Why slow strategy beats fast strategy on mobile

Real-time strategy on a touchscreen is often a mess of fat-fingered taps and panic. That's why the slower, turn-based side of the genre suits phones so much better, and Ironline Command drove that home for me this month.

When a game gives you time to think, the small screen stops being a handicap. You can zoom in, read the board, and plan without the clock breathing down your neck. Supply-line games in particular reward this kind of patient play.

The trick to enjoying them is to stop treating every turn as a race. Spend a moment on where your resources will be two turns from now, not just this one. It sounds obvious, but it's the difference between a slow collapse and a steady win.

If you've bounced off strategy games because they felt too twitchy, try the turn-based end of the pool. It's a completely different, much calmer experience.