Ember Vanguard

Ember Vanguard is the sort of RPG that respects your time on the phone but doesn't dumb itself down. Fights are turn-based, you swap between four heroes, and positioning on the grid actually decides battles. I lost my first boss twice before I stopped ignoring the back row.

The story won't win awards but the writing is charming, and the skill trees give you real choices. Do you build your mage for burst or for control? I rerolled a character just to try the other path and didn't regret it.

My one gripe is that the deep menus can drain battery fast if you leave them open. Turning the frame rate down in settings fixed most of the heat issue for me.

What we liked

• Grid tactics that reward thinking
• Meaty skill trees
• Readable, portrait-friendly UI