The Long Lantern

The Long Lantern is a slow, atmospheric adventure where you poke around a crumbling lighthouse, piece together letters left behind, and solve environmental puzzles to climb higher. It leans hard on mood, and it earns it.

Interaction is all tapping and dragging, which fits touchscreens perfectly. Puzzles are logical rather than obtuse, and when I got stuck it was usually because I'd missed something obvious, not because the game was being cruel. There's an optional hint system that fades in if you idle, which is a thoughtful touch.

It runs about three hours and it's the sort of thing best played with headphones in a quiet room. Not much replay value, but the one playthrough stuck with me for days.

What we liked

• Rich, lonely lighthouse atmosphere
• Fair, logical environmental puzzles
• Gentle optional hints when you stall