RPGs that respect the fact you have a life

RPGs and mobile phones seem like an odd pairing at first. These are games built around long arcs and grinding, and phones are for the two minutes you have between things.

The good ones solve this with pacing. Turn-based combat you can pause, save points everywhere, and quest chunks that fit into ten-minute windows. Nothing punishes you for putting the phone down mid-fight.

Auto-battle gets a bad reputation, but on mobile it's a gift for the repetitive stretches. The trick is a game that lets you toggle it on and off so you keep control of the moments that matter.

If you've avoided mobile RPGs because you thought they'd demand hours you don't have, the genre has quietly evolved. Look for the words 'turn-based' and 'save anywhere' and you'll be fine.