Mina the Hollower Digs Up Half a Million Sales in Its First Week

An Indie Underdog Story With a Happy Ending

Okay, gather round, because this is the kind of gaming story that makes me want to do a little victory dance. Mina the Hollower, the gothic, Game Boy-flavored adventure from Yacht Club Games — yes, the *Shovel Knight* folks — just sold half a million copies in its first week. For a passion project that spent six-plus years in the oven, that's not just a win; it's a full-on triumph.

The Numbers Are Genuinely Bananas

Let's talk receipts, because they're delightful. The studio confirmed 500,000 copies sold in the first week, with 300,000 of those moving in the first three days. In the studio's own joyful words: "Half a million Hollowers have descended into Tenebrous Isle, and we're completely blown away." Honestly? Same energy.

Critics Are Smitten Too

This isn't a case of sales without substance. Mina the Hollower is sitting at a 93 Metascore across dozens of reviews, which currently makes it one of — if not *the* — highest-rated game of 2026. When players *and* critics are this aligned, you know a team nailed the vision.

So What Actually Is It?

Picture a top-down action adventure with the soul of a classic handheld Zelda-like, dipped in a deliciously spooky Castlevania-meets-*Bloodborne* atmosphere. You play Mina, a plucky whip-cracking hero burrowing through the secrets of a cursed island. It leans hard into that crunchy retro Game Boy aesthetic — chunky pixels, moody monochrome-inspired palettes — but with the modern polish and tight design sensibility Yacht Club is famous for. It's nostalgia done right: familiar enough to feel cozy, fresh enough to feel new.

Why This One Hits Different

Here's the part that warms my pixelated heart. Yacht Club had been through a tough stretch, and the team was candid that they needed this one to land. It did — emphatically. Co-founder Sean Velasco and crew poured years into Mina, and the response has reportedly secured the studio's future. That's a whole lot of players essentially voting, with their wallets, to keep a beloved indie studio making the games we love.

For everyone rooting for smaller teams with big ideas, this is the dream scenario: a heartfelt, lovingly crafted game finds its audience, the reviews are glowing, and the people who made it get to keep making more.

The Takeaway

Mina the Hollower is the feel-good indie game story of the moment — a 93-rated retro adventure that sold half a million copies in week one and gave a cherished studio a bright future. If you've got even a flicker of love for classic handheld adventures, this is your sign to go dig into Tenebrous Isle yourself. The Hollowers are onto something good.

Sources: GamesRadar+ — "2026's best-rated game sold half a million copies in its first week" — June 2026; PC Gamer — "Mina the Hollower sells 300,000 in 3 days" — June 2026.