Touch controls that don't ruin the game

Nothing kills a promising mobile game faster than bad controls. You can have the best story in the world, but if I keep missing taps I'm gone.

The best games design around the touchscreen instead of pretending it's a gamepad. Hollow Lanterns works because point-and-click was made for tapping. Neon Drift Rally works because tilt steering fits a racer where precision matters less than fun.

The worst offenders cram tiny virtual buttons into corners and hope for the best. Your thumb covers a third of the screen; designers forget this constantly.

A quick test when you try a new game: can you play it one-handed on a bus? If the answer is a frustrated no, the game fought its own platform and lost.