A Short Hike

5/5

it’s a great game about a lil bird hiking (and flying). the characters are all pretty funny, and the traversal mechanics make bouncing across the island to different critters and activities really fun. the whole thing loads as one so theres no loading screens aside from fast travel, meaning you could get to a high point of the island and fly all the way down. Speaking of activites: you can play beach ball, go fishing, dig up coins, get a sick hat, its the perfect “I want a relaxing game because im tired or burnt out”-type game. I also recommend it if you’re looking for a first game for someone.

The very definition of short and sweet. Really, really good. A certain moment reminded me of celeste which was really nice, and the exploration sometimes felt a little like botw which is great. Worth the money, great for completionists too. Also load of animal crossing references which were sweet.

The game itself is cute and simple. Basically, you play as a bird who needs a phone signal to make a call, so your aunt tells you to climb to the mountain peak (the main story). After reaching the peak, you can still enjoy the scenery and explore the island. There are side quests from different NPCs where you need to find certain items, and in return, they reward you with feathers or other things.

All in all, I really enjoyed the game. I'm just waiting for 5 PM to get my last achievement xD.

Just a fun and chill exploration game :)
Graphics are crunchy and retro (you can change this in settings if you want)
Music adds comfy ambience and reacts to what you are doing
Interactions with NPCs bring some life to the island that you'll spend most of your time exploring alone
The achievements are all very doable and cover everything you'd want to do in the game, so I recommend trying to unlock them if you do play
Overall, it's not a strong recommendation, not life changing or anything, but certainly an enjoyable use of time

A beautiful little game. A nice break from the DOOMs and Elden Rings of the world that lets you just relax and be a cool little bird for a few hours

Great little game to wind down with a great story, hearty characters and fun little challenges.

A lovely game with lots of soul, though the hike is anything but short when there are side quests to be done.

Highly recommend :)

Just fantastic. The atmosphere in the game is intriguing and relaxing. It starts as such a simple and cute game, but ends with a surprisingly meaningful way. It really tugs at your emotions out of no where with so little dialogue and set-up. For 2 hours of game play I am so happy that I bought this game.

Game play, art, relaxed exploration--its a great game.

8/10
would be a 9/10 if it weren't for the controls/camera. otherwise an enjoyable, and short, game.

I beat this game in 2.1 hours but I definitely did not focus on doing everything. The story is touching. The music is lovely. The platforming is not super complicated and all together this makes this game a relaxing game to play. I do wish there was a bit more? I definitely could have done more and I know others have about 4 hours into the game. BUT, that doesn't make it bad and it is definitely worth your money and I think it is a game that you could play again.

This was a incredibly fun little game. The world is full interesting characters that make your time on the island very enjoyable. The visuals and music are simple but do the job very well and fit the feel of the game. While I do enjoy the crunchy pixelated option, I found the game easier to play with the smoothest look. The gameplay is also very good. It's simple but the achievements offer enough of a challenge to make playing it feel rewarding.

If you like cozy games this is an easy recommend!

A Short Hike is a peaceful, wholesome gem perfect for a weekend session. Upgrading with golden feathers is easy and fun through exploration or mini-games. Even the speedboat riding is chill. Beneath it's simplicity is a touching message about meaningful connections.

The go-to game to overcome burnout

A Short Hike is a game that captivated me in the first 5 minutes of playtime. Exploring the world feels intuitive and the developers have made every right decision in exploration. The introduction of mechanics is laid out in a way that doesn't force the player on a certain path, but guides them as time goes on. For example, I dove off the starting area in the complete opposite direction out of curiosity and despite that, nothing was wrong - I was even rewarded for it.

It's rare to see a game that does open-ended storytelling justice, you're allowed to do whatever you want and take your time with the things you find interesting. Moving through the world and learning about the environment, people, and even yourself feels like a breath of fresh air. There's no end of the world, no big bad evil to slay; it's just you and the island.

