Hello and welcome to Discussion: [indie game] (spoilers!), a series that I could describe further, but probably needs very little effort to work out. [It’s not our fault you’ve boxed yourself in with these introductions – FFG reader].

Today’s game is A Short Hike, released by Adam Robinson-Yu in 2019, which is a narrative/open-world exploration game that takes place on an island of anthropomorphic animals. The player character is a bird called Claire, who has travelled to the national park located on this island for the summer, and you guide her in her attempts to complete its most challenging walk, the Hawk Peak Trail.

Before we get into the spoiler-tastic discussion, here’s a short trailer:

I’d say that possibly doesn’t give a full taste of what to expect, so feel free to do some non-spoilery research elsewhere if you’re interested in the game.

Otherwise, apart from to add that we both really enjoyed it, that’s all we want to say for now – proceed only if you’ve played it, or aren’t bothered about spoilers.

Here’s your ***FINAL SPOILER WARNING*** for the discussion below!
 

A not-so short hike

Rik: Righto, well, A Short Hike was your choice…

Jo: Yes. I should say that I had played this before suggesting it, which has possibly been the case with all my suggestions so far.

Rik: I knew very little of it. I was dimly aware, perhaps.

Jo: It seems to be very popular in the cosy gaming community! Although, I actually played it long before I was aware there was even such a thing as a cosy gaming community.

Rik: Well without conforming to stereotypes about the dinosaur I almost certainly am, it was a little bit outside of my usual stuff: ‘This is a bit different from trying to be the baddest street racer in Fake City…’

Jo: Haha!

Rik: I guess it reminded me a little of what I expect Animal Crossing is like, but I have no idea whether that’s true or not. You know, a ‘cute animals on an island community’ type thing.

Jo: Well, on the face of it, it’s quite cute looking, but there’s more to it than that. I think it was generally well received. Though I was quite oblivious to the positive reviews when I first played it – I’m just drawn to games where you wander around a forest or something.

Rik: So what made you choose it for our discussion?

Jo: When I played it for the first time, I really enjoyed it. It was unlike other things I had played. I really like the humour in the writing and I the sense of exploration. It’s kind of open-worldy in a sense, but I didn’t feel overwhelmed (which is how I normally feel with open world type games. Not that I’ve played many).

Rik: It’s not chock-full of busywork, even though it’s inevitable that your short hike won’t be as short as you think. Remind me – do you need to go to the top of the hill [Hawk Peak] for phone reception? Is that the setup?

Jo: Yeah, so you go away for the summer with your aunt to distract you from ‘everything that’s going on at the moment’. But after arriving at the island you find you don’t have any phone reception, so your Aunt suggests you might have better luck at Hawk Peak, which is only ‘a short hike’ away…

Rik: And, inevitably, you meet lots of characters and obstacles along the way.

Jo: Yeah, it quickly becomes clear that walking to Hawk Peak is a pretty meaty undertaking that’s not for the faint-hearted. If you don’t get this impression from the first few characters you meet (supposing you don’t chat to anyone and head straight for the trailhead), then it’s made clearer when you arrive and aren’t sufficiently equipped to go any further.

 

Finish your vegetables

Rik: I think fairly quickly you get a hit of the humour. When you meet the intense climbing dudes, maybe? The guy who talks in ALL CAPS made me think of The Office when they do a training exercise and Dwight has to talk to Jim as Mr Buttlicker…

Jo: Haha!

Rik: BUTTLICKER! OUR PRICES HAVE NEVER BEEN LOWER!

Jo: I also thought about the guy who asks for the shells…

Rik: Yeah, and when you ask him why he wants them, and he’s like, ‘None of your business! Unless it’s the business of getting me 15 of them’.

Jo: Exactly! I quite liked the little jab at quests in adventure games. But because it’s so early on it gives you an idea of the overall tone of the dialogue – almost setting you up for the other characters.

Rik: It’s quite ‘internet lulz…’

Jo: I’ve played this game a couple of times before we played it for this review, so I can’t really remember my first impressions of the opening to the game. It’s pretty bare bones in terms of instruction/tutorial – but I don’t think that’s to its detriment. It kind of eases you in with the flying, climbing, using stuff in your inventory, what did you think?

Rik: Yeah, I think it was all good on that score. It sort of doesn’t attempt to hide the gamey elements. And just has characters going, ‘You need to do this, now’.

Jo: Yeah, and it’s all quite evenly spaced out across the game. Like when you get the fishing rod, running shoes etc.

Rik: I suppose I might have done a half groan when they were like ‘you need feathers to reach higher bits – and you don’t have any’.

Jo: Oh really? I guess that’s the main barrier to starting Hawk Peak.

