Hello everyone. Welcome back to Chronically Low Competence, an audio -only Let's Play podcast. That's right, we're here for Season 2, and it's very exciting. At least, I'm very excited about it. Hopefully you are too. You may have noticed a lot of background noise, a lot more background noise than normal here today, and that's because, well, the game we're playing this time is called A Short Hike. It's an indie game by a solo dev who was... It got published by Humble, you know,
the folks who do the Humble bundles. They used to have enough cash to throw around that they could send it towards some developers and get some games released, which I think is pretty cool. And this was one of them. Anyway, as I mentioned, it's called A Short Hike, and I figured, well, there's no better way to talk about a short hike than while on a short hike. So here we are. We're taking a short hike. I'm at one of my favorite
trails in my area. It's just a little wooded trail that goes up a forest ridge overlooking a little lake. It's quite pretty. We have just absolutely gorgeous weather today. It's not too hot, not too cold. The sun is out. And here in the trees, you know, it's just sun -dappled. Everything is shades of green and brown. It's absolutely beautiful. I think we're going to have a lot of fun hiking. It's kind of like,
you know, I was a companion. I joined Claire, the main character of a short hike, for her short hike. So you guys get to join me for my short hike. We also have with us today my usual hiking companion, which is my dog, Coffee. Hey, Coffee. Hey, Coffee. Come here. No, Coffee. Come here. Come here. Hey, you want to say hi to everyone? Okay, well, I guess that's it. So, hi from coffee as well. Anyway, we've done this hike a couple of times. It's very nice, and I think it'll be
a lot of fun. So the game itself, just to kind of give you an idea of what to expect, the game itself is a third -person exploration -based game. You play this character Claire, who is a raven or blackbird or crow, something like that, as she explores an island and goes on a short hike up to its peak. So yeah, without any further ado... Let's go ahead and jump into a
short hike. We open on a view of a car, a little blue sedan driving on the road, a forest and a mountain in the background with some lights. And it says a short hike. Press A to start. I never get tired of this view. Claire, you're going to have a great time here this summer. I think it'll be good to get away from the city and take a break from everything else going on. Are you still awake? Hmm, maybe. Hold on a little
longer. We're almost at the ferry. So it sounds like we're moving somewhere, uh, with an adult. Uh, Claire, I'm guessing, is a kid. So now, uh... I'm seeing a, from a top -down view, just a nature scene, essentially. There's like a little cabin that we just came out of and a picnic table. There's a little crow standing directly in front of the cabin. Looks like that's my character. Move him around. It's a crow wearing like a blue scarf. Looks like there's another crow nearby
at a campfire with a log. Let's see what they have to say. Hey, how's it going? I haven't seen you all day. You been busy? Uh, kinda. Well, not really. I've just been waiting around for a call. Well, there's your problem. There's no reception out here. Wait, what? Yeah, I mean, pretty much no reception. You might be able to get some at Hawk Peak, and Hawk Peak is in a different color, so it's, like, important. Oh, yeah, I guess. But that's pretty far, isn't it?
