Tideborne Admirals

Tideborne Admirals is a strategy game that trusts you to think. You command a handful of fleets across a cluster of islands, balancing trade routes against the threat of raiders who adapt to how you play. It starts gentle and gets genuinely tense once your empire spreads thin.

What I liked most is that time keeps moving even in menus, so you're always making trade-offs. Do you reinforce the harbour or push a new trade line? There's a pause button for the big decisions, which keeps it from being stressful on a phone.

The maps are randomised enough that no two campaigns feel the same. It's a slow burn, but if you enjoy watching plans come together, this one scratches that itch nicely.

What we liked

• Adaptive enemy raiders
• Randomised maps for replay value
• Smart pause system for mobile pacing