Journal
Notes from the desk
The ranking says which games we would hand over. The journal is where we work out why — pacing, touch controls, what a game costs in battery and data, and the compromises a small screen forces on a big idea.
| Date | Title | Reading time |
|---|---|---|
|
Arcade games that respect your time
Why a run that ends cleanly when your stop arrives is worth more than a run that only makes sense at home. |
6 min | |
|
Platformers without buttons
Timing windows, thumb travel and the difference between a game that is hard and a game that is hard to hold. |
5 min | |
|
Strategy games that fit a phone
What has to be cut when a map designed for a desk has to work in one hand, and what should never be cut. |
7 min | |
|
Battery and data: a player's guide
The quiet running costs of a phone game, and the settings that usually make the largest difference. |
5 min |
Suggestions
Something we should be writing about?
We publish when there is something worth saying rather than on a schedule, so the queue is always a bit unruly. If you have a subject — or a game you think our current ranking has misplaced — send it to the desk and it goes into the pile for the next cycle.