In praise of short games you can actually finish

We're trained to value length. More content, more hours, more value. But some of the most satisfying mobile games I've played this year were the shortest ones, and I think that's underrated.

Lantern Hollow runs about four hours and doesn't waste a minute of them. There's no grind, no daily login nagging me, no padding to hit a number. It tells its little story, lets you explore, and ends before it gets old. I finished it and felt good, not relieved.

There's something freeing about a game with an ending. You can play it, complete it, and move on with no guilt about the half-finished save file haunting your phone. Not everything needs to be a live service you tend forever.

So if you're staring at a storage-hungry epic and feeling tired just thinking about it, try a short, complete game instead. Sometimes the best value is the one that respects your time.