This game is so tight.  The gameplay, the narrative, and the little world are like a platonic ideal of a game.  It's so much fun to collect the golden feathers and find out what new sections of the island got opened up.  I also loved talking to all the characters and helping them out.  The dialogue seemed at once constrained yet rich.  It made the characters seem alive, despite the retro graphics and relatively few words we'd exchange.  Interacting with them was one of the best parts of the game!

Playing A Short Hike helped restructure my beliefs that good value in a game means a long experience.  I finished this game in a single relaxing day, and I still feel its pleasant echoes weeks later.  It's like the ideal golden day that feels longer for the wonderful experiences that took place.

If you're looking for a game that's relaxing with a hint of challenge, a game to make you feel like you're in the outdoors, and a game where you help people and make friends, this has all that and more.