Game Analysis: A Short Hike

2023

about the game: a short hike

A Short Hike is an adventure game that lets players traverse the Hawk Peak Provincial Park. While reaching the summit, the player can jog, swim and fly to explore different trails, converse with other hikers, collect hidden treasures, pick up tools to enhance their strength and take on mini tasks to earn rewards. The peaceful music, scenic art styles and relaxing gameplay make this game a great escape from the daily hustle and bustle of city living.

It is like a toned-down version of Animal Crossing, where the players are not tasked with landscaping, trading, socializing, or foraging over a long period of time. A Short Hike provided a singular frame of mind in the hiking context. The elevation change, panoramic scenes and flying mechanism provided a sensational relaxation for players to explore leisurely. However, as a result, the story of A Short Hike is much shorter and could be exhausted within a few hours of gameplay.

 

game overview

ESRB rating: Everyone

Genre: Adventure, Platformer

Platform: A Short Hike was released in 2019 on PC and Mac, Switch in 2020 and November 2021 for PS4 and Xbox One. This game report is based on my gameplay experience on Mac.

Camera: Semi-pan Isometric camera

Space: 2D

 
 

game control & narratives

Controls

I played the game on the Mac OS and used the keyboard throughout the gameplay. Controller mapping is also available, but I didn’t experience it since I don’t have a controller.

In a screenshot of the keyboard controls (e.g. Z to jump, glide, flap wings etc., X to use items, C to run etc.). I did not remap any keys because I found the default setting ergonomically efficient and easy to recall.


Characters

I am playing a bird character named Claire. She’s with her Aunt May, a Hawk Peak Provincial Park ranger. Claire can interact with the environment in multiple ways. She can jump and run on the trail, pick up objects from and dig on the ground, flap her wings and glide in the sky, swim and fish in the ocean, and climb and fall on the wall.

The player can interact with other characters ( e.g. polar bear, beaver, moose, frog, rabbits, etc.) throughout the gameplay. For example, Claire can converse with the beaver on the path to the peak and buy some ‘golden feathers’ directly from them.

Not all of these interactions are not part of the core game loop, but they add to the overall gameplay experience and motivate players to traverse even after completing the core game loop.

The art style and vibrant colour pattern remind me of Animal Crossing, the New Horizon. However, unlike Animal Crossing, A Short Hike doesn’t provide any options to customize any aspect of the characters, including their outfit, hairstyle, facial expression, etc.


Time

The story all happens within the provincial park with no time constraints. It is a relaxing and self-pacing game that may take a couple of hours to complete the core game loop.

Core game loop

The game's main objective is to reach the top of the mountain, but there are many optional paths and activities to complete, such as fishing, rock climbing, and helping other characters with tasks.

The most important cycle of Claire's action is to climb Mount Hawak and get phone signals to call her mom. To do so, Claire needs to traverse through the park to collect the golden feathers. The more golden feathers she collects, the higher she can climb. Eventually, with enough golden feathers, Claire would be able to reach the peak of Mount Hawak and experience significant scenery change as the altitude rises.

The player may take a couple of hours to complete the core game loop, but the game does not stop there. The player can explore the rest of the park by interacting with the environment (e.g. fishing, flying, digging, finding treasures, unlocking trophies, etc.). They can also take on mini challenges from other characters, such as finding a rubber band for a rabbit, learning rock climbing from

others, or competing in a race. Overall, the collectibles are set at reasonable levels, and the challenge versus rewards are balanced well to keep the player going.

Game pillars

 
 

Game pillars are the guiding principles of the game to help present a unified direction for the development effort. Here are a few pillars I identified for A Short Hike:

Game Pillar 1: Exploration

A Short Hike encourages players to explore the environment and discover hidden treasures. There are game mechanics that support the exploration as well. For example, each area of the provincial park reveals a different landscape, and players can experience unique sceneries and weather as the altitude rises. To add challenges to the exploration, there are props like the “treasure map” that help players locate hidden treasure. The dialogue interaction with other characters also unlocks secret tasks for the players to progress further in the game.