It's not that far. We've all made the trek before. I figured you would have gone already. Oh. Yeah, I've been meaning to go, but I just haven't gotten around to it yet. Well, today's as good a day as any. Just take the White Beach Trail and head north at the fork. Okay, White Beach Trail, head north. Then follow the signs for Hawk Peak. No problem. Okay, so I guess I've got my goal. We're going to get to Hawk Peak so that I can use my cell phone. Uh, let's see. It looks like I can
move around. I can jump. Ooh, I can glide. That's pretty cool. Uh, so I glid... Glid? Glided? I glided down to a beach here. There's, like, a sandcastle. Uh, it doesn't look like you can do anything with a sandcastle. And a shell. I found a shell. Cool. Uh, can I swim? Ooh, I can swim. Okay. Nice. Ooh, I can even jump out of the water. I honestly, I was a little concerned that going in the water was going to like end my game. So nice. Oh, I found another shell on
a beach over here after swimming. What else we got back here? Log, couple of logs. There's like a green sprout and another shell. It looks like. Wow. Listen to that music. That is good. That's a bop. Okay, so I'm at the foot of a metal tower. I don't know. Power? Yeah, it looks like power lines. And what else we got here? There's a dock. There's a dock with a boat. And there's a seagull on the boat. Let's go say hi to the seagull. Hey, seagull. What? Okay, I can't get over his
boxes. Get over there. There we go. Hey, Seagull. Howdy. Hi. What you doing? Taking a break. Don't tell anyone, all right? I won't. I don't even know who I'd tell. Good. I can't wait to be done today. When my shift's over, I'll be out catching me some rare fish. It's my hobby, you see. If you happen to net some fish yourself, bring them to me and I'll trade you a coin. I didn't know there were coins, but cool. Yeah, I'll get some
coins. I would if I had a fishing rod. You know, my friend Bill might be able to lend you one. Bill is notoriously stingy. Bill from RPG Years. So I don't know about this, but we'll see. Did you know he charges for ankle picks? He's out fishing all the time. Okay, well, that's cool. I guess I need to find... Ooh, there's a treasure
chest. I found a treasure map. uh i wonder how do i oh i see so start for inventory treasure map it's less of a map and more a bunch of riddles read it says his vessel was lost on the water but the beacon found and caught her so he buried his trade at the end of its shade to keep safe for the light keeper's daughter wait let me read that again his vessel was lost on the water but the beacon found and caught her Okay, so probably
like a lighthouse or a buoy. So he buried his trade at the end of its shade to keep safe for the light keepers. I think maybe there's like a... What do you call it? Lighthouse? Maybe? Yeah, like a lighthouse somewhere. And maybe if I dig at the end of its shadow, I'll find something. Of course, I would need to be able to dig for that. But maybe I'll be able to dig.
oh there's another shell over here let me just fly over oh made it oh no okay there got it uh almost just did a glide straight into the water uh let's go up this path there's like a path here so i'm walking along a series of cliffs and there's a path that's just kind of going uphill looks like we're going under those power lines i mentioned earlier and over a little hump And I think probably by now I'm above. Yeah, it looks like I'm above that beach where I found
a shell. There's a treasure chest down here. Oh, oh, oh, camera. Oh, OK. Whoa, whoa. Oh, no, I missed. Can I hop up to it? It doesn't look like it. OK. Well, I mean, just loop back around and we'll take another shot at that. Let's see. Past the little sprout. Past the power pole. Or power pylon, I guess that's what it's called. This music's really good. Change to... That's a cute little tune. It's kind of like an Animal Crossing song. The whole aesthetic of this game
really is very Animal Crossing. I've got cute little animals and a pretty idyllic... Whoa! Okay, so it turns out you dive really fast when you jump off a cliff. But I did make it to the trash chest. Found a coin. Cool. Coin. Alright. Nice. Well, I guess let me head back to where I started. Yeah, here we are back at the hut or cabin. I mean, there's a sign here. White Coast Trail left, ranger's cabin right. So I guess that must be the ranger that I was talking
to. And since the ranger is also a crow, that must be like a relative. Yeah, that would be my guess. Over, oh, there's another person here on the beach. Claire. Did you know you can hold A while running to glide through? Yes, I did know that. Thank you. I figured that out myself. Of course. Everyone knows that. Why do you ask? I don't know. I just had a feeling you might want to know. Claire seems pretty funny. Oh,
