Check the settings before you play, not after

I have a habit now: before I start any new game, I open the settings menu. It takes two minutes and it has saved me from countless frustrations, from ear-splitting default volume to controls in the wrong place.

First stop is graphics. Cap the frame rate, drop reflections and particles if the phone is older, and you've already fixed most heat and battery problems. Next is controls, where the layout and sensitivity options live. Then notifications, because I do not need a game buzzing me every hour.

A lot of the complaints I see about mobile games come down to defaults nobody changed. The developer had to pick something out of the box, and it rarely suits every phone or every player.

Make the settings check part of your routine. You'll enjoy more games and delete fewer of them out of avoidable annoyance.