Mina the Hollower overtakes Forza Horizon 6 as 2026’s highest rated game on Metacritic

Forza Horizon 6 briefly looked like the highest rated game of 2026, but that top spot has already been taken by an indie title. Mina the Hollower, the new game from Shovel Knight developer Yacht Club Games, has overtaken Playground Games’ racer on Metacritic with a score of 92, while Forza Horizon 6 sits at 91.

That is a surprising shift because Forza Horizon 6 launched with huge momentum. The game released just over a week ago and quickly became one of the year’s strongest reviewed titles. It also had a massive player response across Xbox, PC, Steam, and Game Pass. But review scores move quickly during launch season, and Mina the Hollower’s critical reception has pushed it slightly ahead.

Mina the Hollower comes from Yacht Club Games, the studio best known for Shovel Knight. That connection alone gives the game credibility among players who follow indie action games. Shovel Knight became one of the most respected modern retro style games, so expectations around Mina were already high.

Mina the Hollower shows how strong indie games can compete with major releases

Mina the Hollower uses 8 bit visuals inspired by the Game Boy Color era, but it is not trying to feel old in every way. The game modernizes that retro look with sharper combat, updated systems, and a structure that appears to mix classic adventure design with more modern action and exploration ideas.

The game launches on May 28, 2026, for Steam, Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2. Its strong review score means it may now get more attention from players who were not following it closely before.

The result also says something important about the current games market. Big budget titles can dominate sales, player counts, and marketing, but smaller games can still win critical attention when they deliver a clear vision. Mina the Hollower does not need the scale of Forza Horizon 6 to compete in reviews. It needs strong design, memorable style, and polished execution.

Forza Horizon 6 being dethroned does not make its launch any less impressive. The game is still one of Xbox’s biggest recent successes, with strong reviews, huge community numbers, and a Japan setting that has helped it stand out. But Mina’s rise shows that review leadership can shift quickly, especially when a smaller game launches with exceptional critical response.

There is also a nice contrast between the two games. Forza Horizon 6 is a massive open world racing game built around cars, scenery, music, and online community activity. Mina the Hollower is a compact retro inspired adventure from an indie studio. Both can be excellent for completely different reasons.

For players, the takeaway is simple. Forza Horizon 6 remains one of the year’s biggest releases, but Mina the Hollower is now the game to watch if you care about critical scores. Yacht Club Games appears to have delivered another standout indie release, and its early reception proves that smaller games can still surprise the industry.