The quiet joy of a game that ends on time

We're trained to want more hours, more content, more everything. But some of my favorite mobile games this year were the ones that wrapped up before they wore out their welcome.

Lantern Hollow runs about four hours and doesn't try to stretch that with padding. It has one good idea, explores it fully, and then lets you go. I finished it in two evenings and felt satisfied rather than short-changed.

There's craft in knowing your own limits. A game that ends while you still like it leaves a better memory than one that drags you through a bloated second half.

So next time a review mentions a short runtime, don't read it as a warning. Sometimes it's the highest compliment we can pay.