I am not a gamer, not in the traditional sense at least. I prefer casual games that I can play in short bursts without any investment. But every now and then, I get addicted to an arcade or racing game and I can’t let my phone/tablet down. My biggest problem? Controls on touchscreens are impossible to master. But, a few months ago, I saw the Invisible Gamepad on Kickstarter and it immediately won me over. Here’s my review.

What’s an Invisible Gamepad?

I’m glad you asked. It’s a transparent film, almost — well, exactly — the kind that is used by most clear screen protectors. The film is cut in the shape of various gamepad controllers, including d-Pads, 4-buttons, 1-buttons, a-Pads. The idea is that you attach these on top of your screen, where the game’s controls are, and thus have tactile feedback when you’re playing. By providing a physical anchor for your fingers, you should improve your gaming accuracy several folds.

What’s in the box?

The Invisible Gamepad ships in a small envelope with instructions, one square film of 63 laser-cut gamepads of different shapes and sizes, and a cleaning cloth. That’s all there is to it.

A simple envelop, black cloth and the Invisible Gamepad cut film on top of it.

Does it live up to its promise?

A resounding yes. I received mine a couple of days ago and immediately launched Contra: Evolution on my Nexus 7, paused the game, cleaned the screen and attached a d-Pad and a button on top of the game’s controls. I used to play Contra when I was a kid with my cousins and the most I ever advanced to was the beginning of stage 3, but when I tried it on my Nexus 7 a few months ago, I screamed at my screen and couldn’t finish the first stage — that’s how little control and accuracy I had.

The first try with the Invisible Gamepad was a little awkward, the second was better, and then I was flying. Two days later, I had reached stage 5, I got killed a lot less often, I unlocked several other modes, improved all my scores, and I am actually enjoying playing the game. I no longer think if I’m touching the right part of the screen to jump, I just press where my finger can feel the gamepad’s film.

Do you leave it on all the time?

The Invisible Gamepad’s film is thin, very clear and almost unobtrusive. I personally leave it on, that way I can pick up my Nexus 7 and play whenever I want. It also doesn’t interfere with my regular use of the touchscreen in other apps, although my finger bumps against it sometimes while scrolling. I can afford this little inconvenience because I don’t use my Nexus 7 all day long.

Look closely and you can see the edges of the d-Pad placed on top of the game controllers.

If, however, I were to use the Invisible Gamepad on my phone, which I constantly work on, then I’d have to remove and replace the pads. They are designed for that, they can be removed, cleaned with a couple of water drops, and reused.

Do you recommend it?

For the convenience, the discreet design, and the price — $12 on Amazon — these are just unbeatable. I’d recommend them in a heart-beat to any casual — or even hardcore — gamer. I know there are advanced and well-received gaming controllers out there like the Moga Power A series, but they are more expensive, bulkier, need to be supported by the game you’re playing, and you’d need to charge them, carry them, and so on.

The Invisible Gamepad is by comparison a low-key solution that doesn’t require coding compatibility to work with any game, it’s always with you, and it works very well indeed.