Why slow strategy games work better on phones than you'd think

There's a myth that phones are only good for twitchy, fast games. Playing Tidewatch Command for a month cured me of that idea completely.

Slow strategy fits phone life. You make a move, put the device down, think about it while you do something else, and come back. The turn structure matches the interruptions of real life instead of fighting them.

Tidewatch's shifting tides are the perfect example. The board changes between sessions in a way that rewards you for actually mulling things over rather than reacting instantly. It's a game that plays well in the gaps.

My one gripe is screen real estate. Complex maps get cramped on small phones, and I wish more of these games shipped with a proper zoom. Still, the genre belongs on mobile more than most people admit.