In defense of the four-hour game

There's a quiet pressure in gaming to value size above all. More hours, more content, more things to collect. But some of the most memorable games I've played on my phone were over in an afternoon.

The Hollow Lantern is maybe four hours long and I wouldn't change a minute of it. Because it's short, every scene matters. Nothing is padding. You finish it still wanting a little more, which is a far better feeling than slogging to the end of something that overstayed its welcome.

Phones are built for shorter experiences anyway. You play in gaps: a bus ride, a lunch break, the ten minutes before sleep. A tight game respects those gaps instead of demanding you clear your weekend.

So I'll keep championing the four-hour game. Give me something complete and confident over something endless and hollow, every time.