One-thumb controls that don't feel like a compromise

Touchscreens are wonderful and terrible. No buttons, no tactile feedback, and half your view covered by fingers. The developers who win are the ones who stop fighting that and design for it.

Neon Drift Riders is a great example. It never asks for precise steering; it asks for timing. You commit to a drift and manage it, which suits a thumb far better than fine adjustments. The game meets the input halfway.

Big Bass Boat does something similar with its drag-and-release casting. There's no awkward virtual stick, just a gesture that feels natural. The whole game can be played with one hand while you hold a coffee.

The lesson for developers is old but ignored constantly: don't port a console control scheme onto glass. Invent one that lives on glass. The indies figure this out far more often than the big studios.