so I headed up the beach a little bit. There's a little bridge in front of a waterfall now. That's very nice. And another crow. What do you say? Hey, you. Find me 15 shells. What? Why? I want them. Yeah, but why? It's a secret. Okay. I'll keep an eye out. Keep both eyes out, please. Man, this kid... Okay, it's like a little crow, so it must be a kid. This kid is really into shells. I guess. I'll keep walking along the beach. And there's a shell. Right there on the
beach. This was like 10 feet away from that kid. So... Maybe be less lazy, kid. Ooh, there's a stick, which I can collect. I am now carrying a stick. Can I hit something? I can. Can I hit the kid? That's probably not my... shouldn't be my first instinct, but here we are. Bop. Bop. Bop. Ah, it doesn't react. All right. Well, never mind. What else we got over here? So there's another path. We'll head up the path to another building. Ranger's Cabin up. White Coast Trail
down. But what's this building? Can't seem to get into the building, so I guess I don't know what that is. But here's another bridge over to like a lifeguard station. There's like a chair and a parasol. And there is a treasure chest over here to the right on the other side of a little stone arch. I got more coins. 26 coins now. And the environment is really nice. Oh, well, I slid down into the water. So I guess I'm gonna go swim to the nearest beach. Yeah,
there we go. And back up the trail, past that little hut that I can't get into. There's a wolf here. I think it's a wolf. Maybe it's a fox. Hey, Claire. How's the day treating you? Well, I'm just getting out of the house now. Ah, it's one of those kind of days. Yeah. I've been kind of caught up in my head all morning. Man, I get that. Would you say you feel lost and directionless? Uh, maybe. Well, I've got just the thing for
you. Take this. Ooh, I got a compass. To use it, press Y to open your inventory, then select it from the items menu. Oh, uh, thanks. This should come in handy. Happy hiking. Uh, okay, so inventory. I have a stick, money, compass. Tells you which way is north, select to toggle on or off. So I'll go ahead and turn that on. Looks like north is to my left for now. But yeah, sure, that seems like it might be helpful. Cross the bridge and there's like a butthole in the
earth here. Like an animal crossing when you need to dig up something. So I guess I will get a shovel. treasure chest and oh there is a frog here with a shovel hey dude what's happening oh you know just jamming out on the beach building sand castles and whatnot that sounds like a really nice day actually i used to um i used to build sand castles with my parents like we would enter competitions and such uh on over on the oregon coast it was a lot of work but also pretty fun
Sounds like a good time. You know it. Can I borrow your shovel? Sorry, bud. I need it for sandcastle construction. You do need a shovel for sandcastle construction. That's true. Isn't it a little big for that? Yeah, but that's just how shovels are. You can get smaller ones. Ones made for sandcastles. What? Sounds fake. Sounds fake. This frog is funny. But if you can show me one, I'd be glad to trade. Okay. Mission acquired.
Ooh, shell. Mission acquired. Get a small shovel for the frog so that I can get his big shovel. Oh, I see another shell over on the beach here. Oh, what's this? What is this? Oh, it's another coin. Okay, cool. Ooh, and a stick. I am just picking stuff up off the beach. I am a beach combing crow, I guess. But let me run back over there and I can glide over to where I saw that other shell. Where was that? There it is. Okay. Yep. Made it. Got it. And back around to here.
What else we got down here by the frog? There's a sign. Hawk Peak Trail to the up. To the up. Good. Yes. Excellent. And White Coast Trail to the right. Down to Sid Beach and the Visitor Center. Well, that sounds like a good destination. Let's just follow the path down toward that. There is a rock climbing wall here. And a rhino. Hey there. What are you up to today? Uh, I'm hiking up to Hawk Peak. That's a tough hike, you know. You'll need to learn to rock climb
to make it to the top. Why not join our rock climbing club? Rock climb was in the, like, highlighted text, by the way. Oh, is it just the two of you? Oh, yeah, there's a squirrel. Yeah, there's a squirrel climbing the rock wall while this rhino talks to me. And the squirrel just said, hey, the Rock Climbers Association has hundreds of members spanning over 35 countries worldwide. Hundreds of members growing and refining the art of rock climbing. pushing the craft to its
absolute limit and beyond. Okay, calm down, Bluricus. Bluricus is a friend of the podcast who used to do a lot of rock climbing. Uh, I meant if it's just the two of you, like, here. What of it? Listen, kid, climbing ain't for the weak of heart. Most people don't have what it takes. Jeez. Even the rhino's a little freaked out. He's like, um, it's not really that bad. So anyway, you want to join the Rock Climbers Club? Sure. Great. We've got our third member. Not third.
