10 offline Android games to play without Wi-Fi
Key Takeaways
- Full-on console-level gaming experiences are now available on Android devices.
- Many top Android games can be played offline, breaking the Wi-Fi connection restriction.
- The ten best Android games that can be played offline offer variety and quality.
If you’ve got even a somewhat recent Android device in your pocket or on your desk, you basically have a gaming console ready to go at any time. Long gone are the days when the best you could hope for was a game of Snake or Brick Breaker on your phone. Now, full-on console-level experiences are available in the palm of your hand.
While the games have never been better, some do have the unfortunate restriction of requiring you to be connected to Wi-Fi in order to play them. I don’t know about you, but that kind of defeats the purpose of having a portable version of games, right? If you’re as fed up as I am with Android games that won’t let you play them wherever or whenever you want, join me as I list the ten best Android games you can play offline.
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1 Final Fantasy VI
JRPG perfection
All the classic Final Fantasy games are available on the Google Play store, but there’s no question about which one you should get if you could only pick one. Final Fantasy VI is still argued to this day as one of the best entries in the entire franchise, which is saying something for a game that came out on the SNES. This was the first entry to shift away from pure fantasy and start incorporating steam-punk elements into the worlds that paved the way for more classics like Final Fantasy VII.
The Pixel Remaster on Android cleans up the sprites and adds modern controls and quality-of-life features without tampering with what made the original a classic. This is a full, deep, and expansive JRPG adventure with a lovable cast of misfits you will fall in love with.
2 Dead Cells
Just one more run…
Dead Cells came out during the height of the roguelike craze, but even then stood out as being something special. All these years, and content updates, later I can say Dead Cells is easily one of the best of the genre and essential to anyone interested in this style of run-based game. Each run is satisfying in its own right, but the gradual progression hooks you in and always pulls you in to do just one more run.
This game already seemed tailor-made to be portable thanks to its detailed but pixelated art style and run-based structure, but the team absolutely nailed the port. Depending on what Android device you’re playing, you can set the framerate to 30, 60, or unlimited, toggle HD graphics, and controller support.
3 Crossy Road
Frogger forever
While some of us do enjoy the bigger, more complex and intensive games on Android, I know even more people out there just want a game that’s easy to pick up and play. Crossy Road is a simple, charming, and addictive game that feels like the next evolution of Frogger on your phone.
The premise is to simply move your little character forward as far as you can, picking up coins along the way, without getting hit by an obstacle or otherwise dying in an endless level. Those coins unlock new characters that change up the environment to give you something to aim for with each run beyond setting a high score.
4 Minecraft
Get crafty on the go
Minecraft / YouTube
There’s no mystery as to why Minecraft is the best-selling game of all time: people buy it on every device they own, including Android! Jokes aside, Minecraft on Android is just as addictive as it is on PC or console. This is the full game, too, and not some watered-down version that strips out modes or content. You can build, destroy, survive, and just about anything else you can think of in Minecraft.
I’m obviously including Minecraft here because you can play it offline, but when you are online it supports cross-platform play with all your friends and family. Creative mode is perfect for killing a couple of minutes, or you can load up a survival world for the long haul. Minecraft does it all.
5 Her Story
A true crime junkie’s dream game
I can’t say much about this game because spoiling it would ruin the entire experience. That said, if you are at all interested in detective work or mystery solving, Her Story might be the best example of making you feel like a real sleuth I’ve ever experienced. There’s no right or wrong way to play, and everyone will go through it differently to carve their own path to the truth.
The premise is you are reviewing unorganized police interview clips after a murder. Each clip is only a few seconds long, and once it ends you type in any keywords or names you heard to search for more clips containing it. You follow whatever threads you like until unraveling the whole thing in a uniquely satisfying experience.
6 Stardew Valley
Relax on the farm
If you’re playing on a phone, or just not in the mood for something fast-paced and action-heavy, what better way to chill out offline than with a farming simulator? It’s only appropriate that a game about living the simple life would be available to play without an internet connection, and it just so happens to be one of the best in the genre.
With dozens, if not hundreds, of hours of content to sink into, it would be hard not to get addicted to building your dream farm. Stardew Valley originally came out years ago but is still being supported with new content and DLC to this day. The mobile version also has extra features to make it easier to control on a smaller screen.
7 Hidden Folks
Where’s Waldo taken to the next level
Does anyone else miss Where’s Waldo? I can’t be the only one because Hidden Folks is a smash hit that takes the simple concept and brings it into the modern day. As great and detailed as those books were, we can only imagine what they would be like if they were interactive.
Hidden Folks features 32 hand-drawn stages packed full of personality just like Where’s Waldo, except they’re all fully interactive. You may need to open up a tent, trim hedges, and pester wildlife to reveal secrets and manipulate the scene to find all the objects you’re looking for. This is a coloring book come to life (only without color) and will instantly bring a smile to your face.
8 Dangenronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Don’t judge a book by its cover
I get it, the title is off-putting, but don’t let yourself miss out just because it sounds like gibberish. Dangenronpa is an anime-style mystery/visual novel game unlike anything you’ve seen or read before. It’s weird, creepy, funny, but most of all gripping. As a bonus, if you do end up liking the unique flavor of this game, there are already two sequels out to keep the madness rolling.
The setup is a group of high school students who are all the best at something (or in the case of your character, the luckiest) who wake up locked in the school. They are told by a stuffed bear that the only way anyone can leave is to kill one of the other students and not be found guilty in the subsequent trial held by the surviving students. The twists and turns only get crazier from there.
9 Mini Metro
Design the perfect system
What better game to play while being annoyed about how long the subway ride is than a game where you design the most efficient subway systems? Mini Metro lets you design, expand, and refine metro systems for various cities in simple but appealing graphics.
Mini Metro isn’t just a static puzzle game. The city will grow, adding new stops and lines to work around, so you will always need to redraw and route your trains to make sure you hit every stop and get people going where they need as efficiently as possible. It might just give you some sympathy for the people behind your public transportation system.
10 Quizoid: Offline Trivia Quiz
Train your brain
And why not finish off with something everyone can enjoy? Trivia is fun by yourself, with a group, and now offline with Quizoid. As long as you download the latest batch of questions before you head offline, you’re good to challenge yourself with over 6,000 questions anywhere, anytime.
So far the game gives you 18 different categories to choose from, including Nature, Entertainment, Famous People, History, Politics, Business, and more. You can play in classic mode where you go as long as you can before getting a question wrong, 20 questions to see how many you can get right, a 60 second arcade mode, and more. Select your difficulty from entertaining to challenging depending on your mood and company and see what new facts you can learn even without the internet!