Best Offline Android Games in 2024 – platformers, action-adventure, arcade games
The best offline Android games are more abundant than one would believe. Even though some do require a quick update check and a login to your chosen game or Google Play account, a lot of games can be played without an internet connection. For those who have small data plans or aren’t near a Wi-Fi access point for the majority of the day, the best offline Android games are a great way to entertain yourself on the move without worrying about a high data bill.
This also makes popular location and data-heavy games, such as Pokémon Go, unplayable given that we’re looking at the best offline Android games. With that being said, there are plenty of platformers, arcades, and endless runners with some great gameplay hooks. We’ve tested some out and here are some of our top picks for the best offline Android games.
Products at a Glance
How we picked the best offline Android games
As with most products, we focused mainly on Android games that have offline access, as the title suggests. But we also took a look at the type of game, whether it be an adventure or RPG experience. Pricing is also a major factor, as most mobile games vary widely in their MSRP.
Additionally, graphics were an important facet. Although these might be mobile games, graphical fidelity still proved to be an important concept when picking the games included on this list. Finally, we also took into account how fun the game actually is, as there might be plenty of offline games that aren’t rewarding.
Obviously, iOS experiences are off the list, as these consider solely the best offline games on Android. The fact that these are offline also means there might not be much multiplayer, aside from potential local co-op offerings. These games, experienced best on an Android smartphone, are designed solely to pass the time when no WiFi or internet access is available.
Product Reviews
- Quality isometric action RPG on the go
- Hours of playtime
- Not a pick up and play ttile
D&D/Diablo clones are rife in the PC game and mobile App space, they have been for years. Attempting to make lightning strike thrice, isometric action RPGs don’t translate very well onto touchscreen devices. Originally launching as Mage and Minions back in 2014, it saw a rebrand in 2017 to ‘Eternium’.
Transforming the point-and-click movement of PC/Mac isometric action RPGs into touch-and-move mechanics is intuitive and just makes sense. Rather than have a user fumble around with Eternium’s user interface (UI), players simply draw a special abilities symbol over an enemy to execute. It’s a fun mechanic that also draws you in. Adding a half-decent story and some quality gameplay mechanics results in one of the best offline Android games in recent history thanks to its accessibility, and is marked as one of the best free Android games, as well.
A player’s chosen character for the single-player campaign will have its base stats affected by its chosen class (Mage, Warrior, or Bounty Hunter), of which 20 unlockable abilities are waiting. Once players hit level 70, they can attain unlimited champion levels which slowly raise stats. Companions have a further four abilities a piece which comes in very handy as the game progresses. As standard for the genre, players will come across common, rare, epic, and legendary gear. There’s no real reason to not try this free-to-play title, everything is quite achievable without buying in-game currencies.
Free-to-play
- Platforming and level building
- Beautifully presented
- Touch controls take some getting used too
Looking for a solid platformer to pick up whenever you’d like that has a solid level of building community behind it? Maybe you’d like something well-paced with a super dry sense of humor to compliment well-timed platforming elements and puzzle building. Great news, there’s an app for that (not sorry). Levelhead ticks all these boxes whilst looking good doing so.
By either using touch controls or using an external controller, Levelheads campaign level design is well executed. Players assume the role of a delivery robot trainer, teaching a cute-as-hell robot how to deliver packages in various environments. The touch controls take a little getting used to due to their placement, but it’s more of a bug bare than an oversight. A console gamer’s muscle memory may take a little while to get used to it.
Blessed be the Levelhead workshop. Players can enter the workshop at any point to build their own levels, which are then sent over to the ‘marketing team’ for evaluation. In reality, the marketing team is a healthy community of level builders and testers who can rate your hard work. For the best levels, the Tower is a beacon of amazing creativity, showcasing the best community-created levels.
$6.99
- Adjustable touch controls
- Same content as console edition
- Touch controls are still a little challenging at times
Translating an award-winning action-adventure roguelike into a touchscreen format was always going to be a near-impossible task, regardless of the techniques used. Luckily, Playdigious has managed to pull a mobile port of Dead Cells off thanks to a bit of an overhaul and an extra gameplay feature. Three boxes on the bottom right of the screen represent your special item, main attack, and interactions.
There’s a new auto-hit mode that allows mobile players to juggle multiple enemies better, making for one of the best offline Android games currently available to download on the Google Play Store. Players can also position and size the aforementioned touchscreen buttons for ease of use, a feature a lot more touchscreen-based titles should be offering.
Dead Cells ‘learn as you die’ philosophy is part of a bigger roguelike/souls born movement happening in the games industry right now. It’s not about staying alive, as you probably won’t do for long. It’s about building up stats and collecting various weapons/items to make your next playthrough a better one. It can be frustrating, but the temptation of trying to get past a certain obstacle or enemy with that new weapon you haven’t tried yet is too much to ignore.
$8.99
- Fresh take on endless runner genre
- A good game to relax with
- May feel a bit basic for action chasers
The endless runner game market is quite saturated but has produced some great best offline Android games over the year. For example, ‘Sonic Dash’ is still being supported today following its 2013 launch, although online connectivity is needed. Serving as the follow-up to 2015’s ‘Alto’s Adventure’, 2018’s Alto’s Odyssey is very much the same game with some subtle differences that don’t veer too far from the status quo, which is absolutely fine.
Instead of a third-person perspective, Alto’s Odyssey sees the game’s protagonist, Alto, and company sandboarding through a beautiful yet minimalistic desert landscape. Featuring various hazards and big air opportunities, players use the one-touch trick system to do flips and jumps to boost their speed and land some cool combos.
Alto’s Odyssey is big on visual stimulation, which is only positive considering the repetitiveness of some endless-runners. Various weather conditions set different atmospheres and make for some really cool moments in-game. Who doesn’t want to land a double backflip in the rain?
Varied game modes make the Android device experience all the more rewarding. For those looking for an anxiety-melting experience, zen mode removes all goals, coins, and hazards for a simple sandboarding ride-along. Complimented by a chilled-out soundtrack, it’s nice to just take a break from goal-focused gameplay sometimes.
Free – Contains in-app purchases.
- Pick up and play Frogger clone
- Addictive yet simple gameplay
- Not for gamers looking for a full length title
Crossy Road is a stark reminder of early 90s arcade and console precision platforming, although its gameplay mechanics are more in line with Frogger than Aladdin. Albeit frustrating, the gameplay hooks and difficulty spikes gave us the smallest bit of light at the end of the tunnel, which pushed players to carry on. This is exactly what Crossy Road achieves.
For those looking at taking a break from bloated AAA open-world game mechanics and overcomplicated plots as seen in Final Fantasy, Crossy Road is your salvation. Play as and unlock around 150 characters and try to avoid oncoming traffic, trains, or crossing a river without falling in. As a nod to the sprite-based bit artwork of yesterday’s games such as Frogger, Crossy Road is a cell-shaded blocky affair reminiscent of 3D Dot Game Heroes and Minecraft.
Crossy Road has seen numerous partnerships thanks to its viral success, including ‘Disney Crossy Road’ which features your favorite Disney characters trying to dodge traffic. The controls are very simple, tap or swipe up to move forward and swipe left or right to move in that direction. It’s very much a pick-up-and-play-best offline Android game with in-game purchases, but you can watch an advertisement to get some freebies instead.
Features and considerations
We’ve tried to find the best offline Android game for everyone, from straightforward platformers and toilet-time epics to in-depth titles that have longevity on their side. Ultimately, it depends on what you are looking for in a game. The best offline Android games have a reputation for being quick five-minute games that passes the time whilst you wait for the bus. Some titles are trying, and have, bucked the trend, however. The mobile gaming market revenue for this year alone is set to hit over $180 billion, which dwarfs console gaming at $115 billion.
FAQ
What’s a RogueLike game?
It’s a subgenre of role-playing video games characterized by a dungeon crawl through procedurally generated levels.
What’s a AAA Game?
In the video game industry, AAA is an informal classification used to categorize games produced and distributed by a mid-sized or major publisher.
Will gaming on Android affect my battery?
Playing games on Android handsets doesn’t damage the phone even if the games are high graphics games that consume lots of battery from the phone.
Our Verdict
RPGs aren’t usually for everyone, but Eternium has what most action RPGs don’t, accessible controls on a platform that non-players carry around with them all day every day. Its gesture-enabled special attacks and tap-to-move mechanics within the pocket edition make it a clear winner. Let’s not forget how addictive level and loot grinding can be in any title. Isometric action RPGs deserve to be exposed to a wider audience, Eternium does a great job of introducing the genre without overwhelming players.