The quiet comeback of the arcade racer

Realistic racing sims never really fit phones — too many inputs, too much precision. Arcade racers, though, were born for a touchscreen, and they're having a nice little revival.

Neon Drift Circuit is the sort of thing I mean. Tilt or tap, hold to drift, chain the boost, chase the lap time. There's nothing to learn and everything to master, which is the ideal arcade balance.

What makes these games sing on mobile is the short session. A lap takes under a minute, so you can squeeze in a run anywhere. That bite-sized loop is exactly what the format wants.

They're not deep, and they don't pretend to be. But for a burst of speed between other things, a good arcade racer is one of the best uses of five idle minutes you'll find.