A Short Hike

A Short Hike is an adventure traversal game where you play the penguin-like character Claire, who needs to climb a mountain in a beautiful national park to receive an important phone call. Presented in cute pixel graphics, the game invites you to explore the park, help other animals, and find seashells and even buried treasure. In return, you’re given greater stamina and tools with special powers so you can make it to the top of the mountain. And that’s just the start.

CONTENT RATING

PLATFORMS

PC

Mac

Nintendo Switch

PlayStation 4

Xbox Series X|S

Xbox One

POSITIVE GAMEPLAY

Ambitious

Calming

Career Aspirations

Digital Nutrition

Empathy

Exploration

Exporation

Geography

PLAY STYLE

Team Up With Game World

Claire the penguin-like character is visiting her Aunt, who lives and works in a provincial park. Jump, climb, and soar through the various regions of the park. Meet other folks along the way, some of whom are dealing with their own problems. Find hidden tools and treasures to prepare for your ascent to the peak. A Short Hike is a relaxed but sincere expression of the peace and simple joy of a walk in the woods.

Explore the island any way you like. Choose your own path to follow and see where it leads you. You never know what you might stumble into!
Hike at your own pace — there’s no need to rush to the summit! Take your time fishing along the river banks or swimming by the lakeshore.
Collect hidden treasures to reach new heights. Try taking a dive off the mountain peaks to soar above the forests.
Chat with the other hikers you meet along your route. You might be able to help each other out!
Listen to a lush original soundtrack by Mark Sparling that progresses dynamically as you explore the wilderness.

On Nintendo Switch, A Short Hike adds a new set of islands that have been discovered along the northern shore, where you can go to find the local rental shop. From there, you can take out a motorboat to cruise along the waters of Hawk Peak Provincial Park in style! This update will be available for free to PC players of A Short Hike as well.

GAMEPLAY TRAILER

Good to know

Insights to ensure your child's gaming experience remains safe and enjoyable

Consider time investment

Adventure games often take a long time to finish. Encourage regular breaks to get moving, rest their eyes and balance their time with other activities.

Nurture key skills

Many adventure games incorporate problem solving and critical thinking, important skills for school, work and more offline. Talk to them about their game to see how it supports them and their goals.

Build resilience

Encourage children to take risks with their characters in-game to safely learn potential consequences. Talk about what might happen outside of the game and why it's important to keep those risks in-game only. While playing, encourage them to think about innovative risks their character can take.

Skill level age

Suggested by Family Gaming Database

7+

You need to be able to navigate the island and get hints from the people you meet by reading. Being inquisitive and resilient in your efforts to explore are also handy, which younger players often do well at.

Content rating

Rated PEGI 3. Players can use sticks, shovels and pickaxes to hit objects. However, there is no violence against other characters. There is use of the words 'dang' and 'heck'.

PEGI rating explained?