Ashvale Wanderers

Ashvale Wanderers is the kind of RPG I didn't expect to find on a phone — a small party crossing a grey, ash-covered land, fighting in clean turn-based battles and slowly piecing together what went wrong with the world. The writing is restrained, which makes the quiet moments land harder.

Combat is the standout. You position three characters, pick between skills and guard stances, and the enemy telegraphs its moves a turn ahead so you're always planning. It never gets grindy because fights are short and generous with checkpoints. I played most of it in fifteen-minute bursts and never felt lost coming back.

If I had one gripe, it's that the inventory menus are a bit fiddly on a small screen. But the story carried me right to the end, and the final stretch earned its ending.

What we liked

• Thoughtful turn-based combat with clear telegraphs
• A quiet, well-written story
• Designed for short play sessions