The squirrel says, not third, just another drop in the hundreds worldwide. Rhino says, all right, all right. Anyway, so first things first, you got a golden feather. And golden feather was
highlighted. Uh, not yet. Ah. you can't climb without one but you can buy them at the visitor center they should be pretty cheap come back when you've bought one okay oh good thing i was headed to the visitor center anyway i'll continue on down the path and now there's a what are you are you an alligator i think he's an alligator who says i've heard some rumors do you like rumors i dabble okay hear me out Jim just bought a metal detector. He was running around yesterday looking
for stuff around the island. It was going nutso. Seems like there's stuff buried all over the island. What kind of stuff? I don't know. Metal stuff? I mean, yeah, I guess that makes sense. So definitely going to need that shovel and hopefully a metal detector at some point too. We'll continue up this path. Where are we going? What's up here? Oh, coins. Nice. And, ah, what is this? Welcome to Hawk Peak Provincial Park. Enjoy a scenic trek to Outlook Point or follow Hawk Peak Trail
up to the highest point in the province. Am I in Canada? That would be cool. I frequently wish that I were in Canada. Although this island is known for its titular mountain peak, it is also home to a number of beautiful beaches and forests. Yeah, I've seen those. Did you know the infamous local dish strawberries and toast was invented here at Hawk Peak? Strawberries and toast? What? Join us at 5 p .m. to enjoy a delicious serving of the historical dish. Ooh, is there time in
this game, I wonder? Uh, let's see. So I'm at, there's like a hut and a campfire and a mouse in a hat sitting here. Mouse says, howdy, how can I help you? I heard you sell golden feathers here. Oh, this must be the visitor center. Ah, we do. You can buy one for 40 coins. What the f - Oh, I have 52, so I guess I'll take it. There you go. That other dude said it would be cheap. I don't think that was very cheap. But I got
a golden feather. Explain how they work. If you press A while in midair, you can flap your wings
for a double jump. Nice. but that's not all to climb a wall push against it and hold a the more golden feathers you have the more you'll be able to climb okay stamina bar got it uh have fun out there so i can climb this now i can oh but not very long huh oh i see there's a there's a little like golden feather icon in my lower left corner now and then okay i can see it like turned to blue when i try to climb and then a feather falls off of me when it turns blue uh
so that's how they uh indicate the stamina that's that looks really cool actually the sign says visitor center up hawk peak trail to the left sid beach to the right shirley's point down well i got a uh golden feather so i guess i better go back to the rock climbers oh but let me try out the double jump uh let's see i'll just uh
jump off here and flap Okay, nice. Oh, I can use this actually to get to a treasure chest up here With some more coins nice 25 coins Okay, so I'm at the top of a hill overlooking the rock climbers And I can also see like a camper van and Mouse? No, a ram. I'll go check that out in a minute. I really want to get back to these climbers, though. Down to the climbing area. What do you have to say now, Mr. Rhino? You got a golden feather? Yep. Great. So, to get started,
you can try climbing this short wall here. Just push against the wall and hold A. Nice one. Whatever. The squirrel's like, whatever. That climb is easy. Real pros use the big wall. Squirrel's kind of a dick. Let's do the big wall. See you at the top, kid. Nope, nope. I guess I can't get up there. Ah, but you can jump from the other platform to get up. And, uh, nope, that still didn't work. Okay, try that again. And, yeah. And the rhino says, whoa, good climbing. And
the squirrel's like, it was alright. So, I know you can fly and all, but your stamina will last longer if you climb places instead. Just something to keep in mind. Cool. So what's next? To Hawk Peak. Okay. I still need to warm up myself, but I'll see you up there. That was the rhino. Alright. Cool. Okay, so now I can climb and everything. Hey, I just noticed my clothes changed. Now I'm wearing a red scarf and... Uh, what looks like it might be some kind of dress, I guess? Huh.
I don't remember when that happened. Maybe when I got my feather? Maybe that changes your outfit? Hmm. Well, anyway, uh, let's keep looking around. I mean, I guess they said I'm supposed to go to Hawk Peak next, but I saw that camper van. Uh, where was that? There it is. Camper van. And there's another dig spot here. And this ram says, excuse me, do you have the time? Uh, yeah, let me check. See, normally I would know the
time. I just lost my watch. Oh, um, sorry. It was very expensive and priceless when you consider the sentimental value. I see. If you find it, can you bring it back to me? Sure. Please don't sell it on the internet or whatever. That's funny. It was very valuable to me. No, don't worry. I'll bring it right back. Okay, thanks. Okay. So keep an eye out for a watch. What's up this hill behind the camper? Coin. What else we got up here? Yeah, the music in this is really nice.
