A gentle platformer that takes visual and narrative inspiration from Ghibli movies, Hoa is a nice time but never quite reaches heights beyond that. 

Our adventure here concerns the titular Hoa, a small red forest sprite who returns to their old home and journeys through it to reawaken the animal beings that helped it escape some time ago. There are little hints of the wider story to be found in the world, such as the overgrown hulks of broken robots and the wandering, hostile constructs that deliver swift (and harmless) kicks to poor Hoa, but the game doesn't delve too much into the environmentalist themes you might be expecting - they're there, but not explored that deeply. 

Platforming is kept simple. At first you might find it soothing to merely hop over branches, and you do learn new skills as the game progresses such as pushing blocks and double jumping, but the gameplay doesn't really increase in complexity despite this. It makes for a sedate time, but without the drive of challenge I think Hoa struggles to feel impactful. 

It's a calm time, but that might be exactly what hits the spot for you.