Lantern Hollow

Lantern Hollow is the kind of game you play with the sound on and the lights low. You wander a hand-drawn valley, light lanterns, and coax secrets out of the environment. There's no combat and no timer — just curiosity and a lovely sense of place.

Everything works by tapping and the occasional swipe, and the hint system is optional and never nagging. The developers clearly cared about accessibility: subtitles for every ambient cue, adjustable text, and a one-handed layout option.

It's also the friendliest game to your battery that we tested. The static-ish art and gentle animations mean the phone stays cool, so this is our pick for long flights and quiet evenings.

What we liked

• Beautiful hand-drawn world
• Optional, non-intrusive hints
• Extremely gentle on battery