A Hat in Time is a 2017 video game created by a Danish studio called Gears for Breakfast and released by Humble Bundle. The game was made using a tool called Unreal Engine 3 and was supported by money raised through a Kickstarter campaign. This campaign reached nearly twice its target amount within the first two days. The game was first released for macOS and Windows in October 2017 and later made available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One by Humble Bundle two months later. A version for the Nintendo Switch came out in October 2019.
The game follows a character named Hat Kid, an alien girl who tries to return home by collecting "Time Pieces," which are special items in the game. Players move through an open world by jumping, avoiding obstacles, and gathering collectibles. The game is inspired by older 3D platformers like Super Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie, Spyro the Dragon, and Psychonauts. It has been praised for its similarity to classic platformers and is seen as a successful example of an independent game after a period when platforming games were less popular. The game includes additional content such as different game modes, custom levels, and online multiplayer. The PC version allows players to use custom changes created by others through the Steam Workshop.
Gameplay
A Hat in Time is a video game where players move through a large, open world and see the action from a third-person view. Editors say the game plays like older Nintendo 64 games, such as Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie. Players explore four open areas (plus one linear area and two extra areas from downloadable content) without time limits. They can collect items, solve puzzles, and use an umbrella or other cosmetic items (from downloadable content) to fight enemies. The main goal is to find 56 Time Pieces, which unlock new levels as more are collected. When enemies are defeated, they drop "Pons," a type of currency used to unlock challenges and buy badges that improve the main character's abilities. Players can collect Yarn Balls, which are used to create new hats. Each hat gives the character a unique ability, such as running faster or making explosive potions. Other collectibles include "Relics," which unlock bonus "Time Rift" levels, and "Rift Tokens," which can be traded for extra items like music remixes and cosmetics. Events early in the game affect later levels, as the main character revisits areas multiple times.
Death Wish is a challenge mode added in the Seal the Deal downloadable content (DLC) pack in September 2018. This mode uses existing game levels and involves interacting with the Snatcher, a ghost obsessed with contracts who first appears in the third chapter of the base game. Players complete challenges to earn up to three stamps, each tied to a specific part of the challenge. If a player fails three times, they can activate "Peace and Tranquility," which makes the task easier, though this option may not be available for challenges with limited lives. There are 111 Death Wish stamps, and 114 with the Nyakuza Metro DLC.
A new multiplayer mode called "Vanessa's Curse" was released on November 27, 2021. This mode takes place in a large mansion where players compete between the Snatcher and Vanessa. All players start on the Snatcher's team and must collect crowns hidden in the mansion before time runs out. At some point, Vanessa will curse one player, causing them to switch teams and stop collecting crowns. On Vanessa's team, the goal is to curse other players by touching them. The Snatcher and Vanessa may give power-ups or help players if their team is losing, but these effects apply to both teams if they are equal. The round ends if the required number of crowns is collected, if time runs out, or if all players are cursed. If time runs out or enough crowns are collected, the Snatcher wins. If all players are cursed, Vanessa wins.
Plot
A Hat in Time is a game about a young alien girl named Hat Kid who wears a top hat. She is trying to return to her home world using a spaceship. During her journey, she passes a planet where a member of the planet's Mafia collects a toll for the Mafia Town's leaders. Hat Kid refuses to pay, so the Mafia man breaks open the spaceship door. This causes Hat Kid and her "Time Pieces," magical hourglasses that power her ship, to fall to the planet below.
Hat Kid lands in Mafia Town and meets Mustache Girl, a local who dislikes "bad guys." Mustache Girl agrees to help Hat Kid find the missing Time Pieces in exchange for assistance in fighting the Mafia. Together, they defeat the Mafia Boss. When Mustache Girl learns the Time Pieces can rewind time, she wants to use them to become a crime-fighting time traveler. Hat Kid refuses, explaining that changing time is dangerous. Angered, Mustache Girl becomes Hat Kid's enemy and searches for the Time Pieces alone.
Hat Kid travels across the planet to find the Time Pieces, facing many challenges and making friends with those she meets. These include DJ Grooves and the Conductor, two bird directors competing for a movie award; the Nomads, mountain villagers infected by a dangerous illness; and the Snatcher, a spirit who steals Hat Kid's soul to force her to fight his former lover, the witch Vanessa. Additional game content includes scenarios where Hat Kid works on an ocean liner with the Walrus Captain and helps the Nyakuza crime boss Empress, who later puts a reward on her head. One story reveals that the Snatcher and Vanessa were once a prince and princess who became corrupted after a misunderstanding. The princess imprisoned the prince, and over time, they transformed into the Snatcher and Vanessa.
