Tidewall Command

Tidewall Command puts you on a stretch of coast with the ocean rising a little more each night. You build walls, farms and watchtowers by day, then defend against both the tide and raiders after dark. It sounds stressful, and it is, in the good way.

The clever part is that walls block raiders but also redirect water, so a defensive line has two uses at once. I spent whole matches agonizing over where to spend my last few stone blocks. The pace is real-time but you can slow it down, which makes it fair on a phone.

It's not the prettiest game here, functional more than lovely, but the systems lock together beautifully. The skirmish mode gives you a fresh coastline every time, and that's where I've put most of my hours.

What we liked

• Walls defend against raiders and water
• Adjustable speed for touch play
• Randomized coastlines keep it fresh