Many mobile games require online access to live servers, making it almost too cumbersome to enjoy a game while on the go.
Sometimes you’re stuck without a network connection for a good long while, putting an end to your fun.
While Google doesn’t always explicitly inform you about the offline support of various apps, we’ve done the necessary testing to identify the best ones that offer it.
Whether you enjoy iconic RPGs like Final Fantasy or thrilling racing titles like GRID Autosport, you’ll find something that can get you through a 10-hour flight without interruption.
Just remember, if you’re in it for the long haul, you might want to bring along a comfortable gaming controller to enjoy these snappy offline titles to the max.
While these games are fully playable offline, many high-quality titles require a significant initial download (often several gigabytes) that must be done over Wi-Fi.
Ensure you have a stable internet connection and sufficient storage before embarking on your offline gaming adventure.
1
Final Fantasy VI
The sixth entry in the Final Fantasy series is often regarded as one of the best JRPGs ever made.
While Square Enix may not have the best reputation when it comes to its Android releases, thanks to years of allowing many games to languish without updates, the new releases for the original six games are actually quality ports.
Final Fantasy VI on Android is a stellar example of this.
- Genre: RPG
- Price: $14.99
- In-app purchases: N/A
- Download size: 774 MB
While missing controller support for this classic title is a significant disappointment, the touch controls work well, and the turn-based RPG gameplay remains as great as you remember, with refined sprite work that enhances the graphics, which look great in HD.
If you’re a fan of the Final Fantasy series, especially if you’re a fan of the original, do yourself a favor and snag the new remaster from the Play Store. The adventure is well worth it.
2
Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is a farming and life simulator, a niche genre with a dedicated fanbase.
If you remember having fun with titles like Harvest Moon, this has similar (but more wide-ranging) gameplay. No spoilers.
You can easily spend hundreds of hours playing, with lots of replayability.
- Genre: Farming, Simulator
- Price: $4.99
- In-app purchases: N/A
- Download size: 248 MB
Sure, things start simple enough by planting a few crops and maybe raising a chicken or two. That’s great if you prefer to play at a casual pace.
Then again, if you’re looking for a game with some depth, not to mention an endless campaign, Stardew Valley is easily a top choice in today’s roundup, especially since the game supports gamepads.
This is a fun game to play with touch controls on a phone, and you can really dig in on tablets and Chromebooks while out and about, thanks to the included controller support and no requirement for an internet connection.
3
Pocket City 2
One of the best city builders on Android has a sequel, and it turns things up a notch by moving to 3D, to the point that you can literally walk around your built city with a 3D avatar, all from the comfort of your phone.
Unlike other city-building games on Android, Pocket City 2 is a premium release that is absent of in-app purchases or advertisements, which is also why you’re able to play offline as much as you’d like.
There’s no need for the game to connect to a server after it is installed.
- Genre: City-builder, Simulator
- Price: $4.99
- In-app purchases: N/A
- Download size: 111 MB
Reviews are glowing for a reason. This is the best 3D city-building game on Android. So, if you’d like to see it in action, check out our gameplay video above.
4
Dead Cells
Dead Cells is one of the best roguelike platformers available on the Play Store. The Android port is fantastic.
You can select from 30FPS, 60FPS, and unlimited FPS in the game’s settings, and there’s also an HD graphics option for everyone with a beefy device.
We spent a lot of time playing this roguelike on Android and can confidently say the game runs like butter at max settings on high-end hardware.
While this title demands precision controls, it’s fully playable with the touchscreen as well as a physical controller.
- Genre: Rougelike, Platformer
- Price: $8.99
- In-app purchases: $0.49 – $7.99 per item
- Download size: 1.33 GB
Dead Cells is the cream of the crop when it comes to platformers. If you’ve yet to play, don’t miss out because this is a game you can play anywhere.
Dead Cells is a demanding game. Ensure you have more than 2 GB of available RAM for a smooth experience.
5
Grand Mountain Adventure
Winter sports games were highly popular in the PS1/PS2 days. The genre has fallen by the wayside, with only Ubisoft carrying the AAA mantle.
Since then, Toppluva AB has created one of the best winter sports games in recent memory.
