Tidewatch Command

Tidewatch Command asks you to run a small coastal fleet, balancing exploration, supply, and the occasional scrap with rival ships. It's a real-time strategy game that somehow works well on touch, mostly because it lets you pause and issue orders calmly. That pause button is the hero here.

Early missions ease you in, but the mid-game opens up into logistics you have to actually think about: where to station ships, when to resupply, which routes to defend. It can get fiddly on a small screen, so I'd recommend a tablet if you have one, though it's playable on a phone.

It's not the flashiest game around, but there's real depth once you commit. If you like slow-burn strategy over twitch reflexes, give it a few evenings.

What we liked

• Pausable real-time orders that feel fair
• Satisfying mid-game logistics
• Plays even better on a tablet