Lanterns of Vale

Lanterns of Vale is a gentle point-and-explore adventure where you wander a hand-painted valley solving small environmental puzzles to relight old lanterns. There is no combat and no timer, just you, some soft music, and a world that slowly wakes up as you go.

The puzzles are more about observation than logic — noticing a pattern of stones, following a bird, matching a melody. Nothing is so obscure that I needed a guide, but a couple of moments made me genuinely stop and think. The pacing is deliberately slow, and I mean that as a compliment.

It is short, maybe four hours, but it stuck with me. If you want something calming to play before bed, this is a beautiful little journey.

What we liked

• Hand-painted, cohesive art
• Relaxing, no-fail exploration
• Clever observation puzzles