Knowing which of the best Android games work offline can be tricky. Android does not specify which games can be played offline and which cannot. Sometimes you might find the details in the app description, but they are few and far between. If you do not have a reliable connection when playing, the game becomes unusable.
There are few things more annoying than being eliminated from an online match in a big mobile game. It’s even worse when you download a single-player game and discover that you still need an internet connection to play.
However, fear not, as there are many Android games that you can play without being connected to the Internet. You’re not limited to smaller games either. Offline Android games also include larger options. There’s something for everyone in Android’s offline games library.
Many games are free to download and many are free with additional purchase options, although some larger titles will require you to shell out some money before you can play.
However, keep in mind that you will need an Internet connection to download the games, so do it before you hit your dark zone of the Internet!
Top 10 Offline Games for Android:
Here are the best games for offline fun on Android, from adventure, RPG, and arcade/action to strategy, simulation, and even card games.
The best offline adventure games for Android
Ark: Survival Evolved (Free with in-app purchases) by Studio Wildcard/War Drum Studios
Ark: Survival Evolved, a dinosaur-themed survival game, is one of the most fun Android gaming experiences you can have when you play alone offline or connect and play with others. It’s the best of both worlds! Ark is a mix of survival and first-person exploration, which places you on a large island full of dinosaurs.
To survive, you must collect resources and create structures, clothing, weapons and equipment. There is also a hidden story there. Keep in mind that it is a fairly heavy application, so you will need Android 7.0 or higher to run it.
The best offline action/arcade games for Android
Minecraft Pocket Edition ($6.99) from Mojang Studios
Minecraft took the gaming world by storm upon its release, and developer Mojang has done everything it can to bring it to all devices with a screen. At $6.99, the Android version is quite expensive, but it’s still cheaper than the PC version and has most of the same features.
If you don’t know what Minecraft is (where have you been since 2009?), it’s an exploration and survival game set in a procedurally generated world with a distinctive blocky art style. It is so popular that it holds several world records and is a favorite among younger players.
once upon a time there was a tower (Free with in-app purchases) by Pomelo Games
Once Upon a Tower is similar to a side-scrolling game (maybe you can call it vertical scrolling). The action features a princess held captive in a tower by a ferocious dragon, fighting her way out as she knocks down blocks, defeats enemies along the way, and grabs power-ups and coins to successfully complete her journey.
There’s no need for a prince here! He defeats the dragon, smashes creepy crawlies, breaks some rocks, and fights his way through the levels to escape. This free game has in-app purchases and is played offline for non-stop action and fun.
JYDGE ($9.99) per 10tons Ltd.
Jydge is a top-down shooter based on the Judge Dredd comic and inspired by the action of Neon Chrome. This game allows you to play against other players online or against AI robots offline. It’s a 2 for 1 deal that most action games don’t offer.
Build your custom cybernetic JYDGE and start eliminating crime in the city of Edenbyrg. Yes, Jydge and Edenbyrg with “and” are right! The game features dual stick controls, one for movement and one for actions.
Colonizer (Free with in-app purchases) by Creative Robot
Looking suspiciously like a math game from the start, Colonizer is a strangely compelling action game. Your task is to colonize new planets on a star map. Shoot rockets towards each world to inhabit them. Each planet has a designated number and requires many missile hits to make it yours.
While doing this, you face other opponents trying to colonize planets. If the opponent’s rocket is the last to hit a world, they will take it. However, this situation works for you too! Its premise may be simple, but its combination of perfect difficulty level and ease of play makes the game infinitely playable.
The best offline strategy games on Android
Plague Inc (Free with a $0.99 upgrade) from Miniclip SA
As one of the best-known mobile games, Plague Inc. is definitely worth playing. It’s inexpensive, infinitely replayable, and reasonably educational: its creator was invited to the CDC in 2013 to talk about the use of games as an educational tool. Plague Inc. tasks you with designing and developing a disease in an attempt to wipe out humanity.
By successfully infecting and eradicating countries, you gain funds to develop the plague with new symptoms, infection methods, and modes of transmission. A darkly fun aspect also comes from being able to name your illness, prompting notifications like “The Minions have eradicated the US.” The update provides fast forward gameplay, genetic code modifications, additional “Mega Brutal” difficulty, and ALL ads removed.
XCOM: enemy within ($4.99) by 2K, Inc./Take-Two Interactive
Another popular PC game adapted to mobile devices is XCOM: Enemy Within. Take charge of XCOM, Earth’s last line of defense against invasion. You respond to UFO sightings and alien attacks, research materials acquired from enemies, and lead and upgrade a squad of soldiers as they face increasing threats. The gameplay is addictive and intuitive, and is still difficult enough to keep you entertained without being too complicated.
Best offline simulation games on Android
nuclear shelter (Free with in-app purchases) from Bethesda Softworks LLC
Fallout: Shelter has become more popular than the game series that spawned its creation, with more downloads under its belt than the best-selling entry had in sales. In this base building RPG, your task is to design an underground bomb shelter. To care for a growing list of inhabitants, you must provide enough water and food to survive.
You will even have to send inhabitants to the wasteland to collect items to help you defend your shelter. Fans of the series will love Fallout: Shelter, but it’s also entertaining for those with no prior knowledge and there’s enough content to keep you coming back.
Best Offline RPG/Card Games on Android
star realms (Free with in-app purchases) by White Wizard Games
Almost all mobile card games require the Internet to sync card collections and challenge other players. Fortunately, Star Realms can be played offline and it also happens to be one of the best card games you can play. There is some very challenging AI that keeps you coming back for more as you desperately try to perfect your strategies and beat it.
Originally released as a physical deck-building card game, it is seeing a second life as an app. However, you must pay to access expansion packs and campaigns.
Western heroes (Free with in-app purchases) by Ensit Media
Occidental Heroes is an old-school type role-playing game (RPG), where the pleasure of playing comes from its simplicity. Split between an overworld and turn-based battles; You take control of three warriors as they explore the land while trying to earn money. Things aren’t that simple, however, as Occidental Heroes introduces the wonderful roguelike charm of permadeath. Between worrying about your entire squad getting mauled by bears or getting upset that you lost everything because said bears mauled your team, Occidental Heroes is an immersive and engaging RPG that you’ll have to start over again and again.
Well, that’s all for now! Have fun without worrying about losing mobile signals or disappearing Wi-Fi connections.
Just be sure to download the apps, install them, and run them for the first time when you have some kind of data signal; Otherwise they may not work offline.
If you have a particular offline favorite, let us know and if the downloads and ratings are high enough and the reviews are good, we may add it to the list!
