Iron Tide Command

Iron Tide Command asks you to think like a commander rather than a button-masher. You position fleets across a map, manage fuel and repairs, and commit to engagements that play out with a satisfying sense of weight. Overextend and you'll lose ships you spent an hour building up.

The tutorial is thorough, maybe too thorough, but once you're out in the open the systems open up nicely. Every decision has a cost, and the game trusts you to weigh them. I lost a campaign badly and immediately wanted to try again with smarter logistics.

It's a slower game, better in ten-minute planning sessions than frantic bursts. The interface is clean and the menus are readable, which strategy games on phones often get wrong.

What we liked

• Real tactical depth
• Clean, readable interface
• Rewards careful planning