Ironcrown Tactics

Ironcrown Tactics is a grid strategy game that asks you to think two moves ahead on a tiny screen, and somehow it works. Units have positioning rules — high ground, flanking, line of sight — and the touch controls let you preview a move before committing, which saves you from fat-finger disasters.

Between battles you manage a small roster, upgrade gear, and decide which provinces to defend. Resources are tight, so every choice has weight. We lost a campaign because we overspent early, and the restart actually felt fair rather than cheap.

It's not a casual game. Expect to redo a few battles. But if you like chess-y mobile strategy, this one respects your brain.

What we liked

• Deep positioning-based combat
• Move previews that prevent mistakes
• Meaningful between-battle decisions