If you’re a frequent traveler or just want to relax after a busy day at school or work, games that don’t need WiFi have come a long way and can help you disconnect from the internet. But there are plenty of them on iOS. So, which one?
Well, it depends on the type of game genre you like to play. You can choose from action, adventure, racing, fun, world exploration, puzzles, and brain teasers. To curate this list, I tried as many as 18 popular offline games available for iPhone.
After four weeks of continuous testing, I’ve finalized my top 10 picks. So, let’s jump right into their detailed reviews!
1. Best of All: No WiFi Games – Offline Games
This app gives you 15 different sub-games that you can play inside the single app. They are of different categories, from racing to word puzzles and from color-matching to connect-the-dots games.
There are games for each interest and age group here. All of them are 100% offline, and you can play them on your iPhone as well as iPad.
Key Features
- The games can be paused and resumed at any point in time.
- Word games help improve your vocabulary.
- The UI is extremely user-friendly, and it is easy to navigate through the app.
- The leaderboard in the app keeps you motivated to perform better each time.
- Lastly, the app keeps getting regular updates, bringing new features.
Here are my detailed thoughts on various aspects and all the things that you might wanna know before installing it.
Game Selection
As mentioned earlier, there are 15 different games inside this app. All of them are from different genres, and you get a mixed bag of fun games that keep you entertained throughout the day.
There are puzzle-based games, racing games, and many more. They also help develop your analytical thinking.
User Interface
I love the UI of this games app. It is a very smooth experience, and I can switch from game to game with great ease. There are no lags or slowdowns here. I found this to be an app that people of all ages can enjoy.
Gameplay Experience
The diversity of the games has kept me entertained throughout my testing time on this app. I loved the puzzle and word-based games here as they not only challenged me but also kept me informed.
My phone has experienced no heating issues or slowdowns while playing these games.
There are two key highlights of this app. Firstly, the ability to save and resume at any point in time. This is a feature that I strongly appreciate. Secondly, the fact that there’s a leaderboard which keeps me challenged throughout.
In-App Purchase
This game is completely free of cost to play. However, some in-app purchases allow you to go ad-free, which you might want to check out. I found purchasing them worth my money. Also, it’s quite cheap at just $7 for a yearly subscription.
Conclusion
To conclude, I found the OGQ: No WiFi Games pretty handy when it comes to traveling on flights and even in situations where I had limited connectivity. The games are simple yet funny and can be enjoyed by anyone who wants to kill some time. This is my favorite offline iOS game by far.
2. Best Creative: Brain It On!
This is the perfect mobile game when it comes to brain teasers and puzzles that require you to tickle your analytical thinking skills. Developed by an indie developer, this game focuses on drawing shapes to solve puzzles.
It not only keeps you engaged but also gets you to put your thinking cap on. The app is completely offline and you do not require the internet to play it.
The UI of Brain It On! is easy and intuitive. One glance at the game and you know what to do. There are different ways in which you can interact with the game. This really fuels your creativity.
The game is simple and fun for people of all age groups. The game isn’t all easy either, you get levels of varying difficulty which keep you invested. The game is also available in 25+ languages.
My favorite thing about this game is that there is no fixed way of solving puzzles here. You can use your own innovations to play the game your way.
Conclusion
I found myself playing this game even when I had internet access. It is engaging and fun, and the difficulty levels keep varying, which keeps me engaged. I love how challenging it can get from time to time.
3. Best Minimalist: Infinity Loop-Relaxing Puzzle
This is definitely one of the most visually appealing and minimalist games you can play without WiFi. There is a never-ending set of puzzles here that you can keep playing. Infinity Loop also helps you improve your concentration.
This game gets full marks from me when it comes to the UI. It is minimalist. There are single-color backgrounds and color-blocked patterns on the front where you play the game.
You just have to connect the loops to complete the puzzle. That’s the only objective, but it isn’t as easy as it sounds. It keeps you engaged and helps you sharpen your analytical side of the brain.
Furthermore, the game takes its name too seriously. This is indeed an infinite loop because the number of puzzles you get here is also infinite. You can keep playing it for years and still get new levels.
Conclusion
Lastly, I’d like to point out that this game is completely free of cost. You can pay a nominal amount to get rid of the ads and unlock the dark mode. But for most people, the free version should be enough.
4. Best Experience: Minecraft
Minecraft barely needs any introduction. It is one of the most popular online multiplayer games in the world. However, not many people know that it can be played offline as well.
But wait, there’s just one catch: realms and multiplayer modes won’t be available without an internet connection. That said, build a world without any distractions and play it in survival mode. Be as creative as you can!
Minecraft’s UI might take a while to get used to because of the strikingly different visual appeal. However, once you’re involved in the game, you’ll find it extremely easy to navigate through.
The games can be played in the Survival Mode or the Creative Mode. There are no lags and no heat-ups, even when you play them for a really long time.
The key highlight here is the ability to build your own world. Create as many structures as you want and gather the resources to run your own fiefdom! Each game can be vastly different from the previous.
Conclusion
Minecraft is addictive. People often spend hours playing it online. However, what many don’t realize is the offline potential of this game. Personally, I often end up playing Minecraft on flights for several hours.
5. Best Fun Game: BADLAND
There’s been a lot of buzz around Badland of late, and for all the right reasons too! This is one of the most fun and unique games in the action-adventure genre. It is a highly-awarded game loved by over 100 million players.
However, while Badland is primarily known for its co-op mode and the versus mode, its single-player mode can actually be played offline. This offline mode has over 100 levels and promises to be a fun ride.