There were a lot of moments where the conversations you had felt like metaphors to real life. I especially enjoyed the first encounter with the fisher, who reassured you that sometimes you have to be patient, and that things will come when the time is right.

I warmly recommend this game to anyone who enjoys the simple moments in life, feels a bit lost, or simply doesn't know which game to play next in their library.

I saw a comparison somewhere that it's a game like getting a DS game for Christmas... It's true, great for escaping the stress of the day. I had to play it 100%. If anyone is put off by the pixelation, it can be turned off.

A simple, fun adventure game. Love the graphics

A sandbox-style game with enough of a story to keep me focused, I'd recommend this game to anyone who loves beautiful scenery and the occasional mini game

A perfect game to chill up, easy to play, fast to "finish' (maybe little longer if you want all achievements)
i loved it, took me like 1 hours to complete the basic run,
i shared it directly with my kids and i hope they will also enjoy it.

This cozy game is super charming and lovely. The exploration is exciting and the conversations are inviting. The controls feel very smooth and intuitive. There's fishing!! Also my kids have enjoyed exploring the island. Oh! And the music is cozy. 10/10

A super relaxing game and the first game that I've got 100% in just on the Steam Deck. The last few achievements took about 90 minutes to clean up but there wasn't anything too tricky in there, nearly all of the achievements I did just while playing through the game naturally. I'd highly recommend this to anyone who is playing with a controller or on a Steam Deck.

I really vibe with this game's humor, art style, music and objectives. I would suggest this to anyone hesitant to buy it that it is totally worth every cent.

fun to explore, great art style

This game is sweet as fuck. In a world of feeling sorry for oneself and feeling sorry for others and feeling sorry for what was and wasn't, it kinda makes you wonder why does it treat you so nicely, as if by the guilt you carry in mundane individualistic existence entails it to be wrong for there not to be despair in art, for it is unrealistic to be so warm and sunny and clouds that melt into blue that melts into orange that makes up the top part of your peripheral vision when looking into the horizon sat on a log on two stones into the pale yonder, no overstimulation and drowning of thoughts by the incredibly loud voice that lives between the back and the front of your frowning, sad, carbon based, chemically driven head.
i hope this guy makes more games cuz this one pretty cool i wager, i recommend

It was one of the fuzziest and warm feeling games I've ever played, the soundtrack is amazing, the humor, the writing, the graphics... Loved it

I think it's probably the third time I've played this game. Each time on a different platform or with different people. I love how cozy it is. Also a perfect game for anyone not used to play videogames, very beginner friendly.

Got my boyfriend into videogames partly by showing him this game.

What a lovely little game! If you're looking for something sweet and relaxing, this is the game for you. I love the art style and adored all the characters you get to meet along your journey, all with their own little stories. The mechanics are very intuitive and lots of fun once you get the hang of it. Highly highly recommend!

Great little journey, all sorts of little secrets and easter eggs, the art direction and music is immaculate, not to call forth lawsuits but very animal crossing like, would'd love more games like this

This is a true 10/10 game. Absolute perfection. Just nonstop smiles and joy and exploration and relaxation and...gaah, this is perfection!!

A great game, that I would've for the soundtrack alone. A nice little 2-3 hour ride exploring a mountain with chill vibes and game play. 5 Stars

Very relaxing game with a good dialogue and great ending.

Oh playing this made me very happy, it's joyful and sweet and fun.

Was so chill.
The simple graphics has its appeal.
The story was simple funny at times and I liked it.
Also, finding hidden around the map encourages exploration.
Would recommend!

What a beautiful little experience.
Right off the bat, the premise is simple, and it works. You're told to reach the top of Hawk Peak. No timers. No pressure. Just... hike. "A Short Hike", if you will.
But what that premise doesn't prepare you for is just how much the game ends up saying without ever really saying anything (if that makes sense).

