Aaand I‘ve hit 24 hours on the wall of shame for Steamworld Heist, completed on experienced and now replaying as veteran. Excellent recommendation. 
Cultist Simulator as yet untouched. 
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Ok, so basically I just created an account literally right now (hi everyone btw, long time reader of stately…), triggered specifically because I needed to say just one thing here:
How has nobody recommended Faster Than Light yet!? If you have an iPad, then FTL is THE game to play. It is deeper than all of the games mentioned so far combined.
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Welcome, and I wholly agree. 
However, it wasn’t on my list because that’s another game I’ve thoroughly mainlined.
humblebrag ftw
Edited to add: were I to be stranded on a desert island with only a solar-powered iPad for entertainment, FTL, Invisible Inc and XCOM:EW would be my essential-for-survival games. It’s a tough sell for a game to join that crowd 
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Wow, well done then. But have you completed FTL with all ships on hard? Not saying I have but ummm, seems you’re not done with it! Not to mention, is that an achievement I see still locked!? 
Another one I’ve thought of: because you bounced off Civ Vi, doesn’t mean you won’t ever get in to it, it’s a fantastic game, so maybe give it a re-try some other day. Try and watch some starting guides by Quill18 on YouTube.
Nonetheless, have you checked out Through The Ages? It’s a board game, but it distils Civilization down to the very best of its essence. Games are played in about 1/6th the time, and much easier to track and the app is very well implemented. It’s initially a little obscure to get the happiness/population and production/corruption thing but once you do, and get familiar with it, the Civ world in card form opens up. Check it out. There’s also plenty of other board games you could consider, many with loads or if not endless replay ability. Race for the Galaxy is one. Tight game, great theme, games take only 15-20 minutes and are super tight and thought provoking.
Also, how bout desktop dungeons? Dream Quest? Card Quest?
And I also support the calls for darkest dungeon, Templar Battleforce, and cultist simulator.
Btw great selection for that deserted island. Because of those, my Dream is to someday get left on a deserted island lol.
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Presumably you have played Final Fantasy Tactics, right?
Fortunately I’m not a completist, or moving on from FTL would be the problem. 
Civ VI oddly doesn’t hit the sweet spot for my iPad gaming, I think because it has too many moving parts, paradoxically. As I did lose entire nights to the original Civ, this does disappoint. Various flavours of board game are fine, but don‘t provide the Invisible Inc replacement solo thinky tactics game I’m looking for. Dream Quest makes my eyes bleed, and I bounced off Darkest Dungeon (planning to revisit it though).
I’ve not played Final Fantasy anything, on any system, ever.
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Honestly, the series has ups and downs. Still, amazed to see someone never try any of them. Good news is that FFT requires no prior knowledge of the series. And it is one of the deepest strategic RPGs in existence. Tons of customization for your units, battles that will challenge you, a difficulty curve that, especially for newbies, will most certainly not hold your hand. It’s fun, the story is amazing, the music is enjoyable, it’s the total package. Will last you dozens of hours.
For what it is worth, this is literally my favorite video game ever. I have beat it over twenty times with at least half a dozen gameplay variations (monsters only, Monk SCC, no unique characters, randomized classes, ONLY unique characters, and so on)
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How about an all-mime run?
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Bleh. I almost never get mimes. I don’t like the classes that require a ton of grinding to unlock.
Neither have I. Not a single minute.
Why? Are y’all trying to prove something, or are you just not a fan of delicious flavor?
Final Fantasy is very good.
On the tactics side, I actually enjoyed the FF tactics advance 1/2 on SP more that war of the lion versions. But I played them (and ogre battle) first
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Too many people give FFTA and FFTA2 crap for its visuals. However it has improved gameplay over the Original FFT that it feels downright clunky in comparison.
However the lighthearted not-so-deep-story and cutesy races gets all the edgy edgelords on edge edging about on the forums, its plain silly.
I am all for dark, mature deep political and philosophical settings in games but not all above else.
WHAT?!?
(I figured that was the reaction my avatar demanded. As you were.)
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They were good, but not better than WotL for me. I didn’t like the Judges and I would have preferred not to have different classes locked to different races, but that’s just a personal preference.
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It was so long ago I remember very little of it.
Wish I had more time to play stuff!
Actually playing through Age of Wonders 3 at the moment since it was free! (Steam)
This. I admit the poor plot to FFTA was also a turnoff; it’s like if the next Song of Ice and Fire title to be published was a children’s picture book. Written by an actual child. But it also has inferior gameplay thanks to unnecessary gating at every turn and a lack of high stakes. I can’t honestly think of a single area where it was superior to WotL.
Well, it has Viera…