The first five settings I change in any new mobile game

Before I play a new game for real, I open the settings. It takes two minutes and saves a lot of annoyance. Over the years it's become a little ritual, so here's the checklist.

First, haptics. I turn off vibration unless a game genuinely uses it well, because a buzzing phone in my pocket during a cutscene is not the vibe. Second, I split audio if I can, keeping effects and killing music, or the reverse depending on my mood.

Third, I hunt for a frame-rate or battery option and set it to something sensible for how long I plan to play. Fourth, I check for a one-handed or layout option, because as regular readers know, I play a lot standing on trains.

Fifth and last, I look for whether the game respects Do Not Disturb and whether I can turn off push notifications. A game that pings me constantly gets uninstalled fast. Run through these five and almost any game becomes a nicer companion.