Why adventure games on mobile deserve headphones

Something I didn't appreciate until recently: a good mobile adventure lives or dies on its audio. Playing Hollowreach through phone speakers, it was fine. Playing it with headphones, it was unforgettable.

The reason is that these games are often about atmosphere and discovery rather than action. A dripping cave, a distant echo, the sudden silence before you find something — that's half the experience, and tinny speakers flatten all of it.

It also helps with the puzzles. In Hollowreach a couple of solutions are hinted at by sound before you ever see them, so headphones aren't just about immersion, they're a practical advantage.

So here's my small plea: next time you start an exploration game, dig out some decent earbuds. It changes the whole thing from a nice distraction into something you'll remember.