What to do when a point-and-tap adventure stumps you

Adventure games like Lantern Hollow love hiding solutions in plain sight. Nine times out of ten, when I'm stuck, I skipped a detail rather than missed a hidden object.

First step: re-read everything. Notes, dialogue, item descriptions. The lantern puzzle that stumped me was solved by a line I'd blown past in a diary.

Second: tap everything, then combine things in your inventory. Some games expect you to build the answer, not find it whole.

And if you're truly stuck, walk away for an hour. I solve more puzzles in the shower than I do staring at the screen.