In praise of short, cozy adventure games

There is a quiet movement of small adventure games that are content to be brief and gentle, and I love them for it. No open world to strip-mine, no hundred-hour completion checklist. Just a place, a mood, and a handful of honest puzzles.

Lantern Hollow is the one I keep recommending. It drops you in a foggy village and asks you to relight it, one logical puzzle at a time. Nothing is obscure, nothing wastes your evening.

What these games get right is atmosphere over content. Good art, soft sound, and pacing that lets you breathe. You finish feeling like you visited somewhere rather than grinded through a to-do list.

If you are burned out on games that demand everything, a short cozy adventure is the palate cleanser. Play it in two sittings and move on lighter.