Ember of the Lost Vale

Ember of the Lost Vale is the kind of RPG that respects a small screen. Combat is turn-based and happens on a tidy little grid, so you never fumble a command because your thumb covered the action. Between fights you wander a hand-drawn valley meeting people who all seem to have lost something.

The story is quiet and a bit sad, which I liked. There's no shouting villain, just a slow mystery about why the vale went dark. Party members join based on choices you make, and I ended up with a very different team than a friend did.

Progression is generous without being mindless. You pick two of four skill branches per character, which forces real decisions. It's a long game for mobile, maybe fifteen hours, but it saves instantly and resumes exactly where you left off.

What we liked

• Grid combat built for thumbs
• Branching party based on your choices
• Saves and resumes instantly