Hollow Lantern

Hollow Lantern is a slow, quiet adventure that trusts you to explore. You tap your way through a flooded town, collecting odd items and fitting them into gentle environmental puzzles. Nothing is timed, nothing stresses you, and that's the whole appeal.

The atmosphere does the heavy lifting. The art is hand-drawn and a little melancholy, and the ambient sound made me keep my headphones in. A few puzzles leaned on logic we found unusual, so we've written a hint guide for the two spots that stumped us.

It's short — maybe four or five hours — but it doesn't overstay. If you want something to play slowly over a few evenings rather than grind, this is the one we keep recommending to non-gamer friends.

What we liked

• Gorgeous hand-drawn, moody art
• No timers or stress, just exploring
• A tidy, memorable length