The 3D platformer Big Hops, an action-adventure platformer built around a frog-tongue-based interaction mechanic, launches today (12 January 2026). The game is available on Steam, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation.
Players can take on the role of Hop, a young amphibian who is kidnapped by a trickster spirit named Diss. While the entity claims to need Hop’s help for a mysterious mission, Hop’s primary goal is to return home. Progress depends on locating Airship Parts, with help from a raccoon character who offers to build a way back if those parts can be found. The search takes Hop across multiple self-contained worlds, each with its own story, characters, and conflicts. Locations include forests, deserts, oceans, and mountain environments.
Gameplay places an emphasis on movement. Hop’s abilities include rolling, diving, crouch-jumping, wall-running, free climbing, swimming, grinding rails, and riding minecarts. Central to this is Hop’s frog tongue, which functions as a multi-purpose tool. It can be used to pull objects closer, activate switches, swing from points in the environment, and traverse vertical spaces at speed. The tongue is integrated into puzzles and environmental interactions.
Another core system revolves around items called Veggies that allow players to create their own paths through levels. Different Veggies produce different effects when placed in the world, such as bounce pads, climbable vines, temporary platforms, custom swing points, or tightropes. Hop can only carry one item at a time, but additional Veggies can be stored in a backpack that unlocks more slots over time. Opening the backpack slows down time, allowing players to plan their next move during more demanding sections.
Big Hops includes a range of collectibles tied directly to gameplay. These include Dark Drips linked to Diss’s storyline, Dark Bits used to earn trinkets that modify gameplay, blueprints for gadgets, cosmetic items for character customisation, and mixtapes that can be played in-game. Trinkets are equipped by decorating Hop’s backpack, tying progression systems directly into the game’s visual design.
Character designs were created by Steven Sugar, who has worked as a background designer for the animations Steven Universe and The Owl House.
Big Hops Kickstarter
A Kickstarter campaign for Big Hops was launched in May 2025 after the game’s publisher dropped indie developer Luckshot Games. The crowdfunding effort attracted 1,448 backers, who pledged $54,972 to support the game’s completion.
“For those who don’t know, Big Hops has been in development since 2019,” said Chris Wade, Luckshot games founder and director, in a recent Steam news post. “I started it while I was working a day job at Owlchemy Labs (creators of Job Simulator). All the way back then, I set the lofty goal to build a 3D platformer with world class movement with modern design inspired by emergent games like Zelda: BOTW, Spelunky, and Rimworld.
“It’s been 6.5 years since starting and the process has been weird and tough at times, but I can confidently say we’ve succeeding in finding a new type of 3D platformer. The sense of depth and freedom you get from the combination of Hop’s tongue, parkour-y movement, and using veggies to build your own paths is awesome. It’s a breath of fresh air and feels like more than the sum of its parts. I’m excited to see lots more players play the full game and feel what we’ve felt making it.”
Where to play Big Hops?
Big Hops is available to play on Steam, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch.