There are a lot of amazing video games to be played on Android tablets and smartphones, but many of them rely on a constant internet connection to work properly. Here are of the best offline games on Android that you can play anywhere at any time.
1. Action/Shooter: Into the Dead 2
While the original game is a zombie-themed endless runner, the sequel Into the Dead 2 contains seven chapters and 60 levels. The best part about the game is definitely its storyline: you, James, must get to your sister Helen and daughter Maggie who are struggling to survive the zombie apocalypse just as much as you are.
What makes the story so captivating is your conversations with Helen and Maggie as they update you about their challenges, near-death experiences, escapes, and breakdowns. And if that wasn't spine-chilling already, the story has multiple endings too!
We're sure you'll also enjoy upgrading your arsenal of weapons and having a variety of animal companions help you slaughter zombies. Although an offline game, Into the Dead 2 has several side stories, an endless runner mode, and regularly releases new events to compete in.
2. Runner: Alto's Odyssey
At first glance, this seems like just another endless runner. But play Alto's Odyssey for a while, and you'll realize there's something about it that makes it impossible to put down.
Perhaps it's the graphics and the music. Endless runners are usually frantic, but this game bucks the trend to make it a soothing, calming experience. You'll find yourself relaxing as you slide down sand dunes, jump to collect points, avoid obstacles, and perform backflips and double backflips for style bonuses.
Alto's Odyssey doesn't bring anything new to the world of runners but is highly entertaining nonetheless. That's why it is one of the best free offline games for Android.
Download: Alto's Odyssey (Free, in-app purchases available)
3. Strategy: Kingdom Rush
If you're into strategy games, Kingdom Rush remains one of the best tower defense titles out there despite being a decade old. The goal here is simple: protect your kingdom from evil forces by building defensive towers, deploying troops, and using magic spells.
There are four tower types: archer towers that shoot arrows, barracks that deploy melee troops, mages' guild that shoots magic bolts, and artillery towers that deal area damage.
There are 50+ enemy types and 10+ bosses, each with different abilities and endurance. Killing enemies earns you gold which you're supposed to use to upgrade your towers to defend your kingdom against increasingly bigger and more resilient enemy hordes.
Download: Kingdom Rush (Free, in-app purchases available)
4. Runner: Ski Safari 2
Ski Safari 2 is the polar opposite of Alto's Odyssey. While the latter aims to relax you, the former is an action-packed endless runner where you try to outrun an avalanche all while riding on top of various animals who are trying to do the same.
While you're at it, why not show off and perform tricks like 360 spins, handstands, and snowboard nose-grabs, and strike poses mid-air to get an extra boost?
If you ever get bored by the snowy mountains, you can explore five other maps—each with a unique set of animals and natural disasters like tornados, volcano eruptions, and more. You can also buy new gear, costumes, and vehicles with the coins you collected along the way.
Download: Ski Safari 2 (Free, in-app purchases available)
5. Platform: Once Upon a Tower
Once Upon a Tower flips a lot of game elements upside down. Instead of a prince rescuing a princess from a tower, the prince is dead, and the princess is kicking some butt with a sledgehammer to escape the dragon. And instead of climbing up a tower, she's digging down.
On her way, she'll have to battle monsters of all kinds, from ogres to spiders that can climb up walls. Then there are the traps that spring out of nowhere. If that wasn't enough, she needs to be quick, or the dragon will lay waste to everything with its fiery breath. Don't forget about the other enemy: gravity itself.
Collect coins and power-ups when you can; you'll need them to pass the levels to escape the tower. Once Upon a Tower is oodles of fun and seemingly endless, making it one of the best offline Android games out there.
Download: Once Upon a Tower (Free, in-app purchases available)
6. Arcade: Jungle Marble Blast
Unfortunately, the classic Zuma doesn't work without an internet connection, but some of its many knock-offs do. Among them, we liked Jungle Marble Blast the best.
The graphics aren't as smooth, but this isn't a significant complaint. The gameplay is just as fun as it ever was. Tap anywhere on the screen to shoot; tap on the beetle to swap between the two colored spheres you have. Shoot the spheres at the chain going around the map to create sequences of three or more.
And when possible, get those power-ups to send the chain back, turn a large chunk into one color, or blast them into oblivion. Jungle Marble Blast fits into the group of best offline games for Android perfectly. It's small, lengthy, and free.
Download: Jungle Marble Blast (Free, in-app purchases available)
7. Brainy: Quizoid
Those great brainy multiplayer games won't work offline. Quizoid is all about challenging yourself, not someone else. Like other such apps, Quizoid asks a question with multiple answers, and you have to pick the right one.
But since it's you against the AI, there are a few more game modes. For example, you can play 20 questions with the computer, or you can play a timed round to answer as many as you can.
Quizoid boasts over 7,000 trivia questions across 17 categories like entertainment, sports, science, politics, history, and more. Unfortunately, category-based quizzes are only available in the paid pro pack.
Download: Quizoid (Free)
8. Action: Tank Hero: Laser Wars
Tank Hero: Laser Wars doesn't show up the in usual "offline game" collections, although it is among the best offline games you'll find on Google Play.
You play the titular Tank Hero, taking out all the other tanks with your laser-powered cannon. In each level, you have to destroy all the other tanks on the map. The top-down shooter makes you control your tank with a virtual joystick, while you can tap anywhere on the screen to shoot.
Of course, it's not that simple. As you progress, you'll find different types of tanks, power-ups, and fiendish mazes that make your task challenging. But remember, lasers bounce against walls, so use that to your advantage.
Download: Tank Hero: Laser Wars (Free)
9. Puzzle: Sudoku (by Fassor)
The Play Store is filled to the brim with Sudoku games, and many of them work offline too. Fassor's Sudoku isn't objectively superior; it's just the one we like the most and works perfectly.
This Sudoku does the basics right, which is all you want at times. There are four skill levels and a timer to test how quickly you can finish each type. One of Fassor's highlights is that you can write multiple rough numbers in a cell—but be warned, this incurs a 30-second penalty.
You can check whether you've solved everything correctly so far anytime, but again, there's a penalty for that. Those time penalties add up, ruining your overall score. And when you reconnect to the internet, that's what your friends will see.
Download: Sudoku (Free, in-app purchases available)
10. Shooter: Smash Hit
Smash Hit was one of the most addictive games way back in 2014, and it still holds up as a guaranteed good time. It's a little strange to call it a shooter, but that's essentially what it is and is among the best offline mobile games.
It plays from a first-person perspective and requires you to throw steel balls at glass objects to smash them into pieces. Building up a chain of successful hits and taking out all glasses gives you bonuses, like increasing the number of steel balls you launch simultaneously.
The whole time, you're slowly moving ahead through levels, and the pace picks up as you progress. Make sure you don't get hit by any glass object, and you'll beat the game in no time. But it's not as easy as it seems.
Download: Smash Hit (Free, in-app purchases available)