Let’s start with the mechanics, because good god—the gliding. It's phenomenal. Freeing, fluid, meditative as hell. You’re gently riding the wind, barely flapping, just letting it carry you wherever, and I'm totally fine with that.
Climbing’s just as delightful, though in short bursts, which is a shame, because I adore climbing in games, and I would’ve happily spent half this game just scaling cliffs. But it’s all wrapped in the golden feather system, which is such a clever little design trick. Your stamina bar is now something tangible. Something you find. It’s organic and playful, never shoved in your face like, “Hey! This is the video game part!” It just fits, like everything else.

Then you’ve got all the little extras—fishing (which is super chill), a couple of races, some fetch quests, beachstickball (yes, it’s a thing), and just... a bunch of tiny things that somehow feel really alive. It never feels like the world exists for you. It feels like things are happening regardless, like you’re just stepping into a living, breathing place. People are out living their lives, the writing sells that perfectly. Nobody’s giving you lore dumps or rehearsed speeches, they just talk like folks who got caught mid-task. Short conversations, awkward pauses, sometimes even a little mundane in the best way. It makes the island feel like an actual place, y'know?

And visually? I mean, holy hell. The artstyle floored me. That chunky, pixelated 3D look—somewhere between a DS and a GameCube—is unlike anything I’ve seen. Not in a "ooh, retro" kind of way. It's stylized with purpose. Every tree, every rock, every craggy little trail looks like someone had a good time making it. It’s cozy, vibrant, weirdly nostalgic. If summer was a video game, this’d be it. It reminded me of life before everything went to shit—when people went outside just to exist for a while, that's the vibe I get from this place.

And the MUSIC! Don’t even get me started. Mark Sparling’s soundtrack is just magic. It’s calm, whimsical, deeply emotional at times, and always hits at exactly the right moment. There's that scene when you reach the summit, where you're presented with one thing... total silence. Just bloody wind. Then you catch the updraft, and the music slowly swells around you as you take flight. The sky shifts from deep-space purples to fiery oranges, then icy blues, and finally the bright, crisp blue of a summer morning as you reach the ground. It’s practically fucking poetic.

In addition to that, the open world itself is perfectly scaled, and if I could put it simply, small enough to feel intimate, large enough to make exploration feel rewarding. There’s no giant objective looming over you, just a gentle encouragement to look around, poke at things, talk to people, climb whatever catches your eye. The game rewards curiosity without ever punishing you for missing something. There’s always something off the beaten path, and the fact that there’s no map just makes you trust your instincts more.

The whole thing feels like more than just a cozy indie about birds and mountains. The hike up is the struggle. The glide down is the release. It’s about letting go, decompressing, learning to slow down and breathe a bit. And it never says that directly, which kinda works in its favor, as it inadvertently creates the space for you to figure it out yourself.

It gave me the same feeling I had when I first played Breath of the Wild, and that’s not something I say lightly. That quiet wonder. That urge to see what’s around the next corner, out of pure want, a fiery urge and passion to keep going. Bouncing from peak-to-peak, savoring those moments at the top.
Except here, there’s only one peak. One big, meaningful climb. And I took my time. I soaked in every minute... and absolutely loved it dammit!!

Needless to say, recommended!

### Overview

This is such a cute game! You play as a city bird who goes to this island for a bit, and need cell phone reception for a very important call, so your aunt tells you to go and climb a legit mountain. Since you have nothing else to do on this small island, it seems like a good idea, since that's where you’ll find reception. But, ofc it’s not going to be easy and you will definitely need help getting up there.

### Gameplay

- I really enjoyed collecting golden feathers to allow myself to climb even higher. There were so many different ways to gain elevation & and ways to travel places. I really enjoyed all that there was to do in terms of getting from A to B.
- While this was a short game with a very simple objective, the island itself felt so dense with people, treasures, fishies, activities, it really had something on every corner of the island. I enjoyed meeting all the people (they were all so damn sassy tho LMAO which i LOVE), helping solve their problems, and it really truly made the island feel so alive. I genuinely cared about everyone and everything, and kept coming back to see if there was more dialogue, which there always was.
- The objective is to go up the tallest mountain, which as your aunt says is just a short hike, but for me, ADHD prone too, I’d go and see that there were these pockets of things to do, coins to collect and I’d find myself eventually watching someone paint, or having to help find someone’s watch. There was also just levels upon levels of stuff and little hilly plateaus, and your character can glide here and there which made it super fun. I liked bouncing on the flowers to gain elevation and then nyooooming down to where I needed to go.

