It's another example of a simple idea done so very well.

Beautiful atmosphere and pacing too, a game that allows you to go at your own pace and explore at your leisure. The funny thing is, I spent two hours exploring before I even decided to actually do the initial trek that's mentioned, there's just so much to see and find.

I got lost a lot, I'll admit that. However, losing your bearings here is pretty rewarding. There's a lot of little things to find, some secrets too for the really keen eye. Perhaps another golden feather to enable you to reach even greater heights, or someone new you missed before who has a little task for you.

The conversations you can have made me chuckle numerous times too, like the seriously intense climber who was adamant it wasn't just the two of them. Another is how you're asked if you like rumours, to which you reply "I dabble". The conversations are short, sweet and never boring.

Need a break? Grab a Tea or Coffee and go on A Short Hike. After playing it, I feel like I need to take a day off and go camping and have a proper explore of my own.

A Short Hike is available on itch.io and Steam.

Hat tip to contributor flesk for my copy.