Hermit And Pig Review

Hermit and Pig is a wonderful example of a creator knowing exactly what they want to make and then impressively setting out to accomplish this task. In an industry where so many games release that are between two minds or try to do too many things, here comes an exemplary experience that combines a tremendous lighthearted spirit with gameplay systems that test your mettle. Heavy Lunch Studio LLC takes elements from its apparent favorite games and pays homage to them yet never forgets to maintain the impressive comedic wit between its two unlikely protagonists. Among all the quirkiness and off-the-wall elements, the game nails the most important aspect of all, providing fun throughout the adventure.

Game Details

Game: Hermit and Pig
Platforms: PC
Reviewed On: PC
Developer: Heavy Lunch Studio LLC
Publisher: Heavy Lunch Studio LLC
Release Date: February 05, 2026

Hermit and Pig: The Unlikeliest of Heroes

Hermit and Pig stars an old man and his pig who are happy to live the simple life, just foraging for mushrooms, doing their mundane chores, and coming back each day to their cozy home. However, one day the foraging leads to a blue-haired child asking for their help. Although their mission in life is to avoid attention, the Hermit decides to help her, and thus begins a journey full of off-the-wall situations, silly characters, and quirky battles.

Full of Influence

It’s rather impressive when a game can carry its major influences throughout the experience and not just be content to be a good one of those. One could easily take a look at Hermit and Pig and say, “Oh, it’s just trying to be Earthbound or Pokémon.” Yes, those classic Nintendo franchises can be seen in every facet of the game, but it has its own way of delivering on them.

One of those ways is how it introduces its myriads of characters, using dialogue as the main focal point to immediately hook you into not only its comedic tone but also its busy battle system as well.

Battle Play

Whether it’s starting dialogue with a new story character or engaging in an actual battle, it all occurs on a separate screen in a turn-based manner. New characters give the old man and Pig dialogue options to converse with said characters, and you actually do need to attempt to select the one that makes the most sense, as picking the funniest one, for example, may result in being attacked instead, which in a weird way adds to the lighthearted nature of the adventure.

Battles begin as visually random encounters; you can see something coming at you, but there’s not really a way to avoid it. Once on the battle screen, Hermit and eventually Pig as well have the opportunity to perform a function as you’d expect in an RPG. What makes it stand out is that Hermit’s attacks are not just a selection you choose; it’s a selection that then requires the physical pressing of buttons to truly land the blow.

Hermit’s attacks are all in a manual similar to something you’d find in a fighting game, but thankfully they are merely performed with simple face buttons. Even with that, there’s still a strategy to selecting which attack to use because there is a strength and weakness system tied to it. Similar to Pokémon, there’s an attack that’s super effective, and there are several that are either barely effective or may miss more often. Although this means you could technically just spam the super effective move over and over, there are several aspects that will keep players on their toes.

Playing Defense

Obviously, this is less of an issue if you memorize the button combos, but there is a timer in effect during each attack phase. This keeps you paying attention at all times, as failing to initiate an attack during the phase essentially causes Hermit to do nothing and immediately gives the enemies a chance to get in extra hits. Periodically, a critical hit icon appears on the timer bar as well, which allows for Hermit’s attacks to deal extra damage if you nail the correct spot. So, this forces you to keep tabs on the attacks that work best against enemies so that you can take full advantage on offense.

Unlike the aforementioned Pokémon comparison, Hermit and Pig features a defensive system that sees a meter appear that you have to hit in specific spots to avoid the most damage. A small white box ensures the least amount of damage or no damage is delivered. A bigger light green area, which is easier to hit, counts for medium damage, and hitting in the black is maximum damage. For the most part, I was able to land in the least-damage area more often than not, but it did require me, once again, to pay close attention.

This all works in conjunction with other aspects, such as both Hermit and Pig having naturally low health and even their major special attacks requiring their own unique quick-time events to trigger their most painful versions. Pig itself is also a support character for Hermit, as it can forage items not only out in the world but also as a special attack, which helps make sure you don’t run out of healing items if a boss takes out a big chunk of health.

It feels like the developers truly took their time to make sure the gameplay is well balanced and it doesn’t turn into a giant move fest. Instead, it consistently tests you by changing up the enemies and engaging boss battles. I actually enjoyed each time I got into a fight in Hermit and Pig, which is seldom the case with more traditional turn-based games, and if the battle system becomes too much, there are accessibility features to tone it down or tune it to the way that works best for you.

Hermit and Pig Takes You on a Trip

The lighthearted and humorous tone of Hermit and Pig is both immediate and evident from the start and consistently delivers on this throughout its runtime. From the way both Hermit and his companion discover their first special attacks, with major acid trip vibes in tow, to just running into totally random things while traveling to the next story point, you truly just don’t know what silly character or object may appear next.

Another joyous thing about this adventure is that each of its story beats feels found and earned through exploration instead of merely following a navigation point. Finding what feels like a random house, then discovering someone in it that leads to another aspect that at first didn’t seem connected to the others, but ultimately they actually are. The characters the protagonists meet throughout the game are genuinely funny, and I burst out laughing at so much of the dialogue. Not just because some of it certainly is random, but also perhaps because I could believably see how this all exists in this world. The writing is truly top-notch and brings forth the true meaning of its narrative with finesse.

Another thing that helps is the inviting art style, which is beautifully done in amazing pixel art that features bright colors in most areas and then blends seamlessly when it needs to get dark. The art really brings out the quirkiness of Hermit and Pig, while its music is fun and brings the ambiance to the proceedings.

Hermit and Pig: A Special Game

Although it’s still early in 2026, out of all the games I’ve played so far, Hermit and Pig is my favorite. It’s a game that made me smile pretty much the entire time while playing it. I truly appreciated that its creators made a game that knows exactly what it is and sought to deliver on this premise each step of the way, whether it’s the hilarious writing and how it adds so much to each one of the characters or its battle system that always strives to keep you on your toes.

Hermit and Pig should be in the conversation when it comes to best RPG of the year. Heavy Lunch Studio LLC has delivered a fantastic first gaming experience and one that could certainly be its own franchise. But even if this is the only title featuring the old man and his pet, it’s certainly one I won’t forget anytime soon.

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Review Disclosure Statement: A digital code for Hermit & Pig was provided to us by Heavy Lunch Studio LLC for review purposes. For more information on how we review video games and other media or technology, please review our Review Guidelines and Scoring Policy.