The Tribez is an empire building game for mobile devices. It's a popular genre that dominates the app market, but The Tribes does a pretty admirable job setting itself apart from the pack with its own narrative and aesthetic directions and a host of features to complement them. The developers have taken great pains to make sure that the village you grow has real personality, helping bridge the sometimes impersonal gap between fundamental gameplay and investment. The villagers are broadly drawn but expressive reflections of primitive humanity, and it's a delight to see them just going about their personal days and tasks.

There are countless options for how you choose to develop your village. A vast grid defines your living space, and you can develop your village to the farthest boundaries, choosing from dozens of buildings each with their own strengths and disadvantages. Creating a well balanced village that serves all the needs of your citizens is important to your continued growth, but it's also a critical component in how you progress the story. Hundreds of quests are available to the enterprising character, each with their own micro-narratives and unique rewards, and the inclusion of seasonal events means there's always something new to do.