The exploration requires the player to have both physical and mental competency:

  • Physical competency of precision: for example, while digging for the treasure, the player needs to stand and aim the shovel at a precise location on the ground to retrieve the treasure.

  • Mental competencies of observation: for example, there are treasure boxes, tunnels, coins, shells and various objectives sprinkled in the provincial park. Some are easy to spot, and some are camouflaged with the background. It requires the players to observe carefully while gliding in the sky and land precisely near the object to retrieve.

Game Pillar 2: Unwinding

As the name suggested, A Short Hike was designed to be a peaceful and serene journey that encourages players to unwind and enjoy the beauty of nature. With no time limit or pressure to perform, players can take their time to explore, relax and enjoy the scenery. In addition, the game's soundtrack, composed by Mark Sparling, adds to the game's overall ambiance. The gentle guitar melodies and natural sounds immerse the player in the park’s tranquility during gameplay.

The game mechanics of traversal and sky gliding also adds to this pillar. If the player were to unwind, the game is not demanding much on the players’ mental or physical competencies. Perhaps some level of memory is required to recall where to buy the golden feathers or identify which trail leads to a new area of the park.

Game Pillar 3: Puzzle-solving

As players explore the core game loop, they encounter many puzzles and challenges requiring problem-solving skills. These puzzles vary in difficulty and complexity, requiring observation and cleverness as part of the mental competencies. For example, there are many different ways to obtain golden feathers. The players must gather information and connect clues from the conversations with other characters to get extra golden feathers.

In addition, when climbing up the mountain, Claire’s feathers freeze gradually with the altitude rise. This requires the players to plan for an optimal route so that Claire can warm up near the campfire or in the hot spring to recoup energy before proceeding.

The mastery balance between unwinding and puzzle-solving makes A Short Hike a charming and refreshing game for many players. It has received critical praise for its relaxing gameplay, adorable characters, and clever level design.

 
 

Pacing

A Short Hike is a self-pacing game that does not have a time limit or pressure to perform. Players can take as long as needed to explore the environment before climbing the summit. The artistic style, music selection and challenges work in unity to support this pacing.

However, the clever use of scenic change does apply another layer of complexity to the gameplay intensity. When Claire reaches the peak, the weather changes from calm sunny breezes to stormy wind blades. The environmental adversity nudges the players to sit up and be more focused and strategic with their moves. Players can channel into their flow state by trying all possible routes until they figure out the optimal path to the summit.

My experience

Before I purchased this game, I read many reviews saying it was too short for its price. I hesitated but still pulled the trigger because of its incredibly adorable art style and the relaxing vibe. After many hours of playing, this game still unfolds with many pleasant surprises.

My initial few hours of gameplay were laser-focused on reaching the mountain summit. I fast-forwarded all dialogues and exhausted all visible resources for the golden feathers, but I still couldn’t get to the peak. So I decided to take a break from the game.

A few weeks later, I opened the game again in the evening and put on my earphones to hear the background music. I was immersed with joy and took a slower pace this time. I stopped to converse with different characters on the tail and was gifted with unexpected treasures. I explored the landscape and glided in the sky. I landed on an unknown island and swam around until I reached the limit. I played random “stick beach ball” games and tried outdoor rock climbing on the beach.

Just as I thought I had seen it all, I was again amazed by the beautiful aurora light when I finally reached the mountain peak. The heartwarming phone call between Claire and her mom was also touching. It was a self-exploration journey for Claire, and so did for me. I had the urge to take a screenshot of this scene and send it to my mom. Of course, she replied with some questions about my nocturnal sleep schedule.

After all, I enjoyed this game as a casual player, and I would recommend it to others looking for a relaxing, low-commitment, and self-pacing adventure game.

Reference

Robinson-Yu.A. (2019). A Short Hike(Mac version) [Video game]. Robinson-Yu.A. https://www.nintendo.com/search/?cat=gme&sort=df&f=esrbRating&esrbRating=e