Hitchhiker is one of those games that left me torn between admiration for the idea and some frustration with how that idea is developed. There are very interesting concepts at the heart of the experience and moments that manage to create a genuine sense of mystery, but there's also a lack of narrative cohesion that stops the game from reaching the full potential it clearly has.
The premise is immediately intriguing.
We play as a character with no memory who's trying to discover who they are and what happened in their past. To do that, we hitch rides with different drivers, each with their own personality, stories, and perspectives on the world. The simple act of getting into a car with a stranger and striking up a conversation already creates a dynamic that's uncommon in video games, contributing to a constant atmosphere of curiosity.
From the very first minutes, there's a sense that something isn't right.
The game does an excellent job of creating discomfort and uncertainty. We never know exactly whom to trust, what's real, or what strange event will come up next during the journey. There are moments when the experience drifts close to psychological thriller territory, while in others it dives completely into surrealism.
That atmosphere is, without a doubt, one of Hitchhiker's greatest strengths.
The feeling of isolation is constant. The endless roads, the landscapes passing by the window, and the enigmatic conversations of the various passengers help create a very immersive experience. There's always the impression that we're trying to piece together a puzzle whose pieces never quite fit.
Visually, the game goes for a simple but effective art direction. The environments don't impress through technical detail, but they manage to convey a very distinct identity. Each ride has its own atmosphere, and the different settings help reinforce the narrative's mysterious tone.
The sound design also deserves praise.
Music surfaces at the right moments and contributes to the sense of strangeness that accompanies the entire adventure. At several points, silence and the sounds of the road end up being just as important as the dialogue, helping create a subtle but constant tension.
The problem arises when we try to make sense of everything we're experiencing.
Although the mystery is initially captivating, there comes a point when the narrative begins to feel excessively abstract. There are events, dialogues, and revelations that seem to exist only to increase the strangeness of the experience, without a proportional narrative payoff. Instead of sparking curiosity, some moments end up generating confusion.
I have no problem with stories that leave room for interpretation. On the contrary, some of the best narratives achieve precisely that. In Hitchhiker, however, I often felt the line between the enigmatic and the incoherent became too thin.
There are interesting elements scattered throughout the adventure, and it's possible to find different readings of what happens. But in many moments, the feeling is that the game overcomplicates its own message, making it harder to form a stronger emotional connection with the narrative.
The gameplay matches that narrative simplicity.
Most of the experience consists of observing, conversing, and interacting with objects during the rides. There are small puzzles and moments of exploration, but the focus is clearly on story and atmosphere. For some players that will be enough; for others, it may feel somewhat limited over the game's few hours.
Even so, I never stopped feeling curious about what would happen next.
Even when the narrative seemed confusing to me, there was always something in the atmosphere and the mystery that encouraged me to keep going. That's perhaps Hitchhiker's greatest merit: it manages to keep the player intrigued even when it can't always answer the questions it creates.
In the end, Hitchhiker is an interesting, if somewhat uneven, experience.
Its engaging atmosphere, constant sense of mystery, and original premise make it a game unlike most narrative adventures. However, the story's execution doesn't always match the quality of its ideas, resulting in a narrative that at times seems more confusing than truly profound.
Despite those limitations, it's still an experience worth having for anyone who appreciates games focused on mystery, symbolism, and interpretation. It may not deliver all the answers it promises, but the journey itself still has enough interesting moments to justify the trip.
Not every destination makes the journey worthwhile. In this case, the destination may not be entirely satisfying — but the road certainly has something special about it.
out of 10
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Game Hitchhiker Released 2021 Available on PC · PlayStation 4 · Xbox One · Nintendo Switch · Apple Arcade Reviewed on PC |  Cover: IGDB |
| PL | Pedro Lopes Writer · Portugal |
A games writer from Portugal running on a highly irresponsible amount of coffee — his blood type is officially "espresso". He has been a content creator at Lisbon Games Week, a jury member at Over & Out ’25 and an attendee of DevGAMM Lisbon 2025 (mostly for the free coffee). He has a Pac-Man tattoo on his finger, which contractually obliges him to chase ghosts forever.