Hoa is a side-scrolling puzzle adventure game for Nintendo Switch, developed by Scrollcat Studio and published by PM Studios. Unlike the pixelated graphics that have been a popular staple of side-scroller games, Hoa creates an immersive, breathtaking environment using hand-painted backgrounds. With a combination of intuitive gameplay and an engaging narrative, Hoa is a unique addition to the puzzle-solver genre and a good choice for those wanting a relaxing adventure.
Playing as Hoa, a small faerie, players must travel through Studio Ghibli-style landscapes with the aid of the forest's inhabitants to unravel where Hoa came from, and why she left her home. In order to unlock each new chapter, puzzles and quests must be completed, with each objective allowing players to thoroughly explore every area map. While the overarching narrative is simple, the characters encountered in Hoa all have a mythical quality that enhances the story, and well-developed personalities that are engaging and delightful to uncover.
The puzzles of Hoa are woven into the exploration of each environment, with seamless transitions between narrative and gameplay. Players will need to jump up on leaves and flowers that unfurl from backgrounds, push large rocks that block progression, or engage with the creatures living in different areas throughout the story. Creatures range from beetles with the ability to push objects to grubs that act as bounce pads, giving a boost when trying to reach high areas. While the maps are side-scrolling, the depth of the backgrounds makes each space feel three-dimensional, removing the limiting frustrations of 2D environments in other side-scroller games.
Hoa includes several mechanics found in RPG adventure games, which is a pleasant twist in a puzzle-heavy title. Throughout each map, players will be required to collect butterflies located in remote areas. These butterflies can then be traded to the chapter's guiding character for new skills. Often these skills mirror the abilities of the creatures native to each area in the map, like the double-jump skill in an area with bouncy grubs or pushing skill in the beetle habitat. These abilities give players more ways to solve the puzzles in the next area while adding to how they interact with each environment.
While the majority of progression through Hoa is seamless, there are a few mechanical issues that can be frustrating. The first of these is the map used to navigate each area and find objectives. The current maps in Hoa are shown as a series of connected boxes with no detail, vaguely showing where the player is located. The boxes don't become more detailed with exploration and don't do a good job of accurately showing where the player is actually at in each mini-location. Because of this, it can take a great deal of time to travel through each map, and backtrack to previous areas needed to progress the story.
Hoa also struggles with minor control issues. This is especially prevalent when attempting to jump on leaves and logs used as terrain puzzles to reach areas higher up on maps. Currently, players must ensure they are in the exact spot on a leaf when they jump, or they won't be able to land on the target location. This often results in the character falling off the leaves, where they will then drop to the bottom of the area and must rescale the leaves from the beginning. With a few tweaks to Hoa's jump mechanics, navigating these puzzles would be less frustrating, and encourage players to spend additional time exploring different jump patterns.
Unravelling the narrative and exploring the carefully crafted world in Hoa is both satisfying and rewarding. Fans of puzzle games like Flower or Journey will find the same sense of peace and emotional fulfillment, while those who enjoy Studio Ghibli-inspired art like the Nino no Kuni series will likely appreciate the hand-painted characters and backgrounds. Hoa is a puzzle game worth playing multiple times, as every new journey through the magical landscape reveals further details, and remains just as delightful as the first playthrough.
Hoa will be available August 24 on the PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. A Nintendo Switch code was provided to Screen Rant for the purposes of this review.