Many may dismiss Flipflop Solitaire as yet another solitaire game but happily it is possible to find sparks of genius in the most mundane of places. If you have no interest in Solitaire then this isn’t going to change your mind, it may also struggle to attract a casual audience, as it is a barebones app with no gimmicky mascots or tacked-on theme. For players familiar with the traditional version there will initially a bit of a learning curve as your brain gets accustomed to the demands of taking a more flexible approach. However, the effort is well worth it, so download it for free; you have nothing to lose - apart from hours of your life.

Lack of variation in missions and unit's abilities make Battlevoid: Sector Siege just too boring for anyone but hardcore fans of the franchise.

Not many games leave you feeling like you have had a genuine insight into the subject matter, but Afghanistan ’11 left me feeling informed without patronising or preaching. Obviously, the approach to the whole issue is simplified and the solutions idealised, yet I still came away feeling I had a better understanding of the Afghanistan situation.

Sheltered will test your mettle and patience more than your wits, but has unique merits even when compared to other survival games.

Halcyon 6: Lightspeed Edition produces a nexus of meaningful, distinct strategic choices within a well-considered narrative and audiovisual package.

The game’s sheer style and approachability will draw players in, but for seasoned gamers there is a distinct lack of challenge.

Great for dedicated fans of Demon's Rise & XCOM, Strike Team Hydra is an ambitious strategy title undermined by some arbitrary, sprawling design decisions.

Frost is a well-designed game. It looks and sounds beautiful in its own bleak and foreboding way, especially on my iPad Pro. I did test it on my iPhone 6S plus and it looked fine there too. It is harder to read the words without expanding cards, but once you know your way around that matters less. Gameplay is fun and effective and offers ample opportunity for tactics and strategy. The sights, sounds, gameplay, and every other aspect of Frost feed its survivalist theme perfectly. Skill definitely has a role in Frost, but chance often plays the greater part. I know this turns many gamers off, and if you're one of them, you might want to look elsewhere. If you don't mind losing to bad luck now and then there's a lot to love about Frost and it is definitely worth picking up. Frost is available on iOS and Android.

While other games like Tiller’s Overland Campaign are more detailed and accurate, games like Civil War 1864 fill two essential roles for the gaming industry. First, the seemingly simple nature of play serves as an introduction to new gamers by providing them with the feel of an era and giving them insight into the mechanics of a period’s combat. For all of its tap and go feel, this game does a fine representation of what went on during the most bloody summer of the American Civil War. Secondly, this game genre provides relief for veteran gamers from drawn-out and detail-heavy games. We need to get back once in a while to that just one more turn feel. Hexwar’s games does both of these tasks in very accessible fashion. No historical gamer should fall for the trap that, just because the mechanics are the same, every Hexwar game is the same. A look at their Civil War series shows that maps and objectives are sculpted to faithfully represent the situation for each year. Given the limitation of the engine, this approach represents an accomplishment we can all appreciate.

The open-air theme will probably appeal to a larger audience, and being able to play solo or with as many as four players is a welcome addition. Patchwork wasn’t a hugely interactive game but there was a little more going on in that you could deny your opponent tiles and time your moves to grab the bonus patches. In contrast, pottering around in your garden feels very much like a solitary pass time. Cottage Garden is a stress-free, easygoing game with flowers and cats. Despite this, I still prefer the slightly more involved Patchwork, with its less cluttered screen, clever time management and button economy.

Smash Up is a mixed-bag success & lack-lustre design choices, but it has a promising future ahead.

Seeing the end result of your work, particularly when you zoom out and see the entire network of tiny dots across your tangled mess of concrete, is oddly charming. There is a rough-and-ready crudeness about Freeways that has totally won me over. I’ve restarted maps countless times - even ones I’ve completed, because there’s always improvements that can be made to your mangled creations. Because of how fiddly it can get, I do wonder if it'll ever release onto phones as currently it's tablet only. However, for its price, if you’re even remotely curious I would say pick it up.

There’s just enough free content to give you a taste of Mushroom Wars 2 on mobile, and it’s a beautiful-looking, fun little game that has a surprising amount of depth to it. The question is how you feel about the price tag, which is mighty steep for the mobile space. Where you find yourself on the cost versus value proposition will come down to personal preference, but Mushroom Wars 2 is certainly worth at least a look.

Do not let the IAPs and steep challenge deter you from strong gameplay and incredible presentation. Iron Marines is an excellent mobile RTS.

For all the attention given to orders of battles and battlefield terrain, Peninsular War Battles remains a typical simplistic game. The recent Hold the Line shows Hexwar can do better. Thought should be given to upgrading their older games rather than just recycling them to different platforms.

Eight-Minute Empire may not be the kind of game that will absorb hours of your time. However, if you are looking for a fresh, quick-playing and easy to grasp empire building game then you really should give it a try.

Minos Strategos rewards tactical play and quick thinking and will easily entertain for whatever span of time it is played.

Cat Quest is a delightful, challenging, and ultimately wonderful action-RPG. Fans of Zelda, Dark Souls, or anything cute will find themselves happily occupied for at least a dozen hours. It’s not purrfect, but it’s close.

Darkest Dungeon visits fresh horrors upon unseasoned newcomers, but behind its grim facade is a fascinating dungeon crawler.

Although the conversion is excellent, there are some things that you simply can't capture in digital form.

If you enjoy playing well-made boardgames and solo play, Burgle Bros. is well worth your time and money. Now it all it needs is online multiplayer...

An accomplished multiplayer experience that feels a little directionless when playing alone.

Though it has its technical flaws, this is an enjoyable RPG that brings some new ideas to the table.

Miracle Merchant is a simple yet compelling solitaire game with a winning mix of finesse and fortune that will win over a wide variety of players.

Like Mr. Bond, FRAMED2 is a classy and immaculately presented spy caper. You may be shaken by its brevity, but this innovative puzzler is still stirring stuff.

A streamlined management sim experience, Motorsport Manager 2 is an enjoyable game even if you are not a fan of motorsports.

A Planet of Mine is a compellingly complex galactic empire builder for your phone, and you really ought to be playing it.

Due to the rampant increase in difficulty and sometimes feeling wholly dependent on luck, Missile Cards is a great idea that frustrates just a little too much to be a great game.