A Short Hike – A Parent’s Review

By a parent who games between coffee breaks and going out for a walk.

Reviewed on: Steam Deck

Available on: Linux/PC (Microsoft Windows) / Mac / PlayStation 4 / Xbox One / Nintendo Switch

The Quick Take

The coziest of games, a Short Hike is a game where you go on a peaceful hike to the summit of a mountain. Along the way you talk to the local islanders, learn to climb, and soar.

The Parent Perspective

When I sit down to play, I’m usually juggling real-life to-do lists and trying not to fall asleep and bonk my face with my handheld console. So here’s what I look at as a parent:

Can I play in short bursts? The game is only about 2 hours long so it won’t take you long to finish.
Can I pause/save easily? You can save the game really easily if you only have a few minutes to play.
Attention required: A Short Hike has a very easy going story which will allow you to pick this up and play whenever you have a free second.
Stress level: Stress level set to chill.
Content concerns: You can rest easy with this game. There is no violence or bad language.

Kid-Friendly? Let’s Talk

Depending on your household rules and the age of your kids, this game may or may not make the cut. Here’s what I noticed:

Good for kids? Gameplay wise this is a perfect game for any age. I think a child as young as 4 could play this game, but to fully understand it they should be able to read.
Stuff they might love: Being a bird who is able to hike, climb, and soar in the wind.
Stuff to talk about first: I think that this game is a great narrative about real life. People need to disconnect from technology and just be present in nature.

How It Fits Into a Parent’s Life

Works in 15–30 min chunks? Totally. This game is super relaxing and so is the ability to stop and start this game because of life.
Okay to step away mid-session? Even with the game only taking two hours to complete, there were a few times that I had to step away to start dinner or put away laundry and didn’t pick it up for a few days. It was super easy to jump back in and pick up where I left off.
Mentally exhausting or easy to sink into? Just like the story, you are asked to unplug and just enjoy nature. This game is the closes thing to being in nature without actually being in nature.

Learning Curve & Controls

Easy to learn? Nothing easier than asked to walk around nature for a few hours.
Control scheme: Controls are super easy to pick up and play. I would even recommend this game for little kiddos.
Tutorial quality: No real tutorial stage needed to walk around in nature.

Vibe Check

Visual style: Visually it reminds me of a Studio Ghibli movie in a PlayStation Two era of graphics.
Soundtrack: Super chill that blends perfectly with your hike through nature.
Overall mood: Just imagine being in nature and that is what this game feels like.

So… Is It Worth My Rare Free Time?

Great for parents who love: Cozy games
Will I keep playing? Probably not since I beat it. I could go back and try and complete the side quests, but I probably won’t.
Recommend to other parents? Yes, this is a game that every person should play and with it only being two hours to complete, you have no excuse not to.

Parent Score

My very official, highly subjective rating:

☕☕☕☕/4 out 5 cups of coffee – Great for winding down and a super cozy game to pick up after a stressful night routine.

Final Thoughts

A Short Hike has been on my backlog list for a while. When it came out in 2019 it was a huge success in the cozy game community. Finally being able to play it, I can see why and I’ll be honest. I had hesitations playing it. A game where you just walk around. Sounds boring right? Wrong, the story is so relatable for almost everyone today. Play this game and then put it down and go for a hike yourself, you’ll be glad that you did.

If you’ve played A Short Hike or have questions, drop them in the comments—I’d love to hear from you!