Iron Tide Tactics

Iron Tide Tactics drops you in command of a cluster of floating islands lashed together into a mobile fortress. You manage resources, build defenses, and reposition units as raider waves close in from all sides. It runs in real time but lets you slow things down, which is a smart concession to phone screens.

The campaign teaches you one mechanic at a time without ever feeling like a tutorial, and by the fifth mission I was juggling supply lines and troop placement without thinking about it. The difficulty spikes are fair, and losing usually comes down to a decision you can clearly point to.

Touch controls on a small screen are always risky for strategy, but the designers handled it well with big tap targets and a tidy radial menu. I'd love more map variety, but what's here kept me busy for weeks.

What we liked

• Slow-time option that suits mobile
• Clear, fair difficulty curve
• Smart touch controls for a strategy game