Hermit and Pig set out one morning to forage  mushrooms and avoid human interaction but an unexpected visitor plunges them  into a conspiracy well above their pay grade which is zero dollars.

Game Title: Hermit and Pig

Developer & Publisher: Heavy Lunch Studio LLC

Release date: January 22, 2026

OS: Windows and Mac

 Review Platform: Steam - Demo

 Price: TBA

 *Please note this review is based solely on the demo.

What Is It 

Hermit and Pig is a wonderfully crafted turn-based RPG, with a compelling story and quirky characters. The first game created by Mason Dickerson and Nathan Kennedy (Heavy Lunch Studio), two childhood friends who have collaborated with their different skillset to bring Hermit and Pig to humorous life. The game starts out when they adventure forth from the relative seclusion they are used to, into a weird and crazy world filled with…fungus.

The Mostly Good

Story

Considering I am reviewing a demo, I did not get to enjoy all the game has to offer, but from the beginning, I knew I would like it. I love quirky adventures and this is definitely quirky, even if mushrooms are involved. Believe me, mushrooms (some of you may know they are my least favorite substance on earth, vile, evil things) are a large part of this game. A HUGE part. I will not give too much away, but you are a hermit that lives with his pig. I would not say Pig is a pet but more of a companion and friend who helps you search for mushrooms. Cue Nicholas Cage movie…

The adventure begins when Hermit awakes for the day and sets out to find his breakfast. You will never guess what breakfast consists of...don’t worry, it is not bacon. While out scavenging for mushrooms, you will meet NPCs that you can choose to help, or not. I helped. I am not sure what happens if you do not, but what fun is an adventure if you do not do a little adventuring?

Visuals

I found the visuals of Hermit and Pig lovely. Simple and serene. Almost like a watercolor painting with crazy animated characters. Think Bloom County, but artsy (I am well aware that nobody reading this knows what Bloom County is, but trust me). Bill the Cat never looked so calm and relaxing. 

Humor

The game is funny. Imagine searching for fungus with your pet pig in an adventure and it was not funny (Cue Nicholas Cage Movie). This is a lighthearted romp and a very enjoyable one at that. I would not say it is riotously funny, but I chuckled a bit throughout.

Not All Is Well (But it’s not awful  either)

Short 

The demo is very brief and I was disappointed it ended so quickly. I was really starting to enjoy the game and could not wait to get to the next area when the thanks for playing/wishlist us screen came up, which I was not expecting quite so soon. Honestly, it was likely an average time for a demo, but I wanted more. Guess I have to wait until next year.

Combat

The combat in Hermit and Pig is not bad, per se, but it is a bit convoluted. Combat is turn-based and involves key/button combinations of three. There is a brief tutorial that explains what several of them are, but not all and even so, remembering all is difficult (I can barely remember what I did 5 seconds ago, much less what buttons to press - think stratagems but slightly more manageable). There is book you can move over to that shows you what each attack requires, including punch, kick, and stomp, along with a few others. You can then move back over and choose your action. Each turn is timed, which means you better look at that book pretty quickly to ensure you are able to get an attack in.

Maybe I should have pretended I did not see him. 

Controls 

The controls are no terrible and were decent with a controller, however, when using KBM, only the keyboard is used. Many indie games employ this method and it is fine, but due to muscle memory, I was constantly trying to click the mouse. I would prefer if mouse and keyboard were used in tandem, but the game is pleasant enough to overlook small issues such as this.

Conclusion

I found Hermit and Pig to be a delightful little RPG/Adventure game. I generally play review games for at least five hours, if not completely, so this is not as in-depth as I would like it to be. I do feel that when the game is released, it would be well worth playing. It is lighthearted and not overly complicated, with a tongue in cheek approach to storytelling. It is relaxing and fun and sometimes that is all you need. 

Words of wisdom from Pig. 

Yay or Nay

Yay. I feel I always say Yay, but I mean it. This is such a pleasant little game (demo), that it is well-worth a look. A hidden gem about a hermit and a pig (cue Nicholas Cage movie again) that will hopefully continue to charm me and you throughout the entire game.

  Do not eat the blue mushrooms. Or maybe do, if you’re into tripping your balls off.

B+