Touch controls that don't fight you

A great game can be ruined by a thumb that keeps covering the enemy. I notice controls more than almost anything else when I review, because they're the one thing you touch every single second.

The games we rate highest tend to share habits: important buttons live under your thumbs, menus are shallow, and there's a planning or pause option when the action spikes. Ironline Command's slow-motion mode is a perfect example of respecting the fact that you're on a phone.

Tilt steering is a gamble. Neon Drift Rally gets away with it because the tracks are forgiving and short. In a slower game it would just be annoying.

If a tutorial makes you reach across the screen with two hands to do something basic, that's a red flag. Good mobile design assumes you might be standing on a bus.