I used to play a football manager play by mail game. And proper mail, too. None of this electronic mail silliness. I remember some chap from Buckinghamshire phoning me up to ask if I'd consider selling my star centre back. I said no. My mum wasn't best pleased. At the phone call, I mean. Not that I wouldn't budge on the sale.

Soon, you'll be able to play Warhammer 40K Deathwatch, the turn-based strategy game based on the Games Workshop tabletop, against other players via a play by mail mode. But don't expect phone calls from angry Space Marines. And you won't have to pop down to the Post Office (they still exist, right?) to send the developer your loadouts. It's all online. It's all safe.

In a couple of weeks Deathwatch will get a free multiplayer expansion that lets up to four players put their squads of Space Marines against each other. Synchronous battles are supported, so you can watch what your opponents are doing in real time.

The play by mail mode is asynchronous, so you can jump in for a minute, take your turn, then send it off to the enemy.

Perhaps you could ring up your opponent, just to scream "For the Emperor!" down the phone. Perhaps.

Developer Rodeo released Deathwatch in July on the App Store. Gameplay is similar to its previous game, Warhammer Quest, but Deathwatch is full 3D, so you can spin, pan and rotate the camera. It's currently on sale at half price for £2.29.