Lantern Hollow

Lantern Hollow is the kind of game that lowers your shoulders. You wander a small, atmospheric village, solving gentle environmental puzzles by lighting lanterns and following the paths they reveal. There's no timer, no fail state, just curiosity pulling you forward.

The puzzles lean toward observation rather than logic gymnastics, which suits the mood. A couple felt slightly obtuse until I noticed a detail I'd walked past three times. That little 'oh' moment is the whole appeal, and it lands often.

It's short — a few evenings — and I'm fine with that. Not everything needs to be a hundred hours. The soundtrack alone almost justifies the download. A lovely palate cleanser between more demanding strategy games.

What we liked

• Calming, unhurried exploration
• Clever observation-based puzzles
• Gorgeous art and sound design