Hollow Lantern

Hollow Lantern is the review I was most excited to write. It's a hand-drawn adventure game where you wander a flooded town carrying a lantern, poking at objects, solving gentle environmental puzzles, and slowly piecing together what happened to the people who lived there.

The pacing is unhurried in the best way. Nothing times you, nothing nags you. You tap to move, tap to examine, and the puzzles grow out of the world rather than feeling bolted on — moving water levels to reach a door, matching symbols you spotted three screens back. I got genuinely stuck twice and the satisfaction of figuring it out was worth it.

The art and ambient sound carry a lot of the mood. It's a short game, maybe four hours, but it's complete and it ends well. If you want something calm and a little melancholy, this one stays with you.

What we liked

• Beautiful hand-drawn flooded setting
• Puzzles that grow naturally from the world
• A short, complete story that sticks the landing