Hollowreach Expedition

Hollowreach Expedition is mood first, mechanics second — and I mean that as a compliment. You wander through ruins swallowed by forest, solving light environmental puzzles and piecing together what happened to the people who lived there. There's no combat pressure, just curiosity pulling you forward.

Controls are a virtual stick plus context taps, and they mostly work, though the stick can feel floaty when you're near ledges. The atmosphere carries everything: the ambient sound design with headphones is genuinely lovely. Settings include a one-handed mode that I ended up using constantly.

It's not a long game, maybe five hours, but it doesn't overstay. Battery is kind since the pace is slow and the visuals favor fog and soft light over heavy effects. A perfect wind-down-before-bed kind of game.

What we liked

• Gorgeous ambient sound
• One-handed mode in settings
• Relaxed, pressure-free pace