Tilt or touch? Picking the right control scheme

Every racing and platform game seems to offer tilt controls now, and the honest answer is: it depends entirely on where you're playing. Tilt can feel wonderfully natural on a couch, and completely unplayable when you're standing up.

The problem is that tilt needs a stable reference point. On a moving train your whole body is shifting, so the game reads phantom inputs and you drift into walls. On-screen buttons look less exciting but they're rock solid anywhere.

My rule of thumb: use tilt only when you're seated and still, and keep button controls as your default. Games that let you swap on the fly, like Neon Drift Alley, are doing it right.

Also, always check for a calibration option. Half the complaints about tilt come down to a phone thinking 'level' is the angle you were holding it at during a loading screen.