Emberfall Chronicle

Emberfall Chronicle surprised us by being a proper old-school RPG that fits comfortably in your pocket. You play a mapmaker drawn into a slow mystery about collapsed cities, and the turn-based battles reward patience over button-mashing. Positioning on the grid matters, and swapping party members mid-fight becomes second nature.

The writing is quiet and a little melancholic, which suits the watercolor art. There's no energy system nagging you to stop, and the save-anywhere design respects that people play this on commutes.

It runs smoothly even on older hardware, though the text can get small during busy battles. If you like your RPGs thoughtful rather than flashy, this one's a keeper.

What we liked

• Deep but forgiving turn-based combat
• Gorgeous hand-painted environments
• No intrusive energy timers