How Shovel Knight’s Kickstarter Resulted In Mina The Hollower’s Massive Modifier System

Mina the Hollower has become a critical success for Yacht Club Games, currently sitting at the top of Metacritic’s year-end rankings. A significant part of this praise stems from its unique difficulty curve — a challenging souls-like experience paired with a massive array of Modifiers that allow players to adjust the game to their liking, whether it's making it easier, harder, or simply more bizarre.

The Modifier system is particularly expansive because it allows for meticulous control over the gameplay. While many modifiers are designed to tweak difficulty, others focus on specific aspects like platforming or combat. In an interview with GameSpot, Yacht Club's David D'Angelo revealed that the roots of Mina's Modifiers can be traced back to the Kickstarter campaign for the studio’s debut game, Shovel Knight.

"The whole story of modifiers is that in Shovel Knight, we promised 'secrets only you would know' in our Kickstarter as one of the backer tiers," D'Angelo explained. "And we didn't know what that would be. And we got 300 people to back it and we're like, 'Oh geez, oh God, we've got to come up with 300 secrets. How do we even come up with 300 secrets?'"

Faced with the challenge of delivering 300 unique secrets, Yacht Club decided to create a cheats system inspired by classic Game Genie codes. However, D'Angelo noted that these codes were leaked almost immediately, and while it was a fun experience for the community, the system had limitations. Players couldn't turn the cheats on and off freely, and only one could be active at a time.

"So when we did Mina, we're like, 'How about we just make a menu with it and we'll do the same idea, we'll have Genie-style cheats, but you can turn on whatever you want, and that's fun.'"

D'Angelo explained that this approach aligned naturally with Mina’s design philosophy as an open-ended RPG. Players can choose to grind for levels and equipment to become overpowered, or they can take on the challenge of playing through the game with only one health point and selling all their gear to a pawn shop. The Modifier system reflects this same philosophy, allowing for a fine degree of customization.

"In the game, it's already built to be like you're modifying the experience in the game," he added. "And so it didn't feel incongruent with that. So that's why we did it."

A System Designed for Flexibility

The Modifier system in Mina the Hollower is more than just a way to adjust difficulty — it's a tool that lets players shape their experience in a variety of ways. Some modifiers can make combat easier by increasing damage output, while others might reduce enemy health or give you unlimited ammo. There are even modifiers that add unique twists, like changing the game’s gravity or making enemies drop more loot.

Here are a few examples of how the Modifier system can transform your gameplay:

  • "One Health" modifier: Limits you to a single health point, increasing the challenge.
  • "No Loot" modifier: Prevents enemies from dropping any items, forcing you to rely on your gear.
  • "Unlimited Ammo" modifier: Ensures you never run out of bullets or magic charges.
  • "Double Damage" modifier: Doubles your damage output, making combat significantly easier.
  • "Enemy Speed Boost" modifier: Makes enemies move faster, increasing the difficulty of platforming sections.

These modifiers can be combined in countless ways, allowing for a near-infinite number of playthroughs, each with its own unique set of challenges and rewards.

For more on Mina the Hollower, be sure to check out our Guides Hub for all the help you could need making your way through the treacherous land of Tenebrous Isle.