The Best Games To Play One-Handed

A huge chunk of mobile gaming happens standing up, holding onto a rail, with one thumb free. A game that ignores this is a game I stop playing on Monday morning.

Big Bass Drop passes the test easily; everything is a tap or a short swipe, so it's perfect for a crowded tram. Neon Drift City works too if your device supports one-handed tilt, though I prefer a seat for that one.

The trick is looking at where the important buttons live. If a game clusters its controls in the bottom corners, it was probably designed with thumbs in mind. If you're constantly reaching across the screen, it wasn't.

My commute rotation right now is a rhythm game, a cozy sim, and a puzzle adventure, all playable without a second hand. It's a surprisingly demanding category, and the games that nail it earn a lot of loyalty.