Step aside, Mario, there’s a new mushroom-based hero in town! Hermit may not be the most handsome or talkative of heroes, but he could well be the bravest senior citizen around. Especially when it comes to sniffing out the location of a giant magic mushroom.
Euhm… Hello?
From Heavy Lunch Studio, we have their first indie title: Hermit and Pig. It’s a turn-based adventure RPG centred around one thing: mushrooms. The game tells the story of Hermit, an old, shy recluse who lives in the forest with his pig, where he harvests mushrooms to survive. His quiet life changes when he gets visited by a girl who heard that a weirdo who forages for food lives in the woods. She wants him to accompany her and teach her how to find edible mushrooms, as a factory has taken all the food and resources from a nearby village. This convinces Hermit to leave home and search for a mystical mushroom that can restore the natural balance. And what better companion for this journey than his trusty truffle-hunting pig?
Dysfunctional adult
Hermit and Pig has its roots in classic turn-based adventure RPGs. The pixel art and soundtrack immediately bring to mind old Nintendo classics such as EarthBound. However, as soon as you are ready to be taken on a nostalgic journey, the game introduces its own unique twist on the genre.
The first big change that becomes apparent is combat. When enemies attack you while you are roaming the overworld and you enter a turn-based fight, time starts ticking. A timer appears in the top right corner of the screen and you have to use your moves before it runs out. This would be easy enough if it weren’t for the combo inputs required to perform moves. You have to consult your elderly citizen self-defence guide to select the correct inputs for a move, bearing in mind the weaknesses of your mundane enemies. For example, if I were fighting a mosquito, I would need to work out that slapping it was the right option, find the correct input and perform the action, all within the time limit. The wrong move can backfire, though. I learned this the hard way after kicking a hedgehog. It’s clever game design that keeps you on your toes. Just remember not to fall back on the old habit of putting the game down without pausing when you enter combat.
The turn-based action evolves throughout the game. After some time, Pig will join the fight as a second character, you will unlock special moves, and combo inputs will become longer to inflict more damage. And people say life gets easier when you’re old and retired…
But while Hermit knows a thing or two about survival, he is, as his name suggests, a loner. Conversations can be difficult for someone who lives alone with only their pet for company. That’s why combat also extends to conversations. When an NPC wants to talk to you, the same animation is triggered as when an enemy approaches you. You enter the same screen as the combat menu, but with conversation options to choose from instead. You can even take damage from the wrong responses, as the embarrassment you cause to the other person affects you too. For some reason, I became as nervous as the main character whenever I encountered someone. At one point, after entering a town, I even muttered out loud, ‘Just leave me alone’. Like any self-respecting cringy old man would.
Oink!
But as strange as the Hermit may be, he still has a nose for adventure, and for good mushrooms, of course. Mushrooms are the central theme of this game, featuring in everything from the main plot to healing items and consumables. The truffles that you hunt with your four-legged companion, Pig, can be used as revival items or as currency. Other mushrooms can be used in combat to heal party members, deal damage, and apply status effects. They can be found throughout the overworld, so exploring each screen is highly rewarding, even though the game is fairly linear. The whole package is a whimsical adventure full of humour. I couldn’t help but smile throughout. It’s the first game in a long time that has made me laugh out loud so many times while playing. The highlight for me was when Hermit first heard the pig talk and the animal simply replied, “What are you so freaked out about? We talk all the time”.
With a play time of under 10 hours, this indie title is worthy of your time. Even though combat started to lose its appeal for me a little way past the halfway point. It was the comedic twists and turns of the story that kept me going until the end.
Conclusion
Hermit and Pig is a whimsical adventure RPG that kept me engaged throughout. The unique take on turn-based combat creates a sense of urgency, and I can only praise the decision to make conversation look like a battle. Even though combat became a bit repetitive for me after the halfway point, the story kept me engaged and made me laugh out loud. If you’ve ever thought about searching for magic mushrooms yourself, don’t! Stay inside and play this game instead!
