Summary
Mina the Hollowernow has a release date, October 31, as well as its first-ever playable demo. Both were announced with a new trailer that premiered duringSummer Game Fest 2025.
Made byShovel Knightdeveloper Yacht Club Games,Mina the Holloweris a 2D action adventure that looks like a love letter to Game Boy Color classics, ranging fromThe Legend of ZeldatoCastlevania. The title started as a side project by YCG designer Alec Faulkner and raised over $1.4 million on Kickstarter in 2022.
Three and a half years followingMina the Hollower’s successful crowdfunding campaign, the retro action adventure has locked down a firm release date: October 31. Yacht Club Games announced it with a new gameplay trailer, which premiered during Summer Game Fest 2025. The promo video offers another look atMina the Hollower’s combat-heavy gameplay and serves as an introduction to the titular Mina, who’s on a mission to lift a mysterious island curse.
Mina the Hollower Limited-Time Demo Now Available
Alongside the new trailer, Yacht Club Games launchedMina the Hollower’s first playable demo, which is nowavailable via Steam. The trial version of the game features the entirety ofMina the Hollower’s opening stage, complete with its first boss fight. The demo arrives just ahead of theJune 2025 edition of Steam Next Festand is set to participate in the event. It will be removed from Valve’s storefront once the showcase ends on June 16. It remains unclear whether the demo will return ahead of the game’s fall 2025 launch. What is confirmed, however, is that progress made in the demo will carry over to the full version ofMina the Hollower, with Yacht Club Games saying as much in a prepared statement.
The SGF 2025 trailer highlightsMina the Hollower’s gothic aesthetic, a clear nod to itsCastlevaniainfluences. Eerie themes have been central to the project from the beginning, so much so that the game was originally titledGothicbefore YGC opted for a name change. Apart from retro 8-bit visuals,Mina the Hollowerwill feature a soundtrack by legendary composer Yuzo Koshiro, known for his work on classic chiptune scores for theStreets of Rage,The Revenge of Shinobi, andYsseries, among dozens of others.
Mina the Hollowerhas so far only been confirmed to be coming to Steam, with Yacht Club Games planning to release it day-one for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Based on the developer-publisher’s track record, the retro action adventure is likely to eventually make its way to consoles as well.
