Can strategy games really work on a phone?

Strategy is the genre I most want to love on mobile and most often end up frustrated by. The problem is obvious: dense information and precise inputs do not get along with a five-inch screen and a fat thumb.

The games that succeed tend to simplify the input, not the thinking. Fewer units, cleaner icons, generous tap targets. The strategy stays deep while the interface gets out of the way.

I have also come to accept that some strategy games are just better on a tablet, and that is fine. A phone-first design and a tablet-friendly design are different crafts, and pretending otherwise does readers a disservice.

So when I review this genre, I always note the screen size I played on. It matters more here than almost anywhere else.