Games that don't melt your phone

We talk a lot about fun and not enough about heat. Some games will have your phone warm and your battery halved in forty minutes, and that shapes what you actually keep installed.

In testing, puzzle and casual games are the gentle ones. Something like a reel-matcher or a pipe puzzle barely moves the battery needle because the screen isn't pushing heavy graphics. Racing and big 3D RPGs are the hungry end of the scale.

A few habits help no matter the game: drop the frame cap if there's an option, lower brightness, and close background apps before a long session. Many games hide a graphics setting that makes a real difference without hurting how they look on a small screen.

None of this means avoiding demanding games. Just know what you're installing before a long trip with no charger in sight.