Rik: I suppose at that point I was thinking, are you just going to have to collect feathers? Not realising of course that on the way you’ll get other interesting stuff to do. And you won’t be bothered about the feathers because they’ll come along at the appropriate moment. You don’t have to do everything as happens, anyway: I quite liked that free-form aspect of it.

Jo: Yeah, I get what you mean. Possibly the first time I played it (though I really can’t remember) I might have thought, ‘ugh is this gonna be really platformy?’ But it wasn’t at all.

Rik: When I play open-world games, I’m a little bit like, ‘Must… do… things… in … order…’

Jo: Yes, me too. Actually, I’m like that with all games, but I don’t know why.

Rik: Here, it was more like, I don’t fancy fishing at the moment, but I could come back and do it.

Jo: It’s strange that you mentioned that, ‘cos I was getting in a real tangle about it. Like, chill out – just play the game however you feel!

Rik: I felt some initial frustration, but then I relaxed into things. In, for example, some of the GTA games, there are missions that clearly move the story on and missions that are clearly ‘additional BS’. And I can be a bit like, let’s eat these vegetables before we enjoy the meat. [NB: I also enjoy vegetables, and accommodating the dietary and lifestyle choices of others.]

Jo: I think, having played this a good few times, you can do as much or as little as you like. Even on my fourth playthrough, I discovered quite a few things I hadn’t previously. But I didn’t feel robbed in any way, I still enjoyed it those first few goes.

Rik: I didn’t feel like it was the vibe to play again and again. I’m sure there are things I missed, well I know there are – I never found that guy’s watch…

Jo: Oh really?

Rik: But the sedate pace and the design kind of means you do what you want until you make a conscious choice to shoot for the peak. So you can’t accidentally finish the game and think: damn it!

Jo: No, unless you’re really determined not to get waylaid by all the other characters and places.

Rik: So I felt like I’d seen and done what I wanted before going for the top, and didn’t feel like I needed to go back and start again to see what I’d missed.

Jo: Yeah, I think that’s the idea. Ultimately, you want to get to the top but you can do all this other stuff (or not) as part of that journey. But I’d say it’s worth replays. If you left it a year or so.

Rik: But it’s not like some of the games we’ve played, where you’re itching to get back in there straight away.

Jo: I liked the chilled out pace of it.

Rik: Me too. Just go with the fact that there will be distractions, and you can decide whether to follow them or not. If you do want to go back, it’s not necessarily a case of backtracking, as you can jump down and glide back down the hill.

 

Sassy Gen-Z Pingu

Jo: I think I struggled a bit navigationally. And there’s no in-game map – so I did find it hard to know whether I had been everywhere.

Rik: I got really lost at one point.

Jo: I couldn’t build the island in my head, so I was constantly unsure of where I had and hadn’t been. I mean, in a way, I think it’s good that there’s no map. I quite like that it’s just a case of using landmarks and terrain and weather. But there were several moments when I was just like ‘where the hell am I?!’

Rik: I wrote down ‘can be a bit like Firewatch but without the map’

Jo: Yeah, I agree. If Firewatch didn’t have a map, I think I’d still be playing it now. Though, if I’m being brutally honest, I don’t really understand maps either, so it’s honestly a wonder I find my way around anywhere (in games and in real life).

Rik: Maybe it was in the boat when I got really lost. I did quite enjoy messing around in that, though.

Jo: Again, like any kind of in-game driving, I was quite terrible – just routinely clanging into rocks etc. Did you play the mini-game with the boat?

Rik: Yeah, the obstacle course, with the slo-mo jump – which really made me laugh!

Jo: I didn’t discover that until my latest playthrough – but yes, I actually laughed out loud at that bit. I find lots of games quite funny, but very few prompt an actual laugh.

Rik: It’s definitely got that Gen-Z/lower case social media meme kind of humour. I think the fact they’re all little animals that look like Pingu but talk like young people sassing you on the internet is quite funny.

Jo: Yeah, I liked it a lot. It’s kind of unexpected.

Rik: From what I know of Animal Crossing it does have more of an edge than you think, but it’s still quite ‘Nintendo’. This was definitely quite sharp in places.

Jo: I wouldn’t say they were the same, but there are parallels. Animal Crossing is not as obnoxiously cutesy as it appears, but as you said, it’s still very Nintendo. A Short Hike is different. It’s not really censored in any way, and the humour is quite dry. That said, I think it has genuinely touching moments as well and not in a sickly do gooder type way. The interactions you have with the character who’s doing the painting springs to mind.

Rik: Remind me? (Sorry).

