Use a Bluetooth controller (like the MOGA Pocket) or the physical keyboard if your phone has one.
Android 2.3.6 (Gingerbread) was the king of smartphones in 2011-2012. While the Google Play Store no longer supports this OS, many classic games are still available as APK files. Here are the top titles that run smoothly on 512MB of RAM and single-core CPUs. games for android 2.3.6
Despite the hardware limitations, the Gingerbread era saw the rise of more ambitious 3D titles. Gameloft and Glu Mobile pushed the boundaries with series like Use a Bluetooth controller (like the MOGA Pocket)