Tidewalker Isles

Tidewalker Isles is a slow, curious adventure game and a nice change of pace from the reflex stuff we usually cover. You sail between little floating islands, solve light environmental puzzles, and slowly piece together what happened to the people who lived there.

There's no fail state and no timer, which makes it perfect for winding down. Tapping around to find hidden paths and tucked-away notes never gets old, and the ambient soundtrack is lovely with headphones.

It's short — you can finish it in a few evenings — but it doesn't wear out its welcome, and that's a compliment. We'd rather have a tight little journey than a padded one.

What we liked

• Calm, no-pressure exploration
• Lovely art and ambient music
• Compact story with no filler