Jo: They want to enter their painting into an exhibition, but don’t feel like anything they do is good enough. So they go around the island trying to paint different things gradually becoming more stressed about it. I can’t fully remember how it ends, but then they realise that they should paint what they want to paint and not try to impress others. I mean, okay so it’s not the most ground-breaking storyline, and my farily terrible explanation of it here probably makes it sound really trite, but I think it’s done well in the game. It brings a balance to the sass and humour.

Rik: There’s the running champ can’t run without their headband, am I remembering that right?

Jo: Yeah.

Rik: But they figure out they don’t need it eventually. And now I’ve kind of made it sound like a lame after-school special. (Did we even have those in this country? I don’t think we did…)

Jo: No, but I know what you mean. It doesn’t beat you over the head with THE MESSAGE, there are just these nice little nods everywhere, and it’s mixed in with the humour. I dunno – I found it quite feel-good when I played it.

Rik: Yeah, a good mix of sweet natured stuff and cynicism.

 

Bad at fishing

Rik: I quite enjoyed the beachstickball mini-game.

Jo: Me too. Again, the first time I played it I was like ‘UGH I’m gonna be rubbish at this’ and felt a good sulk coming on, but it’s weirdly addictive.

Rik: Did you find any of the gamey/platformy bits tricky? I was hilariously bad at the fishing at first.

Jo: Terrible at fishing, as I am in all games with a fishing mini-game (for some reason, I seem to play a lot of games that involve fishing).

Rik: I did that thing that our mum might have done – move the joypad in the air as if it was a fishing rod/Wiimote. I thought, Christ, Rik, you’re a Serious Gamer with Many Years of Pedigree…

Jo: Oh yeah, I’m just generally like that with any type of controller. That’s why I’m so bad at all driving games (except 4D Sports: Driving – the best driving game ever!)

Rik: I did wonder if I’d also be bad with the jumping and climbing, and that thing you have to do with watering the plants and bouncing to places.

Jo: I think it’s pretty forgiving.

Rik: The feathers are, effectively, your stamina, whether you’re flapping your wings or physically climbing.

Jo: I did, for some reason, forget about climbing and then when I was trying to get up the first part of the Hawk Peak trail, I was just trying to flap the whole way, but couldn’t make it, even though I had 9 feathers.

Rik: I don’t think it’s hard, but if you’re expecting to just autopilot through it, there’s enough to keep you on your toes if you approach it too casually.

Jo: If, like me, you’re rubbish at and/or completely hate platformers, I don’t think it’s a problem. There’s enough of challenge to keep it interesting (as long as you’re not trying to fly up a sheer drop), but it’s fairly easy to get to grips with. Did you pay extortionate amounts to the kid at the trail head who bought all the golden feathers? Or did you just find them around the island? I was determined to get that first golden feather that’s near the visitor’s centre without any golden feathers.

Rik: I think eventually you have to buy some, don’t you?

 

Crying *is* the format

Rik: Just looking back at my screenies, I’m reminded of the polar bear ranger that you meet near the summit. The different characters do have some personality, even if you only meet them briefly.

Jo: There’s a good mix, I think. Some of them know you (‘cos your Aunt’s a ranger) and some of them don’t.

Rik: Did you have a mild outpouring of emotion when you reached the top?

Jo: Yes, the first time I played it. It was sort of unexpected. And then possibly it got me another time when I was at a low ebb.

Rik: I must admit I hadn’t quite understood (or just ignored) the fact it was your Mum driving you at the start.

Jo: Oh, I thought it was Aunt May.

Rik: Yeah, that’s what I thought. Maybe Wikipedia is wrong. Are we ever told that ‘the important call’ is going to be from her?

Jo: No, I don’t think so. I think Claire comes out of the house and tells May she’s been waiting for a call at the beginning of the game.

Rik: Does Claire know her mum has had an operation?

Jo: No, I don’t think so. I don’t think there’s any mention of the mum really. It’s all kept pretty vague.

Rik: And is May her sister? In which case why doesn’t she know anything? Or does she?

Jo: They just refer to it as ‘everything that’s going on at the moment’ I think. There’s a point where May says ‘Your mum’s a tough bird’ (which also got me a bit) but I can’t remember if that’s at the beginning or the end.

Rik: Whatever clues you’re given at the start, the revelation at the end hit me quite hard, even though it turns out that she’s fine.

Jo: Oh, sorry. I should have forewarned you. I always choose the cryers. I think it’s just the nice conversation they have with her mum reassuring her…

Rik: Yeah, then you sort of have this euphoric leap into the air back down to the bottom of the island.

Jo: The tone generally feels a bit more serious when you’re at the top of the peak. There are fewer characters around, and it’s dark, the music’s a bit slower and more dramatic.

Rik: Even though there’s no real danger, it does feel like there’s a bit more peril.

