Tideline Command
Tideline Command asks you to win with brains rather than numbers. You command small fleets and shore units across island maps, and the whole game revolves around supply and positioning. Overextend and your line collapses; dig in on the right ridge and you can hold against twice your force. It's thoughtful in a way mobile strategy rarely bothers with.
The touch controls are the make-or-break here, and they mostly nail it. Dragging a selection box and issuing move orders feels precise, and there's a slow-motion planning mode for the chaotic moments. On a small phone it gets cramped during big battles, but on a tablet it sings.
Campaign missions escalate nicely, each one introducing a wrinkle — tides that shift passable terrain, fog that hides enemy movement. I didn't touch the online side much, but the single-player alone kept me busy for a week.
What we liked
- Supply and terrain actually decide matches
- Slow-motion planning mode for tense fights
- A campaign that keeps adding new ideas