A Short Hike
• PC (Windows) • AdventureHike, climb, and soar through the peaceful mountainside landscapes of Hawk Peak Provincial Park as you make your way to the summit.
Thoughts
When A Short Hike was released, I had already been following its creator adamgryu for some time, so I had been looking forward to enjoying the charming atmosphere. In 2025, I decided to play shorter games that I could complete in one or two sessions, and A Short Hike was the obvious first choice for me.
There isn’t a complex storyline, but the little pieces that are there will tug at your heartstrings, as will the residents of the island. Each has their own preoccupations and requests for the main character Claire. This was one of my favourite aspects of the game; you can explore as much as you’d like, solve every resident’s problems, discover every treasure… or simply make your way up to the peak. The more you explore, the easier this task will become, yet I never felt too pressured to check off every available task. No matter how you decide to approach it, the game is true to its name and can easily be completed in one session.
The main focus of A Short Hike seems to be the atmosphere it creates through the mix of its simple but distinctive graphics, its core mechanic of freely soaring through Hawk Peak Provincial Park, and the beautiful soundtrack. The latter progresses as you do, building up as you climb the peak to make the long-awaited moment at the summit even more special.
Sneak peek
