Hoa

A colorful and creative indie adventure, Hoa will challenge players with ingenious puzzles at the same time it marvels them with its gorgeous visuals and its fascinating world of wonders. A visual delight that deftly balances a sense of discovery and exploration with its challenging enigmas.

While most indie platformers would have you on the edge of your seat, taking pride in how tough to beat they are, Hoa chooses to be a more relaxed experience instead. The serene atmosphere achieved by the game’s otherworldly visuals is hard to explain, so it might be better if you give this one a go.

Forest Adventures

The wondrous world of Hoa seems to take inspiration from games like Ori and the Blind Forest and Botanicula. Hoa invites players to explore some beautiful natural landscapes in a relaxed way, encouraging exploration and discovery over raw gameplay difficulty or though platforming segments.

Most of the game’s mechanics are centered around the idea of exploring the woods. Puzzles reward players for their observational skills, while secrets and some other oddities can always be found in the most well-hidden spots throughout the game.

All the praise for the game’s relaxed nature doesn’t mean that Hoa is without its difficult sections, however. Players will need to master some moves if they hope to solve some of the game’s most demanding puzzles. Things like hopping at a precise time can get relatively frustrating, especially since the controls don’t always react as sharply as you’d want them to.

Younger players will find that the difficulty of the game is just right, while most veteran gamers might feel that, in most areas, Hoa is too easy. Fortunately, that’s where the game’s beautiful hand-painted visuals and the moving orchestra score come chiming in to complete the out-of-this-world experience that Hoa really is.

Sensory Overload

Every frame of Hoa could be considered a masterpiece: the game features some of the most beautiful hand-drawn scenery we’ve ever seen in a video game, and the level design and characters are all equally sublime.

Players with more artsy inclinations will find tons to discover and awe at with Hoa. The unmatched sense of exploration, coupled with the game’s gorgeous visuals, culminates in a wonderful gaming experience that’s worth playing to be believed.

Also worth mentioning is the game’s outstanding orchestral soundtrack. Every part of your journey in Hoa comes with a unique score that’s more than capable to pull at your heartstrings.

The narrative of the game is presented in a minimal way, something that goes along quite nicely with the rest of Hoa’s presentation. This is an indie game that feels like the complete AAA package, and the best part is that players of any skill level might join in this exceptional gaming experience.

The difficulty might feel a bit trivial at times, and the controls might not always behave the way you expect them to, but Hoa is all about the journey — and what uniquely pretty this journey turned out to be.

Pros

• Beautiful hand-drawn graphics
• Exceptional orchestral score
• Great sense of exploration and discovery

Cons

• Puzzles are not all that challenging
• Little replay value