Iron Tide Command

Iron Tide Command puts you in charge of a small fleet and asks you to think three moves ahead. It's real-time, but slower and more deliberate than the panicked base-builders that flood the genre. You set patrol routes, manage supply lines, and pick your battles.

The touch controls took a session to learn, but drawing movement paths with your finger becomes second nature fast. I especially liked that retreating is a valid tactic — pulling back to regroup often beats a doomed charge.

There's a campaign with a surprisingly tense story about a stretched-thin navy, plus skirmish maps for a quick fix. It's a thinking person's game that fits in a coffee break.

What we liked

• Deliberate pacing that rewards planning
• Finger-drawn movement paths feel natural
• Retreat and supply management actually matter