Tideworn Isles

Tideworn Isles is the sort of game you play with the sound on. You sail between islands, solve environmental puzzles and slowly piece together why the seas rose in the first place. There's no combat, just curiosity.

The hand-painted art and soft soundtrack do a lot of the heavy lifting, but the puzzles are clever enough to hold your attention. I especially liked how the map fills in as you notice things rather than being handed to you.

It's short — maybe six hours — but every minute felt intentional. A lovely palate cleanser between bigger games.

What we liked

• Beautiful hand-painted islands
• Puzzles that reward observation
• Calm, unhurried pacing