Why I finally started finishing adventure games again

My backlog is full of adventure games I started and abandoned. Most of them lost me because they dragged, padding a thin story across too many hours. Hollow Lantern did the opposite, and it fixed something in me.

At two to three hours, it's exactly as long as its idea can carry. Every room adds to the mood, every puzzle nudges the story forward, and then it ends before it wears out its welcome. I finished it in a single foggy evening.

That length taught me to value tightness over sprawl. A three-hour game I actually complete beats a twenty-hour one I quit at the halfway point.

So I've started seeking out shorter adventures on purpose. Turns out a satisfying ending is worth more than a long map. Who knew.