Hollow Lantern

Hollow Lantern is the standout on our list right now. It's a quiet exploration adventure set in a flooded town, told mostly through environmental detail and short, unnerving notes you find along the way. There's no combat — just moving through spaces, solving grounded puzzles, and piecing together what happened here.

The puzzle design is fair. Everything you need is on screen if you look, and the game trusts you to notice things rather than flagging them with arrows. We got stuck twice and both times the solution was something we'd walked past. That 'oh, of course' feeling is the whole appeal.

Atmosphere carries it. The muted colour palette, the drip of water, the way the story stays just out of reach — it lingers after you put your phone down. Play it with headphones. It deserves that.

What we liked

• Fair puzzles that trust your attention
• Storytelling through environment and small notes
• Atmosphere that stays with you afterward