The best offline Android games don’t require an internet connection. They’re perfect for long commutes and for wasting time when you’re away from home.
Here are our top picks for the best offline games for Android in every major genre.
1. 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.
Download: Alto’s Odyssey for Android (Free)
2. Chess: Really Bad Chess
Forget about the classic version of chess you’re used to. When you’re offline, fire up Really Bad Chess and challenge yourself to think differently.
In this game, while the chess board remains standard, the pieces are completely random. You might start with three queens and a single pawn, while the computer could have a series of six rooks. It makes you discard everything you know about chess, and think out of the box.
As you raise your ranking, the AI’s level stays the same, but it gets better pieces to start. This might be my favorite non-chess chess game ever.
Download: Really Bad Chess for Android (Free)
3. Puzzle: Mazes & More
Solving a maze is tricky because of its simplicity. Mazes & More raises the stakes on the classic game with some devious twists.
For example, in the Darkness mode, you can see the maze at the start. But then everything goes dark except a small spotlight on you, and you have to make your way to the exit. Try other modes like ice floor, where you end up sliding ahead of where you wanted to go, or the self-explanatory time trial mode and traps mode.
In case you want a simple old game of maze-solving, there’s always Classic mode. Each mode has plenty of levels to keep you entertained till your connect comes back again.
4. 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.
Download: Once Upon A Tower for Android (Free)
5. 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, I 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 for Android (Free)
6. Brainy: Quizoid
Those great brainy multiplayer games15 Brainy Multiplayer Games to Challenge Friends to a Battle of Wits15 Brainy Multiplayer Games to Challenge Friends to a Battle of WitsLooking to challenge your friends in a battle of wits? These free brainy multiplayer games let you find out who's the smartest in chess, puzzles, trivia, and more!Read More 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 of 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 for Android (Free)
7. Action: Tank Hero: Laser Wars
Tank Hero: Laser Wars doesn’t show up in usual “offline game” collections, but it’s so good that I’m wondering why it isn’t so popular.
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 in 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 for Android (Free)
8. 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 I 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 for Android (Free)
9. Shooter: Smash Hit
Smash Hit was one of the most addictive games of 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.
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 for Android (Free)
10. Racing: Traffic Rider
When you’re off the internet’s information highway, hit a different virtual highway. Get on your motorcycle in Traffic Rider and dodge the city’s traffic as you make a mad dash to the finish line in first-person.
Traffic Rider plays like an endless racer, where you need to go faster and faster to reach the finish line without crashing. But the mission mode actually makes it a little more fun than other endless racers, since you can race with specific targets instead of just mindlessly zooming on.
You can even opt for other modes like time trials or a simple endless runner. Just make sure you pass the mission mode first, since it unlocks some cool superbikes to quench your need for speed.
New marathi movie download. As it integrates multiple apps in one, it saves space on the device and further helps in fastening the search for the entered movie or song. You can further cast the same to a smartTV to view the same on a bigger screen. The best alternative to such a situation is to use, use the search feature to find the best Marathi movie and watch it on the Android device. All thanks to the algorithm that quickly searches the Internet. Snaptube allows the user to search for the content right from the platform.
If you don’t have 100MB of storage space for Traffic Rider, try the same game developer’s earlier title, Traffic Racer. It’s quite good too, but it’s restricted to an endless runner only and doesn’t have mission modes.
Download: Traffic Rider for Android (Free)
11. Action/Shooter: Major Mayhem
It’s difficult to state just how much fun Major Mayhem is. It’s one of Adult Swim’s fantastic mobile games with a long single-player campaign. You play as the titular character, taking down a string of bad guys.
The game is staged like a shooting gallery. Enemies pop out from hiding spots, and you tap to kill them (or throw bombs if you’re especially angry). The enemies will also try to shoot you, so make sure Major Mayhem doesn’t take too much damage himself. Earn bonuses for headshots, killing sprees, and cool kills, and upgrade your weapons when you can.
Download: Major Mayhem for Android (Free)
12. Fighting: Shadow Fight
Since the days of Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter, one-on-one combat games have been a great way to pass the time. On Android, you should give Shadow Fight a try.
You’ll need to learn a lot of moves to become a true warrior. The game has two action buttons (punch and kick), and a directional pad. Learn the combinations and you’ll soon be a fantastic ninja.
Shadow Fight’s two-dimensional art style, with silhouettes instead of characters, adds to its charm. It’s all about the fighting here, not about any frills.
Downloads: Shadow Fight for Android (Free)
13. Platformer: Shadow Blade Zero
Kuro the ninja might become your new favorite game mascot4 Failed Video Game Mascots You've Probably Never Heard Of4 Failed Video Game Mascots You've Probably Never Heard OfEveryone knows about Mario and Sonic, but there have been plenty of weird mascots that didn't catch on. Let's talk about a few and see why they failed.Read More. Nothing will stop him in his quest to find his teacher and deliver an important message. Jump into the world of Shadow Blade, and you’ll slice enemies and jump over traps till you find your master.
Shadow Blade is an unmissable side-scrolling platformerShadow Blade Is An Unputdownable Side-Scrolling PlatformerShadow Blade Is An Unputdownable Side-Scrolling PlatformerShadow Blade is a finely-crafted platformer that shines on a variety of devices, from your small iPhone, ten-inch Android tablet or Mac computer.Read More. It’s now free with ads, but you won’t see any ads while playing offline.