Even though it’s a mobile game, it is jam-packed with content that can all be played offline.
- Genre: Sports
- Price: Free
- In-app purchases: $1.99 – $7.99 per item
- Download size: 526 MB
In Grand Mountain Adventure, there are seven open-world mountains to explore, adding up to more than 100 challenges across these maps.
You can ski or snowboard, and controller support is included. There’s even a free-play zen mode for those who want to hit the slopes.
All around, it’s a great game that shouldn’t be missed, especially if you’re a huge Coolboarders/SSX fan.
6
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Konami’s classic Metroidvania title Castlevania: Symphony of the Night was released on the Play Store to everyone’s surprise in 2020, and it’s available for $2.99, which is a bargain.
If you haven’t played SotN, it’s a beautiful 2D platformer that offers non-linear gameplay, which encourages exploration.
- Genre: Platformer, Metroidvania
- Price: $2.99
- In-app purchases: N/A
- Download size: 238 MB
The primary campaign should take about eight or nine hours to finish, so it will take more than one sitting to work your way through this release.
Since you can play offline, you won’t have to worry about an internet connection after the game is installed.
7
GRID Autosport
GRID Autosport is a console-quality racer that landed on Android in 2019. The full game can be had for $10, and there are no IAPs or ads, which makes this a premium release.
If you’ve yet to play this racer, it mixes many racing styles, from dirt tracks to city streets, and there are numerous cars to race.
In comparison, most racers on Android are free-to-play, so they contain many questionable monetization systems and a requirement for a constant internet connection.
- Genre: Racing
- Price: $8.99
- In-app purchases: N/A
- Download size: 3.26 GB
If you’ve been searching for a premium mobile racer that won’t break the bank, can be played offline anytime you want, and offers controller support out of the box, GRID Autosport is the best racer available on the Play Store that fits these requirements.
You’ll want to conserve at least 4GB of free space for GRID Autosport. We recommend at least 4GB of RAM for optimal performance. You can also check device compatibility from the developer’s page.
8
Grimvalor
Grimvalor is an awesome hack-and-slash platformer with excellent graphics and a premium price point that can be unlocked through a single $7 in-app purchase.
The game supports physical controllers, and you can test the gameplay without spending a dime since the first act is available for free.
- Genre: Platformer, Action
- Price: Free
- In-app purchases: $6.99 per item
- Download size: 580 MB
Reviews have remained positive following the game’s original release on the Apple App Store in 2018, and the Android port looks and plays as well as it does on iOS.
Controllers are supported out of the box, and an internet connection isn’t required after you’ve installed the app.
Grimvalor plays well on tablets and phones alike. It’s basically a perfect portable hack-and-slash game.
9
LIMBO
Indie developers flocked to creating puzzle platformers after games like Braid took off.
The spark of inspiration led to many other great puzzle platformers, including Limbo, a game that started as an Xbox exclusive.
In the following years, this stylish black-and-white platformer made its way to about every platform, including mobile, and the Android port is excellent.
- Genre: Adventure
- Price: $3.99
- In-app purchases: N/A
- Download size: 96.03 MB
You can play offline and plug in a controller.
Though this is an odd game with a slight horror theme, that’s part of the appeal—the off-the-wall nature of the story. And, get this: There’s no text and no voicework. The entire game tells its story through gameplay.
If you’ve yet to play Limbo, or it’s been a while, this one is worth a playthrough or multiple. It’s an experience and then some.
10
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Anniversary Edition
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Anniversary Edition is an absolute mouthful, but the game is fantastic, and it’s pretty gruesome to boot if you’re into that kind of thing.
Sure, it’s a niche visual novel that contains familiar tropes, such as students stuck in a school tasked with avoiding a murderer. Still, the story is worth the asking price, with twists and turns all over the place.
- Genre: Mystery, Adventure, Visual Novel
- Price: $15.99
- In-app purchases: N/A
- Download size: 2.96 GB
This is an engrossing game. Best of all, since it’s an anniversary edition, it offers all-new graphics and touchscreen support, not to mention a few gallery extras for hardcore fans and offline play.
You can also find the sequel on the Play Store if you want to continue your adventure after finishing Trigger Happy Havoc Anniversary Edition.