### Graphics & Art Style

- It looked like the island was made and then they applied a pixelated filter, which was fuzzy looking but I liked it alot haha.
- The coloring of everything was very aesthetically pleasing and cozy-like. I loved how each area had their own theme color so you knew which section you were in. The last bit of it when you’re at the top is just so nice, it really feels like the whole point of getting there was worth it.

### Sound & Music

- The music was really great background music in that way. Like it just fit into the world. I can’t really remember how it goes but it was just perfect. Again, in each area there was a specific song for that area, and when you’re doing certain activities, the music would change as well. It felt cozy, calming, and at moments where it needed to feel intense it did as well.
- Sound effects were also done very well. I saw they used some chiptunes and other more generic noises, and I thought it was implemented well. The flowers had a great boinginess to it, climbing felt actually like climbing, flying like flying, those little things that you don’t really think about really contributed to the general feel of the game.

### Performance

- This was a really polished game! At no time did I feel any stuttering, encounter any bugs—I could tell that alot of thought, alot of quality control and alot of playtesting went into it. There was also a nice group of playtesters that the developer gave credit to. When the game’s scope isn’t that big I do feel like it’s easier to make sure you deliver a really great product.

### Overall Impressions

- *What did you like most?* I really enjoyed collecting everything the most. To me, it felt like it was a very mini version of animal crossing, and I love the whole wander around and find things vibe. I did wish there was a map, BUT i think it was intended for there not to be one so you can really wander around and find things out for yourself. I liked how you could get from point A to B anywhere in any way.
- *What didn’t work well?* Some of those mini games were frustrating!!!! And again, I really wished there was a map hahaha. But they were such a minor thing. Oh and I had to kinda get used to how the camera would move at certain angles, but pretty soon it felt very intuitive.
- *Would you recommend it?* 1000% yes, and its such a short game too. I am super slow at playing games so I’m usually double the time of HowLongToBeat LOL (and i leave it on when i get distracted with other stuff haha)

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**Final Score:** *5/5!*

The game is an absolute gem :) It’s cute, funny, and incredibly relaxing. Exploring the island, meeting quirky characters, and the chill atmosphere makes for such a wholesome experience.

Nice game. Short, as the name implies, so no false advertising here.
Cute and chill setting.
Music is relaxing and spot on.
Graphics: simple, yet effective.

I recommend taking a break from shooting monsters with this cute game.

The whole thing feels like it lacks meaningfulness—kinda like a Godard movie, less the accidental moments of zest that make it actually interesting to watch. Seriously, I have to hike a mountain to just make a phone call making some tedious small talk as I go? Doesn't feel like you do anything much; more like watching everything pass by, just sitting there, and occasionally meowing out your presence to others. The game does have a cozy vibe to it and the graphics are soothing, but other than that it's so uneventful chugging a glass of water with a cockroach feels less underwhelming

Probably, not my thing simply. Still, might be perfectly fine for the people who gawk at a progress bar loading and think, "Ah yes. Now this is living."

Overall: 5.769/10 wistful sighs into the void,
6/10 square feet of watching lead paint dry

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.5/5)

A Short Hike is an absolute gem of a game. The art style is stunning—charming, unique, and unlike anything I’ve seen before. Every frame feels like a painting, and the low-poly aesthetic combined with the vibrant colors makes the world feel alive and inviting.

The story, while simple, is incredibly well-paced. The ending felt like a genuinely satisfying conclusion, something that a lot of games struggle to achieve. It left me with that rare feeling of contentment rather than wanting more.

