Games that won't drain your phone in twenty minutes

A game can be brilliant and still be a poor travel companion if it kills your battery. When we review, we keep half an eye on how hot a phone gets and how fast the percentage drops.

As a rule, 2D and stylized games are far kinder than heavy 3D ones. That's part of why cozy titles and simple casual games earn a lot of screen time from us, they last through a whole commute.

Frame rate settings help too. Many games let you cap the frame rate or drop the resolution, and for a lot of titles you honestly won't notice the difference while gaining real battery life.

If you're picking a game for a long trip with no charger, favor turn-based or casual games. Fast 3D racers are a blast, but save them for when you're near an outlet.