Tideborne Command

Tideborne Command squeezes a real-time strategy loop into matches short enough for a lunch break. You claim islands, build up production and push your fleets against opponents in games that rarely run over ten minutes. It's brisk in the best way.

What makes it click is the fog of war and the constant tension of not knowing where the enemy is massing. Scouting matters, and a well-timed feint can win a match you looked like losing. The touch controls took me a match or two to trust, but once they clicked, moving groups felt natural.

There's a decent single-player campaign to learn the ropes, though the game clearly wants you playing against other people. If you like strategy but hate marathon sessions, this is a good fit.

What we liked

• Matches under ten minutes
• Smart fog-of-war tension
• Touch controls that work once learned