Emberfall Saga

Emberfall Saga is the kind of mobile RPG I keep going back to. You build a party of four from a roster of oddball mercenaries, each with their own reason for fighting and their own snide comments during camp scenes. The combat is turn-based with a positioning twist: where you stand on the grid changes what your skills do.

The story goes darker than the cheerful menu screen suggests, which I appreciated. Choices in dialogue actually shift a few late-game events, and the writing has enough personality that I read every line. Grind is optional; the balance is fair if you rotate your party and use the environment.

Downside: the gear menus are a bit fiddly on a phone and the tutorial dumps a lot on you at once. Push past the first hour and it settles into a great rhythm.

What we liked

• Grid positioning that makes combat tactical
• Writing with real character
• Choices that nudge the ending