It's very chill. Crossing a big bridge and now I'm at a pond with like a bunch of lily pads and trees surrounding it. And I guess, oh, this is a spot I can't quite climb high enough to get up there. So I guess I'll head downhill. What else we got down here? Following a path downward. I think this is probably where I was
supposed to start going up Hawk Peak. but uh you know i ditched out oh i see a shell and a small shovel found a toy shovel on the beach here sweet okay oh there's some coins over here too uh let's go get those and then it's time to go get myself a good shovel and then i guess we'll start digging some stuff up i can also see some coins over here i wonder if i can get if i can glide over there uh got it already at 37 coins oh interesting you know what i just
noticed so i did the double flap and after the flap when i had no stamina my um scarf turned blue so i think i was right i got the red scarf and outfit when i um there's a dog here There's going to be a marathon race at Meteor Lake today. The competition this year is fierce. What was I saying? Oh, I think I got the red outfit when I got the golden feather as well. Which, speaking of golden feathers, there is a golden feather on top of a rock here. Let's hop up here and
I'll just glide down and grab it. Got it. You found a golden feather. Two golden feathers. Sweet. Flap. Flap. Nice. That is a lot more mobility, I think. Okay. Back to Shovel Kid. Where are you, Shovel Frog Kid? Flap. Flap. Nope. This is the climbing area. But I can use that to... Get some high ground and then fly. Oh, there's the frog. Hey buddy, I have your shovel. Hey, check out this shovel I found. It might be a little more your size. Ooh, that's perfect. Let's
trade. You found a shovel. When you want to use my shovel, press wide open your inventory and equip it. Keep it fresh. Keep it fresh. How old is this frog? Alright, well, I've equipped the shovel and it looks like I can dig... Yep, pretty much anywhere. Man, that's a pretty good sound effect for digging. But let's check out... There's this dig spot here. Ooh, coins. Nice. Nice, nice.
Okay, cool. Well, let's see. I don't remember seeing any other... dig spots back by home so i guess i guess let's just head uh what's up here i think that this is the what's up here game perhaps uh which good thing it is because there's a treasure chest here nice got some more coins Uh, I don't think I can get up the way behind it though, so we'll just glide down. Uh, what's up here? Oh, there's a fox here. Hmm. I was planning on hiking to Hawk Peak, but the
path suddenly got really steep. Do you think it's climbable? Well, it would be if I had a golden feather. Apparently they sell them at the visitor. Okay, so this is if you miss the rock climbing thing. Here's how you, uh, progress. What's the sign say? Blackwood Trail up, Hawk
Peak Trail left. visitor center down white beach trail right uh okay well um i see a rabbit over here what do you have to say uh hmm hi hi uh are you okay uh not really i'm supposed to run a marathon race today but i've lost my lucky headband i thought that said husband for a second lost my lucky husband no Loss's lucky headband. Or her lucky headband, I can't tell. I've won it every race I've ever run. I don't know if I could race without it. Where'd you lose it?
Somewhere in Blackwood Forest, I think. Well, I can take a look for you. Really? You'd do that for me? Sure. It's a red headband. I can give you a reward. I can give you a pair of running shoes. Okay, nice. You don't need those yourself? Well... I just got sponsored by this shoe company. They gave me like 10 pair. Wow. Congrats. Oh, thanks. But let me know if you see a red headband. OK, well, I am definitely going to take up this quest to find the red headbands. Let me get my
shovel out and head into this forest. A big spot here, but it's just money. Do I? I guess I'll follow the path for now and see if. Another dig spot. What's that guy? Oh, I missed. Oh, I missed. Ah, there we go. Coins. Okay, cool. Let's see if I happen to find the headband just on the path, although it doesn't look like it. Oh, there's something shiny at the top of this hill. And a frog. Are you a frog? There's a frog with a
red headband here. Hey, slow down. Uh, oh, uh, weird question, but where'd you get that headband? Uh, I don't know. I've had it for ages. Why? Ah, well, I was just talking to this rabbit. She said she lost her headband somewhere in the forest. Oh, you mean Sue. Oh, they have names. Well, I guess I knew they had names, but a lot of them haven't said their name. Anyway, uh, maybe. I didn't get her name. She was really worried about it, though. She said it was lucky
and she needs it to race. I'm supposed to race her later today. She's so talented, I've been really looking forward to it. Hmm. What if I gave you mine? I'm pretty sure it's the same kind. Maybe she wouldn't notice? Oh. Hmm. But then it wouldn't be lucky. I don't know. Just take it. See if she wants it. So I found a headband, but it's not the right headband. Looking at it in the inventory, it says it's the turtle's headband looks sporty. And I can wear it. Oh. Huh. My
phone is in here. Cell phone. It is useless without reception. Not even the game's offline. It's a dim view of modern gaming, I guess. Let's see. I'm going to check the forest a little more. There's a coin. I want the coin. No. Damn it. I fell down a cliff and didn't get a coin that I saw. A couple other coins over here, though. Anyway, I'm going to keep looking around in this forest for a little bit, see if maybe the headband
is going to be lying around here. Oh, there's a picnic bench and a stairs up to a platform with a big building. Oh, this is a lighthouse. Lighthouse, like the puzzle. Okay, let's see. Oh, I see a coin. Got it. I think I'm... Yeah, it looks like I'm above where I started with the Park Ranger. For reference. Let me glide back over to... Wait, what was that? Oh, I got a stick. Nice. Okay, so back to the lighthouse. And it looks like it does indeed cast a shadow.