Badlands has a very unique visual style. It is a side-scrolling game, but unlike your typical side-scrollers, it offers an immersive environment. Navigating through the game is simple, and there aren’t many distractions as well.
The offline gameplay is as intriguing as the online modes on Badland. You can play for hours at a stretch, though there might be some heating that your phone may experience.
One of my favorite things about Badland is the ‘level editor’ mode, where you can make edits to the official levels of the game. You can choose to increase or decrease the difficulty levels with this.
Conclusion
Badland’s offline mode is quite exciting, with over 100 unique levels. This is an award-winning game that you can enjoy offline.
6. Best Action Game without WiFi: Shadow Fight 2
My love for Shadow Fight 2 stems from the fact that I enjoy the 1-on-1 combat genre of gaming. This action game has a lot of unique moves, some of which are unlocked as you progress.
Shadow Fight 2 also has a large collection of weapons. Unlike many other fighting-based games, Shadow Fight 2 has a very gripping, storyline and it is one of the most fun games in the fighting genre. You can also play the single-player mode offline.
Everything from the music to the animation here is on point and goes well with the overall vibe of the game. The UI is also pretty simple.
The storyline is the core strength of this game. Stories are interwoven and give you an episodic feeling. The controls are pretty smooth and well-placed as well.
I love the variety of weapons you get here and how many new skills you can learn. You have to think quickly and adapt to the enemy by choosing a weapon you feel will be the most effective against them.
Conclusion
While Shadow Fight 2 is known for all the weapons and the fighting, it is this game’s storyline that takes the cake. Add offline gameplay to that, and it is a must-play!
7. Best for Racing: Asphalt 8: Airborne
I’ve been playing the Asphalt series of games for quite a while now. I found Asphalt 8: Airborne to be one of the best games so far. The game comes with a much larger set of vehicles than ever before.
There are 220+ vehicles and 75+ racing tracks here. Asphalt 8 can also be played offline but you won’t be able to use the shop or multiplayer mode.
Asphalt 8 does not have complex menus and too many options. It takes a straightforward approach, and you can simply log in and start playing in a couple of taps.
The Asphalt series of games has always had one major problem. It heats up the device you are playing them on. This problem persists with Asphalt 8 as well.
For me, the key highlight of Asphalt 8 is the number of customizations you can do in the game. The game allows you to create your own character, choose your car and modify it to reflect your style.
Conclusion
Asphalt 8’s career mode has a proper storyline around it. This is something you don’t generally see in racing games. You will face challenges and obstacles in this mode which make it worth the while when you finally overcome them.
8. Best for Pass Time: Minion Rush
Round, yellow, and cute minions have become some of the most visually striking characters of the past decade. Minion Run is a fun and simplistic game based on these characters.
The idea here is simple – your minion runs across a stage, passing through various rewards and obstacles. Collect the rewards and avoid the obstacles. This is one of the most satisfying games to play offline on an iPhone.
In terms of UI, there’s nothing complicated about Minion Rush. It’s a simple game with easy navigation. The controls aren’t too complex either and users of pretty much any age group can enjoy this.
The simplicity of these runner games never fails to amaze me. The game is easy, fun, and captivating at the same time. I didn’t experience any lag or heating issues in this game, either.
The game has many costumes and each of them comes with its own unique look as well as its own unique power. Getting these new powers keeps you motivated to play more.
Conclusion
One of the most fun games that you can play without an internet connection, Minion Rush is a thorough entertainer!
9. Best for Kids: Hill Climb Racing 2
Hill Climb Racing 2 has been around for quite some time and has been much appreciated by casual gamers who want to play a fun game to kill some time.
This game, which can also be played offline, is fairly simple and the variety of vehicles you get here is also pretty interesting. Progress in the game to unlock new vehicles and achievements.
I love how easy the controls on this game are. There are just two buttons that decide most of your fate in the game. It is extremely simple and easy to play.
Much of the game revolves around your two thumbs. I particularly enjoy the character customizations and vehicle upgrades which are an incentive to play more.
The track editor feature is my biggest highlight of Hill Climb Racing 2. I can change the layout of the track as well as the look and feel of the game to suit my needs.
Conclusion
Hill Climb Racing 2 takes you back to a simpler time in the world of smartphone gaming. While it offers a multiplayer mode and more, when you play it offline it’s pretty relaxing and calm.
10. Best Puzzle Game: Unblock Me
Unblock Me is a very simple game based on the principle of sliding blocks. It is the digital version of one of the oldest puzzle games known to mankind.
It comes with 18,000+ puzzles, and more levels keep being added here every now and then. All you have to do in this game is move blocks around to solve puzzles.
The UI is pretty straightforward too, making it a good game for users of all ages. The game is quite easy to play and intuitive. Thankfully, it is also pretty small in size and doesn’t take up too much space on your phone.
It is fun, along with some mental gymnastics to sharpen your critical thinking skills. One of my favorite features is a ‘daily puzzle’. The game throws one challenge at you daily that you have to solve. I look forward to it every day.
Conclusion
A basic game with no bells and whistles around it. Unblock Me works without an internet connection and is thoroughly enjoyable!
Frequently Asked Questions
While you can find many that are free to play, some might run on a freemium model. Brain It Out is a good free option.
OGQ: No WiFi Games is your best bet for playing without an internet connection on a flight. You might also want to check out Minecraft, Shadow Fighter 2, and Badlands.
Wrap Up!
Being without an internet connection can be a nightmare for some. However, thanks to these fun offline games, you’ll always have something to entertain you, even in times like those. I hope my list helped you find the perfect match.
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