Hoa is a side-scrolling adventure platformer designed to be more relaxing than anything else. Featuring simple piano music and a rather wholesome atmosphere, Hoa is the perfect closing title to close out the first-ever Wholesome Games Showcase.
Currently in development by indie developers Skrollcat Studio, Hoa is described by co-founder LeSon Tra to be a "world filled with beautiful, hand-painted art, listen to awesome music and experience a calm a relaxing atmosphere."
Little of the actual game itself was shown in the showcase other than a small, elf-like creature named Hoa washing ashore from a leafy boat to some sort of island. Once she steps foot on the island, however, it turns verdant with flowers and grass as the piano music reaches an emotional pitch. The combination of the visuals, music, and atmosphere give Hoa the wholesome feeling that the Wholesome Games Showcase was going for.
Other screenshots from the Hoa game website show off the game's artwork in breathtaking detail. Hoa herself looks small in comparison to the large tree-trunks and bugs we see in a large forest area, and the platforming is simple but very scenic, jumping from leaf to leaf across the green fields. All of this is also set to the piano pieces in the soundtrack, creating a soothing, relaxing experience.
The game's visual style is clearly the priority here; the artwork and animation are very close to the style found from the Studio Ghibli catalog. Whether or not Skrollcat Studio is purposefully trying to copy that visual style is unknown, but the payoff is a gorgeous platformer that certainly plays into the games simplistic charm.
Skrollcat Studio is planning to release Hoa on both the PC and the Nintendo Switch later this year, though no official release date has been given at this time.
