Tideline Command

Tideline Command puts you in charge of a scrappy fleet and asks you to think several moves ahead. It's real-time with a pause, which is the right call for mobile, because you can stop, breathe, and reposition without the ocean swallowing your ships. Managing supply lines turned out to be the real puzzle, and it's more satisfying than it sounds.

The interface is dense, and the first hour is a bit of a learning curve. Once it clicks, though, pinch-to-zoom and drag commands feel natural. I'd suggest playing on a bigger screen if you can, since the tooltips get cramped on smaller phones.

It's a thoughtful game that rewards patience. Not a mindless commute game, but perfect for an evening when you want to actually concentrate on something.

What we liked

• Smart real-time-with-pause structure
• Supply management that genuinely matters
• Zoom and drag controls that work well on tablets