In defence of slow mobile games

We're trained to expect mobile games to be loud and fast — timers, streaks, notifications pulling you back in. So a game like Lantern Hollow, which just asks you to wander and light lanterns, can feel almost radical.

Slow games trust you. They assume you'll enjoy the world without being nudged every ten seconds. That trust is rare and worth rewarding.

When I reviewed Lantern Hollow I kept waiting for the hook, the pressure, the gimmick. It never came, and I ended up more absorbed than I'd been in any high-energy game that month.

If your phone time feels stressful, try a slow game before bed. It changed how I use mine.