If you loved A Short Hike, start with Lil Gator Game, Smushi Come Home and TOEM. All three are short, kind exploration games where you climb, glide or wander and help the people you meet. For a little more story, try Alba or Pine Hearts. Below are 10 games with honest notes, so you can pick the right one for your evening.
At a glance
| Game | Best for | Length | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Short Sail | A short, cozy sail with the island post, fishing and friends | Short | PC, Mac, Web, Steam Deck |
| Lil Gator Game | The closest match: climb, glide and make friends on a playful island | About 3 hours | PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox |
| Smushi Come Home | Players who want a tiny hero in a big, soft forest | About 3.5 hours | PC, Mac, Switch |
| TOEM | Players who like slow, funny, observant games | About 3.5 hours | PC, Mac, Linux, Switch, PS5, Xbox |
| Alba: A Wildlife Adventure | Nature lovers and families | About 2.5 hours | PC, Mac, iOS, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox |
| Pine Hearts | Players who want a hike with a heartfelt story | About 3 hours | PC, Switch |
| Haven Park | Players who like to tidy and build at a slow pace | About 3 hours | PC, Mac, Linux, Switch |
| Carto | Players who want cozy puzzles more than platforming | About 5.5 hours | PC, Mac, Switch, PS4, Xbox One |
| Mail Time | Players who love the idea of a cozy delivery job | About 2 hours | PC, Mac, Switch, PS4, PS5 |
| Sable | Players who want a longer, quieter journey | About 7.5 hours | PC, Xbox, PS5 |
| Tchia | Players who want a sunny island to roam, with a boat | About 7.5 hours (main story) | PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X |
Quick picks
- Closest to A Short Hike: Lil Gator Game
- Best for one evening: Alba: A Wildlife Adventure
- Most charming art: TOEM
- Best for puzzle fans: Carto
- Best bigger world: Sable
- Our own game: A Short Sail (in development)
The list
Lil Gator Game
Who it is for: anyone who wants “A Short Hike, but more.”
You play a young gator who wants to play make-believe with their busy older sister. You climb, swim and glide around an island, help other kids with their games, and bop cardboard “baddies.” There is no health bar and no game over. It is short, and a large expansion, In the Dark, came out in February 2026.
Developer: MegaWobble | Year: 2022 | Platforms: PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox | Length: about 3 hours | Steam: Overwhelmingly Positive | Steam page
Smushi Come Home
Who it is for: players who want a tiny hero in a big, soft forest.
You are a little mushroom, lost far from home. You run, glide on a leaf, climb and swim, and you meet forest creatures who need help. There is a mushroom journal with real mycology facts. It is gentle and short, with light platforming and puzzles.
Developer: SomeHumbleOnion | Year: 2023 | Platforms: PC, Mac, Switch | Length: about 3.5 hours | Steam: Overwhelmingly Positive | Steam page
TOEM
Who it is for: players who like slow, funny, observant games.
You travel through hand-drawn, black-and-white towns toward a mountain. You solve people’s problems by taking the right photo. It is relaxed, witty and easy to play in short bursts. A sequel, TOEM 2, came out on September 29, 2026.
Developer: Something We Made | Year: 2021 | Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, Switch, PS5, Xbox | Length: about 3.5 hours | Steam: Overwhelmingly Positive | Steam page
Alba: A Wildlife Adventure
Who it is for: nature lovers and families.
Alba visits her grandparents on a Spanish island for a week. You photograph animals, clean up litter and fix things to protect the island’s wildlife. It has a clear, kind message. It is short, so it suits one or two sittings.
Developer: ustwo games | Year: 2020 | Platforms: PC, Mac, iOS, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox | Length: about 2.5 hours | Steam: Overwhelmingly Positive | Steam page
Pine Hearts
Who it is for: players who want a hike with a heartfelt story.
You play Tyke, who returns to a nature reserve to climb the mountain his late father never reached. You find tools that open shortcuts, help locals and solve gentle puzzles. Reviewers praise its accessibility options. It deals with grief, so it may hit close to home, and one reviewer found parts repetitive.
Developer: Hyper Luminal Games | Year: 2024 | Platforms: PC, Switch | Length: about 3 hours | Steam: Very Positive | Steam page
Haven Park
Who it is for: players who like to tidy and build at a slow pace.
You play Flint, who looks after his grandma’s park. You explore, learn what the campers wish for, and build it. It is calm and small. The building is simple, so do not expect a deep management game.
Developer: Bubblebird Studio | Year: 2021 | Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, Switch | Length: about 3 hours | Steam: Very Positive | Steam page
Carto
Who it is for: players who want cozy puzzles more than platforming.
You are a young cartographer separated from her grandmother. You move map pieces around, and the world changes to match. It is clever and kind. It is top-down rather than 3D, so it feels different from A Short Hike.
Developer: Sunhead Games | Year: 2020 | Platforms: PC, Mac, Switch, PS4, Xbox One | Length: about 5.5 hours | Steam: Overwhelmingly Positive | Steam page
Mail Time
Who it is for: players who love the idea of a cozy delivery job.
You are a tiny Mail Scout delivering letters across a forest full of animals. The art and writing are sweet. But there is no map, and some jumps are tricky, so one reviewer called it more confusing than cozy. Steam players are kinder to it.
Developer: Kela van der Deijl | Year: 2023 | Platforms: PC, Mac, Switch, PS4, PS5 | Length: about 2 hours | Steam: Very Positive | Steam page
Sable
Who it is for: players who want a longer, quieter journey.
Sable sets out on a coming-of-age trip across a desert planet on her hoverbike. You climb ruins, glide and help nomads you meet, at your own pace. It is bigger and slower than A Short Hike, with long, quiet rides between places.
Developer: Shedworks | Year: 2021 | Platforms: PC, Xbox, PS5 | Length: about 7.5 hours | Steam: Very Positive | Steam page
Tchia
Who it is for: players who want a sunny island to roam, with a boat.
You climb, glide, swim and sail around an archipelago inspired by New Caledonia. You can jump into animals and objects, and play a real ukulele. It is larger than most games here and has some light combat. For more games with a boat, see our cozy sailing games.
Developer: Awaceb | Year: 2023 | Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X|S | Length: about 7.5 hours (main story) | Steam: Very Positive | Steam page
FAQ
What is the closest game to A Short Hike? Lil Gator Game. It has the same climb, glide and help-your-neighbors loop on an island, and it also takes about 3 hours.
Are games like A Short Hike good for kids? Most are. Lil Gator Game, Smushi Come Home, TOEM and Alba have no real danger. Pine Hearts deals with the loss of a parent, so check it first.
How long is A Short Hike? About 1.5 hours for the main story, and about 4.5 hours to do everything, according to HowLongToBeat.
What platforms is A Short Hike on? PC, Mac and Linux (Steam), Nintendo Switch, PS4 and Xbox One.
Our own game
We make A Short Sail. We love A Short Hike, so to stay fair we kept our own game out of the ranked list and showed it only as our pick at the top.
Questions
What is the closest game to A Short Hike?
Lil Gator Game. It has the same climb, glide and help-your-neighbors loop on an island, and it also takes about 3 hours.
Are games like A Short Hike good for kids?
Most are. Lil Gator Game, Smushi Come Home, TOEM and Alba have no real danger. Pine Hearts deals with the loss of a parent, so check it first.
How long is A Short Hike?
About 1.5 hours for the main story, and about 4.5 hours to do everything, according to HowLongToBeat.
What platforms is A Short Hike on?
PC, Mac and Linux (Steam), Nintendo Switch, PS4 and Xbox One.