I’m the kind of player who loves going for 100% completion, and in this game, it was an absolute joy. Every achievement felt like a fun little challenge rather than a chore, and exploring every corner of the world was rewarding in itself.

I played it on the Steam Deck, and it ran flawlessly. In fact, I’d say it’s the perfect game for the Deck—laid-back, immersive, and easy to pick up and play whenever you have a moment.

If you’re looking for a short but beautiful experience that leaves a lasting impression, A Short Hike is absolutely worth your time.

Don’t forget to give me an award if you found this review helpful. 😉

This is a cute little game, but does it really deserve to be one of the highest rated games on Steam?

I don't think so... but being overrated doesn't mean this one is bad.

A short but immersive game. Wish I could forgot this and play again!

beautiful short story. that end hit the spot

This game feels like a nice little break from reality. It offers an escape to an island where you can explore, fly, and really just enjoy yourself. I got the game on sale for about 5 USD and beat it in about an hour, but kept playing after that. I really hope that this helps you play it yourself, or recommend it to anyone who just feels a bit down.

A perfect game to relax with on a Friday afternoon, A Short Hike was exactly what I needed to mentally tune out of a stressful work week.
In little more than one hour, you trek through an island where vistas and the lovely soundtrack range between cozy and motivating. The writing is often pretty funny, making me laugh out loud twice; some characters are super dry in their responses, while others mock you for letting your gaming instincts make you think of everything as a quest.
And that's really the main point of A Short Hike: sometimes, you can just stop and smell the pine trees along the way.

Cozy mini-world full of surprises, characters, challenges and mini-games.

A great way to chill and relax. Beautiful corners and secret places to reach and enjoy.

The path is the destination. Walk, climb, swim, fly, dig, high-jump, fish, play "tennis", ride a boat... the list never ends.

Plus, everything is cute and the low-poly-low-res graphics... so gorgeus! Great music too!

In short, an all-time classic. Years after its release still an awesome game!

Lovely little game! Perfect for winding down at the end of the day!

Step 1 - turn off pixelization in settings. (IMO looks better without the pixel filter)
Step 2 - enjoy exploring an island, collecting stuff and gliding around like the bird you are.

Surprisingly, even though there is not much action in this game, the cozy atosphere and the exploration is so well crafted, that I'll recommend this game to anyone I know, regardless of their skill or genre preference. Very relaxing.

I got this game because it looked like the perfect game to play on a relaxing night, and boy was I right. This is the perfect game to play if you just wanna rest, relax, and take a short hike! The game was a very nice length, definitely finishable in one sitting, but I played it over a couple - like I said, at night, after all of the day's business was over. I am a completionist, so the game took me a bit longer than your average playthrough would, but I highly recommend going for all of the achievements, they're all so fun and rewarding and worth the trouble :)

This game had me smiling the whole time and was a joy to play all the way through.

Just the right amount of length, so not overstay it's welcome.

NOTE: I'd strongly recommend using a controller for this one, as the keyboard & mouse controls are pretty poor.

Great game feels like Animal Crossing and the chill parts of Super Mario had a baby. Also if you don't like the graphics you can change them which I though was cool

A short hike is a game about a young female bird that goes on a trip with her aunt to the park she works at. You find yourself needing internet- but the only place you will get a signal is at the top of Hawk peak. On your way up the mountain you will meet fun characters on this big island. The island is not HUGE but not small either, I have played it for around 17 hours (Steam and Switch) and still don't know the island as much as I would like to. Some of the characters will have fun side quests. Some want to play, want to race, some want to climb. These diverse personality types is one of the reasons this game has so much personality. Once you make your way up to Hawk peak the game does not end. One of the good things about this game is it has replay ability. Also your going to need golden feathers to jump and climb. You can get feathers by winning them, doing favors- even buying them. After I finished the game I continued to play and I got possibly double the feathers I had when I "finished" the game. Overall, I think this game is amazing for all ages above six, only because there is dialogue that younger children might not be able to read. I think it is WELL worth the eight dollars.

10/10