Can a Phone RPG Actually Feel Deep?

For years I assumed phone RPGs were either shallow or buried under so many menus that the story drowned. Ember Reckoning changed my mind on both counts.

The writing carries it. The party members actually grow, the villain has a reason to exist beyond being evil, and a few story beats genuinely caught me off guard on the train.

Combat is turn-based and asks you to think, but it never overstays its welcome. The option to auto-resolve easy fights is a small mercy that respects the fact you're playing on a phone, not a console.

It's not perfect. The opening hours drag and the loot system is forgettable. But it proves a deep RPG can work on a small screen if the writing and pacing are right.