I don't get along especially well with "sandbox" games. An open world with lots to do, like Horizon Zero Dawn, sure--but inevitably, I get 50-75% of the way through clearing assorted quests and map markers, and I get tired of it and head full-tilt for the endgame. I'm a terrible heathen gamer who just doesn't get Minecraft. So dull! Where's the main objective? In fact, for every one of these Racial Justice Bundle reviews, I've pushed myself to "finish" or "beat" the thing before I put any words down. Maybe it's my time on Backloggery and HowLongToBeat that's warped my mind, who knows.
A Short Hike by adamgryu nails the freedom of the "sandbox" while still giving the player a sense of direction, which I greatly appreciated! The premise is simple: you're a bird named Claire who's vacationing on a scenic mountain. You'd like to make a phone call, but the only place that gets any reception is at the very top of Hawk Peak, a tricky climb. You can collect "golden feathers" that improve your endurance for climbing and flying, and coins and other doodads that you might be able to trade with other folks in the park.
It took me some five tries to win a race against this little friend. And you know what I got for it? NOTHING! It's great!
From there, you take it at your own pace. Want to speedrun and blitz your way to the top in under five minutes? Go for it! Want to collect every feather and treasure chest? Good luck! Or you can do as I did, winding back and forth across the landscape doing odd jobs for people, but always nudging upward, until at last you attain the summit. I missed some things, sure, but I got to set the throttle at exactly the speed my interest demanded, and it made for a beautiful ride.
One thing that helped, on the Itch version: no achievements!* How close was I to finding all the feathers? I don't know, and the fact that there was no percentage gauge telling me how many remained was a breath of crisp mountain air. That pressure, that completionist itch, doesn't always improve the experience of a game. A Short Hike is exploration without judgment, and that's lovely.
$8 on Itch gets you a cute adventure with chunky pixels and a gorgeous soundtrack. Enjoy!
* Unfortunately the Steam version does have some, but I can't blame the creator for that. People review-bomb games that don't have achievements. Fucking gamers.