Mustache Girl takes advantage of Hat Kid's absence, stealing the collected Time Pieces to create a fiery world where her rules are obeyed. Hat Kid confronts her, but Mustache Girl uses the Time Pieces to open a time rift and gain power. Hat Kid's enemies help her in battle, some giving up their Heart Pon healing items to help her. Hat Kid defeats Mustache Girl and uses the Time Pieces to reset the timeline, restoring the planet and reviving those who were lost. The player can decide whether Hat Kid gives a Time Piece to Mustache Girl. Hat Kid returns the Time Pieces to her ship and continues her journey home. In a post-credits scene, Hat Kid is shown sleeping in bed with toys that look like the other characters.
Development
The original idea for A Hat in Time was created by director Jonas Kærlev, who earned a master's degree in computer science at Aalborg University in Denmark. He started the project because he noticed there were few 3D platformers made by Nintendo. Some games that inspired him include Psychonauts, Spyro the Dragon, and Banjo-Kazooie. In an interview with Polygon, Kærlev said he and his team, Gears for Breakfast, did not expect the game to raise so much money through Kickstarter. Kærlev believed few people would want the game because of Donkey Kong 64's influence on the genre, which he felt made games too focused on collecting items. Development began in August 2012 and was planned to release in the second quarter of 2013, but the project was delayed. At first, Kærlev was the only person working on the game, but over time, the team grew into Gears for Breakfast, a group of volunteers from four countries. The Kickstarter campaign raised more than $30,000, with a final total of $296,360. In July 2013, the game was approved for release on Steam. The soundtrack was mostly created by Pascal Michael Stiefel, with help from guest composers like Grant Kirkhope.
A version of the game for Nintendo’s Wii U console was considered early on because the game was inspired by Nintendo-published platformers, but no development for the Wii U happened. When fans asked for a version on the Nintendo Switch, Gears for Breakfast initially said it would not happen, which caused mixed reactions. However, during Gamescom in August 2018, a Switch version was confirmed and released on October 18, 2019. The two DLCs (downloadable content) released for PC were later added to the Switch version.
In March 2018, the game received mod support through Steam Workshop.
The first DLC, Seal the Deal, was released for PC on September 13, 2018, and was free for 24 hours. It was later included with the Switch version on October 18, 2019. This DLC added a new chapter called Arctic Cruise, a challenge mode named Death Wish, six new Time Rift stages, new cosmetics, and a photo mode. It also added local split-screen co-op with a new character named Bow Kid.
The second DLC, Nyakuza Metro + Online Party, was announced on April 25, 2019, and released on PC on May 10. It was later added to the Switch version on November 21, 2019. This DLC features a new chapter set in a Japan-inspired underground city, where the main character joins a cat-themed street gang. A baseball bat weapon, new badges, cosmetics, and stickers (used as emotes and to decorate weapons) were added. A new online multiplayer mode was also introduced, allowing up to 50 players to play together in one world. Online Party is only available through Steam and was one of the first games to use Valve’s Steam Networking API 2.0. This DLC was free for those who supported the game through Kickstarter.
In November 2020, Gears for Breakfast announced that both DLCs would be released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in the first quarter of 2021. On March 31, 2021, both DLCs were released on those platforms. The game supports 60 frames per second when played on PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S using backward compatibility.
Reception
The PC, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch versions of A Hat in Time received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, while the Xbox One version received "mixed or average" reviews, according to the website Metacritic. On Steam, all reviews are "overwhelmingly positive," based on more than 40,000 reviews.
Chris Carter from Destructoid gave the game an 8.5 out of 10, calling it a "good game with some small issues." Dominic Tarason from PC Gamer rated it 86 out of 100, stating it is a "creative, fun, and well-made game" that honors a genre not often seen on PC. Kyle Hilliard from Game Informer noted that the game’s graphics, which resemble those from the PlayStation 2 era, are its weakest part but praised the gameplay, sound, and music, giving it an 8 out of 10.
Two weeks after its release, A Hat in Time sold 50,000 copies. By July 2018, the game had sold more than 500,000 copies. By December 2018, it had sold more than 1 million copies.
The game was nominated for "Best PC Game" in Destructoid’s Game of the Year Awards 2017, for "Best Platformer" in IGN’s Best of 2017 Awards, and for "Game, Original Family" at the National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers Awards.