Lanterns of Aldpath

Lanterns of Aldpath is a quiet, gorgeous adventure game, and easily the one I've thought about most this month. You play a lamplighter walking a long road, lighting lanterns and slowly piecing together why the path is so uneasy after dark. It's mostly exploration and light puzzles, with a lot of atmosphere.

The art is hand-drawn and the sound design does a huge amount of work. Every stretch of road has its own mood, and the game trusts you to notice details rather than pointing at them. Puzzles are gentle but never insulting.

It's short, maybe four hours, and it doesn't overstay. I'd rather have a tight, memorable four hours than a bloated twenty, and this nails that. Play it with headphones.

What we liked

• Beautiful hand-drawn art and sound
• Gentle puzzles that respect your intelligence
• A tight, memorable runtime