Ember of the Nine Realms

Ember of the Nine Realms is a proper RPG that didn't make me hate playing an RPG on a phone. Combat is tap-to-attack with a few gesture skills, and dodging actually matters against the bigger enemies. The skill tree lets you go full glass-cannon mage or a plodding tank, and both felt viable.

The writing surprised me. Side quests have little arcs that pay off, and there are choices that nudge the ending. It's not Shakespeare, but someone cared about it.

Grind creeps in around the midgame, which is standard for the genre. If you like watching numbers climb and tweaking a build, you'll be happy. If you don't, this one asks a lot of patience.

What we liked

• Build variety that actually changes play
• Side quests you want to finish
• Readable combat on a small screen