Best games for a five-minute break

Some of the best mobile games are the ones you can start and stop in minutes. My phone is full of huge strategy games I love, but the ones I actually open most often are the quick ones.

For pure quick fun, arcade games win. Nacho Casinacho is a good example: levels are short, there's no long tutorial to sit through, and you can put it down mid-run without losing much. That low friction is worth a lot.

Racing time trials are another good fit, since a single race lasts a minute or two. And short turn-based strategy battles work if the game saves cleanly between turns.

The common thread is respect for your time. No forced cutscenes, no punishing you for stepping away. If a game lets me play for four minutes and stop cleanly, it stays installed.