Iron Meridian

Iron Meridian is proper strategy, not a timer-gated shell. You manage supply lines, terrain and morale across a hex map, and winning a battle means little if your troops starve getting home. I lost my first three campaigns to overconfidence, and I respected the game more for it.

The touch interface deserves praise. Dragging units feels precise, pinch-zoom never fights you, and a well-placed radial menu keeps complex orders two taps away. There's a pause-and-plan mode that turns a bus commute into a tense chess match.

It's not for everyone — the learning curve is steep and there's a lot of reading. But if you want a strategy game that trusts your brain, this one delivers.

What we liked

• Logistics and morale that genuinely matter
• Precise, well-designed touch controls
• A tutorial that teaches instead of hand-holding