This mobile games thing is for real -- if anyone anywhere needs one more shred of proof, it’s Bungie Aerospace, a new mobile development arm of Bungie, makers of seminal games like Marathon, Halo, and Myth. Crimson: Steam Pirates is their first title, combining steampunk aesthetics, pirates, and pitch-perfect combat on the iPad.

You play as fledgling commander Captain Thomas Blood as he begins his piracy career around the Caribbean, making and breaking alliances, commandeering English zeppelins, and demanding fancy dresses from conquered forts.

Crimson: Steam Pirates is one of the most beautifully designed iPad games to date, with terrific graphics, great sound effects, and soaring music. It pulls you in and never lets go, even if you're completely new to turn-based strategy games.

Move the ships in your fleet to the best possible positions to flank your targets.

While deep, the game is simple to learn, gradually adding new techniques, maneuvers, and abilities your ship(s) can use for each mission. Two pass-n-play multiplayer modes, VIP Defense and Shipwreck, but whether you’re battling friends or the AI, the overall mechanic works -- you're in the middle of a naval battle and have to act and respond accordingly. Even if you want to charge in and take down a small opposing armada, you'll do better to keep a safe distance, boost your firing speed or range, and know when to run and heal your ship or its crew.

Two multiplayer "Pass and Play" modes (VIP Defense and Shipwreck) keep things interesting with friends around, the game's stability never wavered under iOS 4.3.5, but the game's true strength is that its overall mechanic works; you're in the middle of a naval battle and have to act/respond accordingly. Even if there's part of you that wants to charge in and take down a small opposing armada, you'll still have to keep a safe distance, boost your firing speed or firing range when appropriate, know when to run and heal your ship or its crew whenever they need it.

It never hurts to have a zeppelin on your side.

Crimson: Steam Pirates follows the “freemium” model; the first chapter of eight levels is free, including the two multiplayer modes. A second chapter with eight more levels is $1.99, with more chapters on the way. 

The bottom line. This is a no-brainer: The game is clever, well crafted, incredibly fun, and worth trying out, especially for “no booty down.”