Emberfall Saga

Emberfall Saga is a proper role-playing game that respects your time better than most. Battles are turn-based, positioning matters, and each character has a distinct role you'll want to build around. I spent a while ignoring the mage before realizing she was the glue holding my whole team together.

The writing is above average for a mobile RPG. Sidequests have small payoffs that make sense, and the world map opens up at a steady pace instead of dumping everything at once.

My one gripe is the grind near the midgame, where levels start dragging. Push past it and the later dungeons are some of the best combat encounters I've had on a phone.

What we liked

• Tactical turn-based combat
• Characters worth caring about
• Steady, well-paced world