Seven kinds of games built for one-handed play

A game can be brilliant and still be a nightmare to play standing on a packed train. One-handed design is an underrated skill, and the games that get it right earn a permanent spot on my home screen.

Fishing and idle-style sims tend to work best — Big Bass Boat, for instance, only needs taps and a bit of timing, so you can play it while holding a rail. Racing games can work too if they lean on tilt or one-thumb steering.

The trap is games with tiny buttons crammed into corners. If I have to stretch my thumb across the whole screen, I'm not playing it on the go. Adventure games with big tap targets usually pass the test.

My rule of thumb: if you can play it with your phone resting against your chest and only your thumb moving, it's a keeper for the commute.