Tidelock Command

Tidelock Command puts you in charge of a small fleet trying to survive shifting weather and rival captains. It's slower and more thoughtful than most mobile strategy games, leaning on positioning rather than reflexes.

The pause-and-plan controls work well on touch, and you can zoom the map freely. We appreciated that it has a true offline mode, so you can run a campaign on a train without worrying about signal. Battery use sits in the middle — the map rendering is light, but long sessions add up.

The learning curve is steep in the first hour. Once it clicks, though, the tension of guiding ships through a storm is genuinely gripping.

What we liked

• Thoughtful pace that suits touch controls
• Works fully offline
• Satisfying weather and positioning systems