A Player's Guide to Mina the Hollower's Features

Mina the Hollower, from Shovel Knight developer Yacht Club, merges the aesthetic of classic Game Boy adventure games with the challenging combat mechanics of the souls-like genre. This combination can seem intimidating, but the game includes several core features designed to make the experience accessible for all player types. This guide breaks down these features and explains how to use them to tailor the game to your preferred difficulty.

Classic Adventure Meets Modern Challenge

The game's foundation will feel familiar to fans of titles like Link's Awakening, but its combat adds higher-stakes systems that make each encounter more deliberate.

Classic adventure structure vs. modern challenge systems

Element	Classic adventure side	Challenge-focused side
Core play	Explore the world, solve puzzles, and clear dungeons	Combat demands timing and resource management
Defeat penalty	Adventure progression stays exploration-driven	Losing to an enemy can cost your bones unless you return and win the rematch
Recovery	Movement and discovery remain central	Healing is limited and must be used strategically
Key survival skill	Burrowing helps with traversal and platforming	Burrowing also functions as a combat evasion tool

Navigating the Open World

Mina the Hollower is set in an open world, which provides a natural way to manage difficulty. If you are struggling in one area, you are not forced to continue. Instead, you can go in a different direction to explore, uncover secrets, or find new Trinkets to equip. You can also spend time defeating easier enemies to grind for bones, which are used to purchase equipment and upgrade Mina's abilities. Taking an hour to level up before tackling a major dungeon is a viable strategy to ease the challenge.

Customizing with Modifiers

For more direct control over the game's difficulty, Mina the Hollower includes a robust set of Modifiers. These options allow you to fine-tune specific gameplay mechanics to suit your playstyle. To use them, access the game's menu and select the Modifiers you wish to enable.

Some of the available adjustments include:

Modifier options that can reduce difficulty

Game Speed

Pacing·Reaction time

If the action feels too fast, lowering overall game speed gives you more time to read attacks and respond.

Healing Speed

Recovery·Safety window

Reducing vial use time shortens the vulnerable animation and makes healing less risky during fights.

Damage Values

Offense·Defense

You can change how much damage Mina deals and how much she takes from enemies.

Enabling certain Modifiers will turn off progress for the game's Feats system (achievements). However, there are no other restrictions, giving you the freedom to make the game as easy as you need it to be. These tools ensure that players can overcome difficult sections and experience the game's acclaimed puzzle design and story through to the end.