Jo: Yeah, definitely. I think after that bit I was a bit unsure as to whether that was officially the end. It kind of is. You can go back and chat with Aunt May and go to bed, which ends the game, or you can continue to explore the island.

Rik: I went back to Aunt May.

Jo: Yeah, same.

Rik: But after that, I think it’s just whether you want to go fishing again etc. As I said, I think I was happy with what I’d done by the time I got to the peak. I might try some different things if I went back to it, but it’s more of a ‘doing’ game than a ‘story’ game I think, which is probably why we’re not asking each other what we thought of the various plot twists.

Jo: Hmm did I break the format with this choice?

Rik: No, of course not!

Jo: I think I just fancied something a bit more uplifting.

Rik: What, than dystopian social media based snooping?

Jo: I think I was just a bit down earlier in the year, and I remember the first time I played this it did make me feel a bit better. And I wanted us to cover it, so I guess maybe that’s why I was pushing for it.

Rik: It’s definitely one of the funnier games we’ve played.

Jo: What I would also say is, even though it’s not overly platformy… I wouldn’t recommend playing it without a joypad.

Rik: No, I didn’t even try.

Jo: I did try keyboard controls (in the interests of science) and it was not a good time. It’s just not that type of game

Rik: You need the two analogue sticks, definitely.

 

Big and Crunchy

Rik: Did you have other stuff you wanted to get into?

Jo: I don’t think so. My notes are a bit sparse (I thought I’d taken better notes, but perhaps I did that thing where I decided not to take many because I was certain I’d remember everything, and then don’t).

Rik: Oh, I got one…

Jo: Ooh, go on…

Rik: Did you turn the graphics up to look sharp or leave them blocky?

Jo: Yes, but only when I got my new PC and [Mr Jo] was messing with the settings. I was oblivious, and kept them ‘big and crunchy’ (or whatever the description was).

Rik: I thought that might be the intended style, but I thought it looked really pretty with it all smoothed and modernised. And you still get the lo-fi vibe with the blocky captions.

Jo: I think both look good, and I really like the music as well. And actually, as we’ve talked about the dialogue quite a lot, probably worth mentioning that there’s no voice acting at all, but it’s not a bad thing.

Rik: No, it adds to the humour.

Jo: Yes, agreed.

Rik: A bit like when the little guy in Trivial Pursuit used to bollock you on the Amstrad.

Jo: Hahaha! Bleep bleep bleep bleep!

Rik: He could be quite sarky, as I remember. But then on the Atari ST he made a noise like something out of a David Lynch film.

Jo: I don’t know whether voice acting is expected in the majority of games now?

Rik: I think it’s a choice to be made, like with graphics – what works better, what’s in budget, etc.

Jo: It makes me think of the original Monkey Island games – the humour worked really well without the voice acting, but that’s not a criticism of the actors they had in the later sequels and in the special edition.

Rik: I didn’t feel like the remake really added anything significant to the original.

Jo: When we played games when we were younger, there was a mix of games with and without voice acting, so for me it’s never expected. I’m rarely disappointed when there isn’t any.

Rik: Well, we’re so old that we can remember when it was an exciting new development.

Jo: Yeah, a selling point: ‘Full TALKIE version’ it would say on the box. Along with ‘DOES NOT WORK ON WIN 95’.

Rik: The talkie adventures were arguably the best reason to own a CD-ROM drive. Not to play MegaRace.

Jo: My new PC has an optical drive, so I can play my 90s backlog!

Rik: Hehe! I think that’s the thing with these indie games. AAA has gone in one direction, but indie is like, there’s another way to do it. Sometimes voices work and sometimes they don’t.

Jo: Yeah, agree. It doesn’t all have to be the same.

 

Put that on the box

Rik: So how shall we sum this one up?

Jo: I think it’s a unique, short but uplifting game that I’d probably recommend to anyone.

Rik: Yep, good for a laugh, quite chilled out.

Jo: It’s feel-good, even though the ending made us both cry.

Rik: I had a really good giggle with it too.

Jo: Yeah, same. It’s genuinely very funny in places. And it’s fun to play. For a game that has a lot of wandering around – that’s mainly wandering around – it keeps it interesting.

Rik: An indie open-world adventure that’s light on the busywork.

Jo: Put that on the box!

Rik: And not as cutesy as it appears.

Jo: I think it’s part of the charm though – it lures you into a false sense of security and the sass is unexpected.

Rik: I’m looking at some of the screenshots now and having a chuckle. Although I am also thinking about the BUTTLICKER scene as well.

Jo: Anything more you wanted to add?

Rik: No, I don’t think so.

Jo: Your choice next!

—

A Short Hike is available on Steam, GOG and itch.io for around £6.