Beautiful arcades and the battery bill they charge

Ember Drift and Glasswing are two of the loveliest games on my phone, and they both drain the battery like they've got a grudge. It's a trade-off nobody talks about enough.

The glow effects in Ember Drift mean the screen is constantly pushing bright light against black, which on an OLED panel actually helps, but the particle work still runs the processor hard. Twenty minutes and you'll feel the warmth in your hand.

This matters more than reviewers admit. A game that's beautiful for ten minutes but leaves you at thirty percent battery isn't a great everyday game, however stunning it looks in screenshots.

My habit now is checking a game's drain during the first session. If it's brutal, I file it as a "charger nearby" game rather than a commute game. Both slots exist on my phone.

Pretty is worth something. But so is making it home with your phone still on.