Ember of Dawnmere

Ember of Dawnmere is the kind of RPG that respects your time without dumbing itself down. Battles are turn-based and readable, so you can plan a few moves ahead even on a small screen. The party members each have quirks that come out in the writing, and by the third chapter I genuinely cared whether my healer made it through a fight.

Controls are tap-to-select with a clean action wheel, and it never felt fiddly. You can speed up animations, which is a small mercy during grindy stretches. The battery hit is on the heavier side during long dungeon runs, so I'd keep it plugged in for marathon sessions.

The art leans into a hand-painted look and the soundtrack is quietly excellent. If you want a proper adventure you can dip into for twenty minutes at a time, this is an easy recommendation.

What we liked

• Readable turn-based combat with speed-up option
• Characters with real personality
• Beautiful hand-painted environments