Hollow Vale Expedition

Hollow Vale Expedition is a quiet adventure game about poking around a mysterious valley. You tap to move, examine things, and slowly fill in a map as you piece together where old paths lead. There's no combat to speak of — the challenge is curiosity and paying attention.

The art carries a lot of it. Everything is hand-drawn with soft light and a lot of small details you only catch on a second look. Puzzles are environmental and fair; I never had to look anything up, though a couple made me sit and think.

It's a short, gentle experience, maybe a few evenings long. If you want something calm and atmospheric to unwind with, it's lovely. Bring headphones — the ambient sound does half the work.

What we liked

• Gorgeous hand-drawn world
• Fair, curiosity-driven puzzles
• Calm, headphone-friendly mood