Tide and Tower

Tide and Tower asks you to defend a string of island forts against both raiders and the ocean itself. The tide rises and falls on a visible clock, flooding low routes and opening others, so your defensive plan has to breathe with it. It's a clever twist that keeps you from settling into one winning layout. Units are drawn from a small roster, which I think is the right call for mobile — you learn each one properly instead of drowning in options. You drag to place towers and swipe to redirect patrols, and it all stays legible even when a dozen things happen at once. The campaign maps escalate nicely, and there's a skirmish mode for when you just want a quick twenty-minute standoff. My one gripe is that the tutorial moves fast, so expect to replay the first mission once it all sinks in.

What we liked

• Tide mechanic reshapes every battle
• Small roster you learn inside out
• Clean touch controls under pressure