Pleinair Online

Pleinair Online surprised me. On the surface it looks like a cosy city builder, but underneath there's a genuine defensive layer that keeps you thinking. You lay out streets and easels for your community of open-air artists, and every so often clumsy crowds and mischief-makers roll through, so you have to position guards, barriers and clever chokepoints to keep the plazas calm.

Controls are tap-and-drag, which sounds simple until you realise how much depends on where you place things. I liked that the game never rushes you between events. You can spend twenty minutes just arranging a square, then flip into a short defensive round when the timer ticks over. Combat is more about foresight than reflexes, which suits a phone perfectly.

The online part is light and friendly. You can visit other players' districts and borrow layout ideas, and there's a slow trickle of shared events. Two weeks in, I still open it every evening, mostly because it feels calm without being empty.

What we liked

• Blend of building and defence that never feels forced
• Touch controls that respect a small screen
• Great to play in short bursts