Hollow Lantern

Hollow Lantern is the game I keep recommending to friends who say mobile games have no soul. You wander a hand-drawn town after dark, talking to odd characters and slowly piecing together why the lights keep going out. The art alone is worth the download.

The puzzles are gentle, more about paying attention than getting stuck. Progress comes from noticing a detail you walked past earlier and connecting it to something new. I never needed a walkthrough, which felt great.

It is a shorter game, maybe five or six hours, but every part of it feels made by hand. I finished it in two sittings and immediately missed the little town when it was over.

What we liked

• Gorgeous hand-drawn art
• Puzzles that reward attention
• A short but complete story