Lantern Hollow

Lantern Hollow is the kind of game you fall into for twenty minutes and look up an hour later. You move a single flame through hand-drawn rooms, lighting up hidden paths and scaring off little shadow creatures. The puzzles start gentle and slowly teach you to think about angles and timing without ever spelling it out.

What sold us was the mood. Soft piano, warm colours, no timers breathing down your neck. It's built for slow evenings, and it runs completely offline once you install it. We finished the whole first chapter on a train with no signal and never noticed a hiccup.

There's an optional hint system if you get stuck, and it never begs you to watch an ad. The later levels get properly clever, so don't let the calm start fool you.

What we liked

• Zero ads during core play
• Hand-drawn art that holds up on small screens
• Difficulty ramps up fairly