What separates good touch controls from bad ones

Nothing kills a promising game faster than controls that fight your thumbs. I've played gorgeous titles I couldn't stand to touch because the developer forgot phones don't have a D-pad.

The best mobile controls hide themselves. In Nitro Drift Alley the tap steering vanished from my attention within two races, which is exactly the point. You should be thinking about the corner, not about where your finger is.

A few things reliably help: generous hit zones, controls that stay where your hands rest, and an option to swap tilt for tap. Games that offer both input styles almost always feel better, because no two players hold a phone the same way.

When you're trying a new game, pay attention to the first five minutes of just moving around. If it already feels awkward there, it rarely gets better later.