Lanterns of the Hollow

Lanterns of the Hollow is the one I kept recommending to friends. It's a hand-drawn adventure where you explore a dim village, solve environmental puzzles, and slowly piece together what happened there. The mood does a lot of the heavy lifting.

Everything is tap-based and the game is generous with hints if you get stuck, so it never tips into frustration. Headphones are strongly recommended because the sound design carries the whole thing.

It runs beautifully on modest hardware and sips battery, which is rare for something this pretty. If you want a short, memorable story, start here.

What we liked

• Gorgeous hand-drawn art
• Fair, well-designed puzzles
• Light on resources despite the visuals