Whether it's for a cross-country drive, a long-haul flight, or an off-the-grid trip to an end-of-the-world bunker, there are times in life when going offline is simply a necessity. It's a troubling thought, especially when in at least one of these scenarios entertainment can be as valuable as clean water. Fortunately, some of the most compelling experiences in gaming don't require much more than a smartphone or a handheld like the Steam Deck or Nintendo Switch.
Even if it's not for such dire reasons, the ability to play games offline is still very valuable to tons of gamers, and for good reason; despite an industry shift towards always-online gaming, offline gaming used to be the norm. However, that doesn't mean offline-friendly games are a thing of the past. Offline titles can still offer as much depth, replayability and sheer entertainment value as any live service, and these five unique games prove it.
Stardew Valley
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Hundreds of hours of farming, relationships and exploration
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Seasonal cycles create natural game variation
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No internet required
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Available on mobile devices
Stardew Valley is a perfect offline companion because it's a comfortable life sim designed around its long-term development. Stardew Valleythe seasons mean year after year in the game, there is always something new to discover or do, be it fishing, mining, fighting, farming, cooking or Sims-like socialization. All woven together, it's easily possible to sink over 100 hours into a single save without ever revisiting the same content, and thankfully, it can all be experienced completely offline.
Borderlands: The Handsome Collection / Halo: The Master Chief Collection
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Value per pack: huge content library that supports multiple playthroughs
- Borderlands: The Handsome Collection features two 30+ hour campaigns with extensive endgame and multiple DLCs
- Halo: The Master Chief Collection combines six entries of the most influential FPS in modern gaming history into one package
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Both collections offer offline local co-op multiplayer
Although unrelated at first glance, what binds these two game collections together is their place as the best examples of the shooter genre. Borderlands: The Handsome Collection is a console-only bundle that brings two great promotions (Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel), each infinitely replayable thanks to thousands of randomly rolled legendary weapons, multiple Vault Hunters with distinct skill trees, and tons of repeatable endgame bosses. The humor may be fractured these days, but the shooting mechanics and loot lust are strong enough to carry multiple playthroughs and all the DLC content.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection offers six complete entries in one of gaming's most important franchises, from Halo: Combat Evolveds genre-defining debut until Halo 4 and the high expectations of its narrative ambitions. That's basically hundreds of potential hours of legendary sci-fi shooters all in one simple package.
Both Borderlands: The Handsome Collection and Halo: The Master Chief Collection support local co-op, meaning if you're off-grid with a friend, you're not limited to taking turns.
- Released
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November 11, 2014
- ESRB
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M for mature: Violence, blood and gore, language
- Publisher
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Xbox Game Studios
Fire Ring
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FromSoftware's most customizable and accessible entry point
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Exploration-driven progression allows for player-directed difficulty and length
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100+ hours of single player open world RPG with an additional 50+ hours of DLC
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Over 300 potential executive meetings
Although any Souls game can fit in this slot, Fire Ring takes its place primarily because it's a miraculous translation of FromSoftware's traditional style into an open-world format carefully crafted to reward curiosity. With zero pointless collectibles or ugly quest markers, the open world manages to be best in class, with potential bosses, secrets or powerful weapons and spells behind any locked door or castle gate. With multiple endings, builds and a DLC expansion bigger than some full-priced games, Fire Ring is easily the kind of experience that can sustain a lifetime of offline play.
Baldur's Gate 3
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75-100+ hours for a single playthrough
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Huge, branching stories with multiple meaningful choices
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Multiple difficulty options that modify the entire game
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Original characters that allow for radically different playthroughs
Offline or otherwise, Baldur's Gate 3 is the ultimate RPG for players who want incredible storytelling filled with meaningful choices. With 12 classes, 46 subclasses, dozens of unique stories, hundreds of spells and weapons, and both custom and original characters, players can easily spend 300+ hours with this game. It respects player choices enough to let failures hit hard, successes soar, all while weird secrets and shocking developer-anticipated possibilities exist on the margins. Best of all, Baldur's Gate 3 is fully playable offline.
Balatro
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Roguelike deck builder with poker mechanics perfect for short or long sessions
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Simple enough for beginners, with endless strategic depth and build variety
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Hypnotic soundtrack and flawless UI/UX
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No online features and available on mobile
Balatro is the rare game that's as fun on a ten-minute bus ride as it is during a six-hour gaming session, and the “just one more time” factor is unmatched, on par with staples like Tetris. The game's poker format seems simple until three hours have passed, new jokers and decks are available to try out, and players have formed new addiction neurons from figuring out how to turn a two pair or suit into a trillion chip score. For all kinds of offline games, having a game that Balatro that works in both short and long sessions is invaluable.
Unplugged shouldn't mean uncomfortable
With any of these six options, any offline or off-grid player is more than equipped to handle a potential long-distance journey or a very far-fetched survival scenario. With all of the above, there would be a wealth of unique genres, stories, and gameplay options at hand. Either way, these titles prove that offline really doesn't mean rough.
