Tidewatch Command

Tidewatch Command is a strategy game where you defend harbor towns from waves of raiders using towers, terrain, and a bit of nerve. What sets it apart is how much positioning matters — a well-placed unit on a cliff outperforms three cheap ones down on the beach. Levels are tight puzzles as much as battles.

It plays beautifully in portrait, which is rare for the genre, and the pinch-zoom is smooth. Later maps demand real planning, and I found myself restarting levels not out of frustration but because I wanted a cleaner solution. That is the mark of good strategy design.

What we liked

• Positioning beats spamming units
• Great portrait-mode controls
• Levels reward replanning