Iron Meridian

Iron Meridian takes the big ideas of empire-building strategy and shrinks them down to a format that works on a touchscreen. Maps are small, turns are quick, and a full match takes maybe forty minutes rather than an entire weekend. That restraint is exactly why it works so well on mobile.

The tech tree is the heart of it. Every choice feels like it closes one door and opens another, so two playthroughs rarely feel the same. The AI is clever enough to punish lazy defence but never cheats as far as we could tell.

Pinch-to-zoom and drag controls are smooth, and the interface keeps the important numbers visible without drowning you. It's a thinking person's game that doesn't demand a notepad beside you.

What we liked

• Full strategy matches in under an hour
• Deep but readable tech tree
• Clean touchscreen controls