Lantern Hollow

Lantern Hollow is the kind of game you play curled up before bed. You explore a hand-drawn village, talk to its residents, and slowly untangle why the lamps keep going out. There's no combat and no timers — just curiosity.

The puzzles are fair and tied to the story, so solving one usually reveals a little more about a character. We never got truly stuck, but a few moments made us stop and think, which is exactly the right balance.

The art and ambient sound do a lot of heavy lifting. It's short, maybe five hours, but it sticks with you longer than games three times its length.

What we liked

• Warm, hand-drawn atmosphere
• Story-driven puzzles that stay fair
• A calm, pressure-free pace