Ember of Vael

Ember of Vael is the rare mobile RPG that trusts you to read. Its story about a dying forest realm is slow and melancholy, and the writing never talks down to you. I ended up caring about the four party members far more than I expected to by the final act.

Combat is turn-based but reworked for touch — you drag abilities onto enemies and reposition fighters with a tap. It feels thought-out rather than ported, and the tougher fights genuinely reward planning. Grinding is kept to a minimum, which I appreciated more and more as the hours piled up.

It's not perfect. The inventory menu is fiddly and a couple of mid-game chapters drag. But the highs are high, and the ending stuck with me for days.

What we liked

• Surprisingly moving story
• Tactical combat built for touch, not ported
• Very little filler grinding