Indie games are no longer being unestimated for what they can bring to the table. A game like A Short Hike is a great example of how a shorter game can still be filled with so much content. The game revolves around a bird named Claire who is trying to get cellphone reception at the top of a mountain on the island she and her aunt are camping at.
Along the way, Claire can gather feathers that will help her beat the elements and get to the top. In order to do that, there is a wide range of activities that can be done in the area. Some who have played it may have missed a couple of these.
10 Create A Fish Catalog
If players find a walrus named Bill fishing at a pond, he will reward Claire with a fishing rod and teach her how to fish. What players will discover is that there is a lot of different fish that Claire can catch in the game. In order to keep track, visit the seagull on their ship.
There, they will give Claire a catalog and reward her for each unique fish she brings to them. This can help players figure out how much fish they have left to catch and, if Claire hands in all of the different fish, the seagull will reward to player with a golden fishing rod. This will increase the chances of rare fish.
9 Retrieve A Permit From A Fish
When fishing in the game, players will need to get some bait. There are a few ways to do this, but one of them is by visiting a gray cat that has set up camp in the middle of the forest. Worried that they may get caught for setting up a tent without a permit, the cat will bribe Claire by giving some bait.
However, players can get even more bait if they can find the permit the cat lost. To do that, players must find the fish that has the permit inside of it. Getting this will lead to the cat giving all of its bait to Claire, which should keep the player busy fishing.
8 Gain Height Using Flowers
The goal of A Short Hike is to try to reach the highest peak on the island, so players will need to figure out the best way to do that. While feathers can help Claire get as high as she could, other tools can be used to help really give her a boost.
Players can find a bucket on the island that can be filled with water. If there is a closed flower nearby, players can water it to make it bloom. If Claire jumps on this flower, she will be skyrocketed up to a decent height that can help her reach secret ledges or areas that she may not have been able to get to otherwise.
7 Hunt For Treasure
Another tool that can be added to Claire's "arsenal" as she explores the campgrounds is a shovel. This shovel can be used to find lots of coins that can be used to spend on various other tasks.
But while there are some random digging spots that appear throughout the island with not much significance, players can also be guided by treasure maps. These maps have riddles on them that describe an area. If Claire hits the right spot, she can be handsomely rewarded. There are a total of three treasure maps in all.
6 Follow A Painter's Journey
Characters are a big part of A Short Hike. Even the minor ones that players may not spend much time with can leave an impact. Take the Painting Kid that Claire can find on Shirley's Point. This raccoon will talk about trying to find the right vision for a painting that he is looking to display at a major exhibit.
Struggling to capture something, they will move to different points in the island where Claire can find them and talk to them again. If players are able to find and talk to the Painting Kid enough times, they can earn a Golden Feather.
5 Drive A Boat Around
After A Short Hikewas released in 2019, there was some bonus content added within the following year. One of the features added was the ability to get behind the wheel of a boat. By visiting the Orange Islands, players can talk to the kid lying in the sand who is saying how bored he is.
Offering to take him on a trip on a boat will start a sequence that includes the boat breaking down, getting it repaired, and ultimately using the boat in a race. Players could also just drive around the boat for any purpose they see fit.
4 Help Build A Sandcastle Empire
As mentioned earlier, players can get a shovel to dig treasure up. To do this, players must find a toy shovel to give to a green frog on the beach. They will give Claire a bigger shovel that can actually be effective.
But even though the main mission is done for this frog, it's worth returning to them and their sandcastles every so often. That's because each time Claire returns, the sand sculptures are bigger. After the sandcastles become a "sand province," players will be able to pick up a Golden Feather for visiting so often.
3 Play A Sport
Sometimes, it's nice to unwind on the island with a little sports action. Players can find a beach court in the northwestern area of the island where two birds are hanging out. The one on the court will challenge Claire to a game of "Beachstickball."
Very similar to volleyball, players must keep the ball up for as long as possible. The only difference is that the people on each side of the net are working together to reach a high number. There are specific records that, if players hit, they will be rewarded. Rewards include a hat, some coins, and a Golden Feather.
2 Visit Some Far Off Islands
For the most part, the game can be played and beaten by just sticking with the main island and visiting other islands that are directly connected to it. However, there are two particular islands that are detached and far enough away from the main island that may make it easy to miss.
The first is a rather large island in the southeast that, if players can climb to the top of the mountain there, players can get a silver feather. Another island in the northeast has an island with a deer who will give Claire their sunhat if she cleaned the island of its litter.
1 Run Like You Fly
While exploring the trails, Claire will come across Sue, a rabbit who is looking for her lucky red headband. If players find Taylor the turtle and take the red headband they offer, they can give Sue the headband and receive running shoes in return.
Equipping these allows Claire to sprint for however long her gold feather supply lasts, just like how the supply drains while climbing. This can be very helpful when doing the parkour races against Avery or for getting around the island quickly without needing to fly.
A Short Hike was released on August 5, 2019, and is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4.