Tideborn Command

Tideborn Command asks you to manage a small fleet across shifting seas, and the twist is that wind and storms matter as much as enemy ships. Planning a route is half the game, and I lost a couple of skirmishes purely to bad weather calls before it clicked.

Controls are drag-to-move with a pause-and-plan option that makes tense moments manageable on a phone. The campaign layers new units slowly, so you're never buried in menus. It respects your patience.

It leans slower and more thoughtful than flashy. If you want frantic action this isn't it, but for a strategy game you can chew on during a commute, it's a smart little package.

What we liked

• Weather as a real tactical layer
• Pause-and-plan controls that fit touchscreens
• Steady, unhurried campaign