Go up to... Looks like here's the top. I wonder... Do I just dig? I don't... I don't know exactly where to dig. Oh! Treasure chest. Aha! Golden feather. Sweet. That's a good reward. So that's three feathers now. Sign here says Meteor Lake Overlook both left and right. I guess that's
a loop. Hawk... trail to the left black wood trails down so i i'm gonna go back down into the forest because i'm still looking for that headband maybe uh oh here's that shiny there's like a shiny rock here can i yep i can hit it with my shovel and get coins this this really is like animal crossing Oh, that's it. I'm out of coins. Well, I mean, that was still pretty lucrative. There's a rhino up here in a little
hidden spot. Oh, no, it's a cat. Sorry. It's a cat at a little camping site, like a tent and a fire that hasn't been lit yet. Hey. Yes, this setup is 100 % legal. That's really funny because as soon as I saw it, I was like, that doesn't seem like it's supposed to be there. Yes, I have a valid camping permit. Wait. Fine, fine. You got me. Hold on. I lost it. I'm a terrible liar. I'm a mess. Please don't write me up. I can bribe you. Jesus. Hey, I found a bait. Like a worm
bait. Hmm. Did you really just hand me a fistful of worms? It's fishing bait. I'm desperate. What would you do? Uh, well, I guess it doesn't matter. I'm not going to tell anyone. Wait, really? Aren't you a junior ranger? Nope. My aunt's a ranger. Oh, that's her aunt. Yeah, that's Claire's aunt that I guess we probably drove in with and are staying with. But I don't work for her. Oh, well, you won't tell, right? Nah. Good. I guess you can keep the bait. Thanks. OK, I got some bait,
but no fishing. Oh, there's a coin up here. I got the bait, but no fishing rod. Presumably there will be a fishing rod in my near future. Hop up to the top of this cliff here. I think I'm out of the woods section again. Yeah, I'm back around to that sign that talked about the meteor place. So I'll head back downhill to the forest. And that's it. The first segment of a short hike. It's a fun game. Very charming. I think you're going to hear me say that a lot.
I said, look, this game is so charming. But that's because, honestly, it really, really is. Listening back to it, there was one thing I noticed, which was that I never did find a metal detector. And I don't know if that's because there isn't one, and that's just a hint for, like, hey, you should be looking for dig spots and just general coins all over the place. Or if there actually was one in the game, and I just completely missed
it. Let me know in the comments. I'm curious to know if anybody else has played this and found a metal detector. I realized I forgot to talk about my motivation for picking a short hike as season two. You know, Superhot VR I think was a great choice for season one. It went way better than I thought it was going to, and the
reception has been really good. You know, I appreciate all the folks who gave me good feedback on it, but one of the things that I thought when I was editing through it and such was that, you know, because the action is so frenetic and because there's so much to describe being in a 3D environment. But I didn't really, like, it was entirely about the game. I didn't really get a chance to let
you know anything about myself. And at least for me, you know, when it comes to podcasts, when it comes to streamers in general, actually, yes, it's about the game, but it's also kind of about the person, too. And I figure at least some of you might be listening to this for that same reason. So I wanted to pick a game that
was a little slower paced. a little calmer, a little more subdued, so that it would give me space to talk about what's happening in the game and how it relates to some of my experiences and such. So hopefully I've accomplished that. Let me know. And yeah, it's going to be a good one. But I think with that, that's it for me for right now. So once again, I've been Dan, and thank you very much for listening. We'll catch you next time.