Hollow Lantern

Hollow Lantern is a proper little RPG that leans hard into atmosphere. You descend through a crumbling underground world carrying a lantern that doubles as your main tool — it reveals paths, wards off shadow enemies, and slowly burns through oil you have to ration. That single mechanic ties the whole game together.

Combat is menu-based but snappy, with a clever timing element on attacks that keeps it from feeling passive. Party members each bring a distinct role, and the writing between fights gives them enough character that I cared when things went wrong.

There's real tension in deciding whether to push deeper or turn back to refuel. It's not a huge game, but it's dense, and the ending stuck with me longer than I expected.

What we liked

• Light-as-resource core mechanic
• Snappy timing-based combat
• Strong atmosphere and writing