Limited on data? Do you want a game you can play wherever you are? This list of the 18 best offline gaming apps for iPhone and iPad is sure to catch your interest.
Frankly, the games on this list are among the best mobile games of all time. It is just a bonus that all of these games can be played offline as well.
We’ve selected games from a wide range of categories, so be sure to scroll through the list to find the games you like.
Life is Strange is a narrative experience where you follow the life of a girl named Max. She has the power to rewind time and it is your choice to help guide her through difficult challenges and avoid the results she sees in her visions. The choices you make will ultimately make a difference in how the game plays out, but one remains the same, the more you play, the more you will be sucked into the emotional and compelling storytelling.
Life is Strange takes place in episodes, with the first being free, the rest must be paid for. If you get the Season Pass, you’ll get all five episodes for $ 8.99.
Dead cells – Compelling action platform
Dead Cells is a critically acclaimed action platformer that has made the rounds on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. You can now get Dead Cells on iOS as well. Dead Cells on the iPhone and iPad is a bit behind the other platforms in terms of content updates, but it’s essentially the same game.
You play as a strange humanoid form as you battle creatures, unlock abilities and items, and try to avoid the inevitable permanent death. Dead Cells will cost you $ 8.99 but it is worth every penny.
Sid Meier’s Civilization series is the closest you can get to knowing what it feels like to build a civilization and fight for world domination. With this offline gaming app, you only start with a small group of settlers looking to build their first settlement. After that, you start building more resources, growing your population, and discovering technology throughout the entire history of mankind.
For starters, you can only defend your civilization with primitive spears and bows. Hours will pass without you noticing and you will therefore be at the forefront of modern warfare with planes, tanks and more.
Civilization VI is free, but you only get 60 turns. After that, you have to pay $ 19.99 to access the full game. It sounds like a lot, but Civilization on mobile is very close compared to the full-fledged PC version.
If you don’t want to pay $ 20 for a game on your mobile, The Battle of Polytopia is a good alternative to Civilization. It has a similar theme: you find a place to settle, so you must gather resources and fight other colonists as you begin to evolve your army.
The Battle of Polytopia is much simpler than Civilization and the games won’t take that long, but some might consider it a pro rather than a scammer. Also, The Battle of Polytopia is free.
The original version of Star Wars – Knights of The Old Republic (KOTOR) dates back to 2003 for Xbox and Windows PC. It has since been ported to mobile devices. It is an RPG set in the Star Wars universe, some 4000 years before the events of the original Star Wars movies.
KOTOR offers turn-based combat, Star Wars themed RPG skills and force powers, and a party system that will look familiar to all old-school RPG players. KOTOR costs $ 9.99 but you will get hours and hours of addictive gameplay.
Alto’s Adventure is an endless running game where you take control of a snowboarder as he makes his way through all kinds of crazy dips, dips and jumps. Alto’s Adventure and sequel, Alto’s Odyssey are simple in premise, but draw you in with gorgeous scenes, truly satisfying music and snowboarding that never get old.
Both Alto’s Adventure and Alto’s Odyssey are available for iOS and iPad for $ 4.99.
Monument Valley 1 and 2 are a series of puzzle games that never fail to amaze the player. You have to take a character through 3D mazes that essentially show themselves to players as living and breathing optical illusions.
Monument Valley is outside the box when it comes to puzzle games. Monument Valley 1 costs $ 3.99, but you can get Monument Valley 2 for free.
BADLAND 1 and BADLAND 2 – Beautiful series of action adventures
BADLAND is like one of those amazing console action platformers that take the stage and get more rewards than games like Call of Duty or Battlefield. Except now it’s also on mobile devices. To put it simply, the developers at BADLAND maintain that level of passion and creativity for their games that many triple A publishers seem to have lost.
You can immerse yourself in BADLAND 1’s world of action and adventure for just $ 0.99, and if you complete it, BADLAND 2 is also available for $ 0.99.
Stardew Valley is the most laid-back simulation RPG you’ll get your hands on. In Stardew Valley you can build a farm, farm and raise animals. There are many games with similar concepts on mobile, but they often use energy timers to limit your gameplay in some way.
Stardew Valley isn’t like that – it’s an offline gaming app that’s just that, with no additional monetization methods. And in the end, it’s so much fun to get lost on your farm. Stardew Valley costs $ 7.99 but there are no extra in-app purchases.
Minecraft – Sandbox exploration at its best
Minecraft is one of the most popular games in the world. It is so popular because it appeals to such a large audience. From preschoolers to seniors, Minecraft opens up as a game that’s easy to get to grips with but has so much depth.
In Minecraft, you start with nothing and have to cut down a tree to get wood so you can make your own tools. As you play more, you will be able to find rare minerals, build more powerful tools and armor, and fight against different creatures.
There is so much more, but you have to try it to understand it. Ultimately, there is no main goal for Minecraft other than having fun with exploration and construction. Minecraft is available on iOS for $ 6.99.
In 2048 you start with an empty board of tiles. If you swipe your finger, a new block will appear with the number 2 or 4. If you swipe two identical numbers together, they merge into a tile. The goal is to try to slide the tiles together to create a tile worth 2048.
The tricky part is that with each step, the screen fills up and it won’t be long before you have room to freely scroll through your tiles. If the entire board fills up, the game is over.
2048 is a simple, yet addicting offline gaming app and is free to download.
Fallout Shelter is a micromanagement game in which you have to build your own post-apocalyptic bunker, known as a vault. You need to make sure that your dwellers, known as the vault dwellers, are happy by managing food, energy, and resources. As you grow your vault, management becomes more challenging.
Fallout Shelter is available for free on iOS.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a classic 2004 console action game that has since been ported to mobile devices. It features all the same open world action that the original had. You are free to recklessly drive through the streets, shoot with the police or other criminals and advance through the countryside rich in crime history.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is available for $ 6.99.
Terrariums – 2D action RPG
Terraria is a huge open world 2D action RPG where you have to gather resources, build a base and fight monsters and bosses to get the best loot.
Terraria is often considered the 2D version of Minecraft, but in many ways it is more than that. There’s a lot more depth when it comes to character progression, challenges, and combat.
Terraria is available for $ 4.99 on iOS and iPad.
Krystopia is a puzzle adventure game with beautiful 3D graphics. In Krystopia, your task is to interact with your surroundings to find a way to solve different puzzles. You will use objects, laser beams, robots and more to solve puzzles. Each level of Krystopia is also held together by a beautiful and lighthearted story.
Krystopia: A Puzzle Journey is free but you have to pay $ 1.99 to access all chapters of the game.
Summary
This brings us to the end of our overview of the best offline gaming apps for iPhone and iPad. What games on this list have you tried? Or maybe you have some of your own suggestions? Why not get involved in the comments section below.