Touch controls that don't fight you

Nothing kills a good mobile game faster than controls that feel like a wrestling match. I've abandoned brilliant-looking games in the first ten minutes because my thumb covered half the action.

Good touch design means big tap targets, predictable gestures, and feedback you can feel. Neon Overdrive is a great example; both its tilt and button schemes just work, and you stop thinking about them within a lap.

The worst offenders try to copy a console layout with floating virtual sticks crammed into corners. On a phone, less is almost always more. Give me one clear gesture over a cluttered gamepad any day.

My advice when trying a new game: spend the first session just feeling out the controls before you judge anything else. If they fade into the background, you've found a keeper.