Independent video game developers have stirred up quite a bit of news lately as they use their innovation and creative freedom to challenge traditional AAA dominance in the gaming industry. Big Hops is one such new 3D indie platformer that quite a few people are talking about at the beginning of 2026.
The game begins with a frog named Hop playfully running about in the forest with his sister when he hears a mysterious voice promising him adventure. Hop follows the voice to a strange shrine, but instead of discovering great exploits, he finds himself pulled into an alternate dimension world called the Void. There he meets Diss, an impish trickster who promises to set Hop free again if he’ll fulfill Diss’ demands to gather cursed orbs called Dark Drips.
The deceitful Diss is obviously not very trustworthy. But while in the Void, Hop also meets a resourceful raccoon mechanic, who declares that he might be able to fly our little green hero home—but he’ll need airship parts to rebuild his plane.
So, what’s a resourceful frog to do? Hop uses his froggy abilities to explore the lands of the Void, gather the necessary items and attempt to unravel the mysterious motives around him.
Of course, it’s Hop’s froggy abilities that make this parkour-style platforming adventure work. Hop uses his tongue as his primary tool. He can grapple and swing with it, as well as activate switches, pull objects, open chests and even pick locks. Hop can also perform various jumps, rolls, belly slides, dives and wall runs that get him across open canyons and between high ledges. Hop can free-climb some vertical surfaces, but a stamina meter keeps that climb short.
Along the way, eating vegetables and insects can help Hop regain health. And planted veggies can grow into climbable vines or trampoline-like catapults. Hop also collects coins with which he can buy useful packs and items, and he gathers trinkets (in exchange for Drips) that give him upgrades.
Big Hops is a single-player game that does not require an online connection to play.
Big Hops looks and feels very kid friendly. And the game offers a free-form approach to Hop’s platforming challenges so young gamers can experiment with different solutions. There’s generally more than one approach to each obstacle.
Bug-collecting is an educational feature of play. When Hop finds new bugs, the game examines the critters and not only describes their characteristics but gives players their real-world names.
Gameplay is intuitive and relatively easy, but it’s designed to offer steeper challenges, if desired. Big Hops focuses purely on platforming and exploration, with no traditional combat or fighting, making play more accessible for younger players.
Linking together some of Hop’s tougher moves can be tricky at times. And Big Hops doesn’t hold gamers’ hands when those linked moves are required, so the learning curve might be frustrating for some kids.
There are some mild dialogue choices that parents may not appreciate: We hear “shut up,” “stupid butthead” and “darn elevator.” And someone says, “There’s gonna be h— to pay.”
Big Hops does incorporate some light violence. Hop can fall from heights with a screech if he misses a jump. (Though he’ll reappear on a nearby ledge unscathed.) The little froggy hero can also be burned by fire and thumped with objects.
The game incorporates some goofy, lightly crude humor in its mix, such as winking toilet-humor quips and instances where Hop might operate a plunger with his tongue.
Big Hops is a 3D indie platformer that offers gamers young and old a lot of creative choices and tongue-flailing adventure.
After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.
