SoraRabbit Short Hop 005: A Short Hike

Hey everyone! I hope you’re all doing well. In the process of procrastinating (side questing) from my latest full post, I came across a cute, quirky, and brief game called A Short Hike. It seemed like a good topic for a Short Hop, so here we go!

Bird life. (Credit: adamgryu)

A Short Hike was release in 2019 by developer adamgryu. I came across this game watching a video made by the streamers Evan and Katelyn. If you haven’t checked them out, I highly recommend their videos. They put out very entertaining streams and also have a DIY channel. After watching the recorded stream for a few minutes I decided to turn it off and watch it later. I wanted to try the game and didn’t want spoilers.

Mainly I was drawn to it because the bird you play as, Claire, looks very much like a penguin. But also because it has a cute, simplistic style and easy game play. Although I’m trying hard to stop myself from getting distracted from my 2020 Game List, I’m already off track playing old Animal Crossing games. (Everyone keeps talking about it and I can’t justify dropping $60 on Animal Crossing New Horizons right now.) So a brief game like this wouldn’t hurt too much. (Also it was really cheap, which is always a plus.)

Seriously? I just gave you a ton of shells, kid. (Credit: adamgryu.)

The premise of the game is super simple. You (Claire the bird) are spending a few days on a mountain with your Park Ranger Aunt, May. (LOL Aunt May. Just got that.) You can’t get any cell reception and you’re expecting an important phone call. So you have to take a hike up Hawk Peak in the hopes reception will be better up there. That’s really all I’m going to say about the story in this post… I’m not going to give away the ending, because it’s really good and unexpected.

From there, it’s your choice. You can head right up the mountain following the path, or explore. (The voyage is easier if you explore a bit first.) The mountain is pretty big and there are a lot of environments to it. As you work your way up the mountain, you encounter other animal hikers going about their business. Some want things from you, others just want to chat.

Whoa, settle down, man. (Credit: adamgryu.)

The controls are also really simple. You have a button to talk, a button to use your equipped item. You can also jump, climb, and glide. There are several things to collect and tools you can use. The main method of progression is Golden Feathers. These act as your stamina gauge, allowing you to climb farther and jump more times in a row. There are 20 in all. Some have to be purchased with coins, others are out in the open. There are also two rare Silver Feathers. These make you climb and glide faster.

As you climb or double jump, your Feathers are consumed, and you have to rest to recover them. The higher up you get on the mountain, the colder it gets, freezing your Feathers so they don’t regenerate until you find a hot spring or a campfire.

What a happy birb. (Credit: adamgryu.)

Shells are strewn about the mountain, and some of the animals have lost items or have requests for you. For instance, a race is about to happen on the mountain and the rabbit has lost her lucky red headband. She can’t face the champion racer turtle without it! Although the writing is minimalistic, the dialogue is amusing, and all the animals have distinct personalities.

Aww, is bunny. (Credit: adamgryu.)

Some of the items— a few of the Golden Feathers and the hat— are purchased with coins. Coins can be found laying about, in chests, or from the fisherman. Once you get the fishing pole, you can catch fish and sell them to the Duck captain. He’ll give you coins for new fish and bait for duplicate fish. He also gives you a Fish Journal so you can keep track of which fish you have and haven’t caught and your records. Some are rare, and each have a size that’s recorded.

Along with the fishing minigame, there are two other minigames. You can play Beachstickball, which is just what it sounds like. You can also have parkour races… they’re very difficult if you don’t know your way around the mountain. Your Golden Feather use is limited during these, so you usually perform under a handicap. (The Silver Feathers help with this, speeding you up.)

Oooh, fancy. (Credit: adamgryu.)

To aid you in your trip you can get several items, like a shovel and pickaxes. I don’t think the hat does anything specific, I think it just makes you look like a fancy bird.

All the animals on the mountain have their own story… there’s a tough bird that wants to sell you Golden Feathers at a steep price. (He has his reasons.) There’s a little frog kid building a city of sand castles. (He loses the mayoral election.) My favorite, though, was the raccoon painter trying to find the perfect landscape to paint. You keep coming across him in various places. He’s preparing for an exhibit and is very nervous that his paintings aren’t good enough. (Ah, the ever-present doubt of an artist.) You keep encouraging him every time you see him.

What a sweet bird. (Credit: adamgryu.)

Once you reach the top and the story ends, you can continue to explore, play minigames, collect fish, and get achievements. It’s a really open ended and relaxing game. I have nothing bad to say about this game… even the short length was a plus for me. This game was funny, sweet, and full of quirky characters. It’s deceptively simple and memorable. If you’re looking for a brief but enjoyable experience, I suggest you give A Short Hike a try.

Ooooooh. (Credit: adamgryu.)

Thank you for joining me on this Short Hop. I hope you enjoyed my chronicle of Claire the bird’s adventure. See you soon with more unexpected treasures!