If you are stuck travelling for hours, you will undoubtedly need a fun distraction. This is where mobile games really come into their own. The best games for travelling should be captivating, relaxing, and should be able to work offline for those moments when you are forced to be without the internet.
So to make these offline moments more bearable, we have compiled a list of the 10 best games for Airplane Mode. Whether you like racing, sim games, or just a bit of mindless hopping about, we have some perfect recommendations for you.
Clue
Could you deduce who the culprit is in a murder mystery before anyone else? Clue is a perfect opportunity to find out.
This classic game inspired by the board game of the same name has both single player and multiplayer options, so you could happily play against an AI while in airplane mode. Plus, when starting a single player offline game, you get to choose the number of AI opponents allowed. This can extend your play session by giving every character a turn to accuse each other of grisly murders and ramp up the drama.
Cat Snack Bar
This very relaxing restaurant management sim sees you manage some adorable cats while they build their eatery empire. The money basically makes itself in Cat Snack Bar though, as all you have to do is make sure you are upgrading the space and increasing prices. Every time you max out the upgrades for your new establishment, you can move on to bigger and better places.
The game is perfect for relaxing the mind with its chilled out music and soft, cartoonish aesthetic. There is no stress, unlike running a real cafe, and no time limits or deadlines to rush for. Plus, the chubby little kitten customers are in no real hurry and are happy to get their snacks when they arrive.
BitLife
BitLife is a text-based sim game where you make decisions for these poor unsuspecting simulated people. One wrong move and their whole life could be ruined! You could, of course, set them up for life with millions in the bank… But where is the fun in that?
It is all down to you and how you build their life, along with a smattering of luck and good genetics. Yep, that’s right, sometimes in BitLife just having rich or healthy parents can make all the difference.
Subway Surfers
Anyone on TikTok has probably seen those videos where an AI voice reads out Reddit posts while a game is played in the background. If you have, then you will probably recognize Subway Surfers.
This endless runner game is surprisingly fun with colorful and cute characters, and fun power-ups to help you surf those subways. Use a skateboard to build up speed, or a pogo stick to jump super high and grab the coins above you! There is even a magnet which allows you to attract every coin you pass. At first it will seem like an easy game but one wrong move lands you in the hands of that darned cop who is chasing you! It is so easy to get hooked on beating your last high score that you could easily spend a mesmerising hour or two sprinting and jumping through the coin-filled subways.
Angry Birds 2
Ask anyone which Angry Birds game is their favorite and they should say this one. If they don’t, then they’re wrong.
Angry Birds 2 is the elite version of the game series, and thankfully available to play even when there is not even one bar of WiFi to be found. Pick your feathered friends, level them up, and choose your power-ups wisely to beat the piggies on every level in this classic game. If you choose your flock of eight birds wisely you won’t need to worry too much about the power ups, especially in the early stages, and there are hundreds of levels to beat in the main solo mode while offline. It is also a lot of fun to replay completed levels with a different set of birds. That is plenty to keep you occupied and hit that dopamine button!
Bejeweled Classic/Blitz
Ah. Bejeweled, one of the best shape-matching mobile games to be released. It’s deceptively satisfying, and not just for moms!
Players of all ages and skills can have fun swiping the jewels to create special power-ups and feel that rewarding pleasure of beating each level as they get tougher and more complicated. You may skip joyfully through the first few levels but eventually it will take a little more strategy to create special gems and take out huge areas of the board. The varied modes give a great choice in what sort of game you can play including a chill out endless mode perfect for long journeys. If you fancy something with a bit more spice than the fast-paced Lightning Round will keep you frantically swiping gems until the time runs out!
Poker World
If you are up for something a bit more grown up, Poker World is for you.
Designed specifically for offline play, you are pitted against AI opponents who are not scared to raise the stakes and take your money if you make a bad bet. Every player starts on low stakes games so it is easy to see how each game works, and there is no pressure to move up to higher stakes unless you are ready. Hand ranking is set out and easy to understand, with your own hand explained to you each time. As soon as you are ready you can push for those high stakes, high skill tables like a pro!
This could also be excellent practice if you are on your way to Las Vegas!
Asphalt 8: Airborne
The Asphalt racing games are some of the best mobile racing games out there right now.
Free to play, full of sleek and iconic cars to unlock, and multiple driving modes to choose from depending on your mood and skill level. As you progress in your career you get to unlock and upgrade your vehicles, and customize them with stunning decals so you really shine on the track. Each race is exhilarating as your car smoothly zips past an opponent, up a ramp and spins through the air before landing at top speed. With over 50 tracks and hundreds of events and challenges, there is no end to entertainment with Asphalt 8: Airborne.
The graphics are insane for a mobile racing game and the soundtrack is pretty intense, so don’t pick this one up in those moments you need to chill.
Soul Knight
Dungeons, a cute cat, pixel graphics — what’s not to love?
Soul Knight is a seemingly endless adventure of finding and upgrading weaponry, fighting off evil creatures, and beating boss levels with the help of your fierce pet. Whatever your play style, Soul Knight has an adorable and brave hero to choose from: rogues, archers, magicians, the choice is yours. The fact you can play this as an offline game is a real bonus because you can pick it up any time and play to your heart’s content. You aren’t plagued with ads or micro-transactions, and the gameplay stays fresh. The auto-aim aspect keeps your thumbs free to switch easily between weapons and to use your special skill. Plus the creatures and bosses you have to fight give as good as they get so Soul Knight really keeps your attention!
With many combinations of heroes, skills, and tough bosses to beat, this is one shooter you will not be able to put down!
Fallout Shelter
In Fallout Shelter, you must rebuild a community in the titular underground refuge. You’ll welcome in any new dwellers, give them jobs, train them up, and provide them with food, water, power, and weaponry. The shelter could be attacked by raiders or nasty irradiated creatures at any moment, and the wasteland is calling the bravest dweller to explore it.
Level up enough, and you even gain the chance to go out on missions and follow an exciting storyline. As you progress through the quests you will soon realize each one has a story and it is up to you and your team of explorers to discover what is going on. Who kidnapped Preston Garvey? Who are the Horsemen of the Apocalypse? And can you rescue the Institute Synths before it’s too late?
Fallout Shelter is so much more than just a shelter simulator, and can keep anyone’s attention for hours on end with infestations, explorations, and even making babies to help populate the world!
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