Tidewatch Command

Tidewatch Command asks you to defend a chain of islands with never quite enough ships. It's real-time, but you can slow things to plan, which keeps the pressure fair rather than frantic.

The clever bit is resource tension. Everything you build costs something you'll miss later, so every match becomes a series of small gambles. Losing a scout early can cascade in ways you feel three minutes later.

On a phone it works better than I expected — the UI scales down without becoming fiddly. Newcomers to strategy might find the opening curve steep, but the tutorial islands ease you in.

What we liked

• Smart slow-time planning system
• Tense resource decisions
• Clean touch controls for a strategy game