When Atmosphere Beats Puzzles

Some adventure games treat story as the reward for solving puzzles. Hollow Lantern flips that — the puzzles exist to keep you moving through a mood, and that mood is the real draw.

The foggy town, the lantern mechanic, the music that swells at just the right moments — it all works together so well that I stopped thinking of the puzzles as obstacles. They became little excuses to stay a bit longer in each scene.

I played it with headphones on a rainy evening, which might be the ideal conditions, honestly. The whole thing is maybe four hours, and I think its shortness is a strength. It never pads itself out.

If you want brain-melting puzzles, look elsewhere. If you want a short, moody experience that lingers, this is one of the best on mobile right now.