When that second Nintendo Switch 2 trailer for Hela landed in this year’s Nintendo Direct, I’ll admit—I was hooked by those chattering mice. A “cozy” adventure steeped in Scandinavian folklore, open-world exploration, and healing magic sounds like the perfect escape. But beyond the sun-dappled forests and friendly rodents, I can’t help but ask: is Hela a fresh breeze of Nordic air or just cottagecore draped in enchanted runes?
A Microscopic Marvel: Setting the Scene
Scheduled for a 2026 release on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC (Steam & Epic Games Store), Hela shrinks you down to mouse size in a sprawling, physics-driven realm. Picture misty pine forests carpeted in bluebells, rocky fjords lapped by icy currents, and hidden glades bathed in golden twilight. According to the Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase, the developer partnership behind Hela has meticulously designed each vista to feel both lived-in and alive—branches quiver under your weight, pebbles scatter when you tiptoe too quickly, and even blades of grass seem to carry their own playful spirit.
Backpack Magic & Puzzle Play
Gorgeous scenery is just the starting point. At the core of Hela’s gameplay lies the “magical backpack,” a tool that goes far beyond simple item storage. Early footage hints at gathering acorns, glowing runes, and curious mushrooms, then using those resources to manipulate the environment. You might stack driftwood to bridge rushing streams, harness a rune’s levitation power to roll boulders into place, or cobble together a makeshift raft from twigs. If executed with care, these physics-based puzzles could transform every nook and cranny into an inventive challenge rather than a rote fetch quest.
Healing the Wild
Where many adventure games lean on combat or high-stakes drama, Hela embraces a gentler—yet equally compelling—theme: healing the land through acts of kindness. Blighted areas darken the landscape and leave woodland spirits in despair. By offering treats to forest guardians, restoring withered groves, or releasing trapped fireflies, you gradually coax life back into the environment. The real test will be whether these gestures trigger meaningful narrative branches—secretive NPCs sharing lost legends, hidden pathways opening only to those who heal, or even new puzzle mechanics emerging from rejuvenated shrines.
Co-op Adventures: Double the Fun?
Hela’s 3D co-op supports two mice exploring side by side. Imagine coordinating to pivot a fallen log, combining elemental runes on twin switches, or ferrying oversized seeds together across yawning chasms. In theory, doubling up on play should amp up camaraderie and replay value. In practice, streaming seamless world data and preserving stable frame rates on the Switch 2’s hardware could prove tricky. The way developers balance load times, dynamic assets, and split-screen perspectives will be key to keeping the magic intact.
Performance Puzzles: Tech Under the Hood
Rendering a physics-rich, tiny-scale world pushes any engine to its limits. Will animations hiccup when dozens of interactive objects collide? Can expansive draw distances showcase fjord vistas without distracting pop-in? On high-end consoles and PC, raw power is abundant—but on the Switch 2, optimized performance demands smart compromises. Behind-the-scenes glimpses from the Partner Showcase suggest the team is refining level-of-detail systems and adaptive streaming, though final benchmarks remain unconfirmed.
Key Questions to Watch
- Backpack depth: Are puzzles fresh and varied or just more item-hauling?
- Healing impact: Do kindness quests unlock new story paths or simply refresh visuals?
- Co-op integration: Is multiplayer woven into every moment or treated as an afterthought?
- Performance trade-offs: How gracefully will Hela scale from top-end PCs down to the Switch 2?
Final Impressions
Hela’s cozy aesthetics and Scandinavian charm are undeniably enchanting—few games capture the wonder of microscopic exploration quite like this. Yet visual splendor alone won’t secure its place among 2026’s must-play titles. If its magical backpack spawns genuinely clever puzzles, its healing mechanics deepen both narrative and gameplay, and its co-op feels as seamless as it is cooperative, then Hela could emerge as a genuine standout. Until we see more, I’m keeping my heart-openers—and my expectations—at a cautious half-mast.