Download: Shadow Blade Zero for Android (Free)
14. Endless Runner: Crossy Road
Crossy Road is way more addictive than you’d think, and is impressively available for free despite the amount of work that went into it.
The 8-bit pixel art style is gorgeous. You control a chicken who simply wants to cross the road. Tap to go ahead one lane; swipe in any direction to move that side. Avoid the cars on the highways, the streams in your path, and make it to the safe green grass as often as you can. And you need to move fast!
You’ll drive yourself nuts trying to beat your own high score. Most importantly, even though it’s repetitive, it never gets boring, so you can play it for hours.
Download: Crossy Road for Android (Free)
15. Puzzle: Lazors
Lazors came out on top of a Reddit poll looking for the best offline games for Android. Start playing, and it’s apparent why. The game is intuitive, yet challenging.
Each level starts with at least one active laser, and one or more targets. You’ll also have a set of mirrors, glasses, or other types of blocks to move around. Position them so that the laser hits each target. There are 280 levels to get through, and it gets more difficult as you progress.
Download: Lazors for Android (Free)
16. Racing: Asphalt Nitro
As opposed to the gigabytes its brothers need, Asphalt Nitro takes only 110 MB of space—and it works even on older hardware.
Nitro is a stripped-down version of the popular high-end Asphalt car racing series. The graphics aren’t as good, but the gameplay is solid. Get in your car, start competing, and keep upgrading your ride. There are 125 levels of increasing difficulty for you to go through, which is plenty of racing time.
There are tons of good racing games, but they often need an internet connection. Asphalt Nitro perfectly meets the “free, offline, long game time” requirements. No wonder it was one of the best free Android games of 2015.
Download: Asphalt Nitro for Android (Free)
17. Strategy: Plants vs. Zombies 2
Plants vs. Zombies 2 was a hit when it launched in 2013. While some years have passed, it still holds up as one of the best strategy games on mobile.
Your task is pretty simple in PvZ2. You have an array of plants with different abilities. Zombies want to infiltrate your yard and kill you. Plot the plants in a way where they can destroy the zombies before the undead can cause any harm.
As with any strategy game, it gets more difficult as you go along. While the game aggressively pushes in-app purchases, you don’t need to buy anything to enjoy this game.
Download: Plants vs. Zombies 2 for Android (Free)
18. RPG: Pixel Dungeon
It’s rare to find a free-to-play game without ads or hidden costsNo Hidden Cost: 7 Free-To-Play Games That Are Actually FreeNo Hidden Cost: 7 Free-To-Play Games That Are Actually FreeMobile gaming has a problem. You download a game, you start playing, but you hit a paywall. These games don't have that problem at all.Read More. Rejoice, because Pixel Dungeon is a fantastic RPG that is completely free.
You play as a warrior, huntress, mage, or rogue, stuck in the dungeons and looking for adventure. Explore lower and lower, finding new secrets, monsters, potions, and magical plants. The pixelated design and text commentary are cherries on top for what is already an engrossing game.
You won’t realize where the time went as you upgrade your character and explore the dungeon.
Download: Pixel Dungeon for Android (Free)
19. Sports: Flick Soccer
Free Games To Download To Play Offline
Soccer (football) is the world’s most popular sport, so it’s only natural that the Play Store is full of soccer games9 Android Soccer Games for the Armchair Football Manager9 Android Soccer Games for the Armchair Football ManagerThere are so many great Android games for soccer/football fans. Whether you're looking for a deep management sim or a casual puzzler, here are the best games for any soccer enthusiast.Read More. Many of them are great, but when you’re offline, you want to keep playing without waiting for retries.
Games You Can Play Offline
Flick Soccer is an annually updated game with gorgeous graphics, accurate gameplay, and a good physics engine. All you have to do is score goals. Swipe the ball in the right trajectory to get it past the goalkeeper and defenders, and maybe even hit the moving bullseye if you can. Target boosts like more time, double points, and so on can increase your score.
Whether you want the limited-time kicks or precision kicks, Flick Soccer will keep you entertained.
Download: Flick Soccer for Android (Free)
20. Board Game (and Multiplayer): Sea Battle 2
Remember the good old game of Battleship? You and your opponent plot your ships on a grid map and shoot missiles at coordinates, trying to sink them all. This digital recreation, Sea Battle 2, is as much fun as the original.
Offline, you can play against the AI and keep getting better. But you can also play this game in multiplayer over Bluetooth. That’s right; this is the only game on the list to allow two-player without needing an internet connection. In fact, two people can play it over a single phone, taking turns. So even if your co-passenger doesn’t have it installed, you two can have a good time on the flight.
Smartphones let you play other board games, but nothing comes close to Sea Battle 2.
Download: Sea Battle 2 for Android (Free)
Not Just Games: Mobile Apps Go Offline Too
Apart from these fantastic offline games, there are plenty of other good titles on the Play Store. For offline games, you’ll get much better quality if you’re willing to pay, especially with titles like Lara Croft Go. For another great offline game, check out our Fallout Shelter tips.
And while you’re offline, don’t think that you’re only limited to games. You can also download entire websites for offline reading or these cool offline Android apps for outdoor adventures7 Offline Android Apps for Surviving Outdoor Adventures7 Offline Android Apps for Surviving Outdoor AdventuresIf you often go on outside adventures, you need to install these Android apps to help you navigate, handle emergencies, and more.Read More.
Explore more about: Adventure Game, Android Apps, Board Game, Free Games, Mobile Gaming, Puzzle Games, Strategy Games, Travel.
Dude, sont put ahadow fight fight on the list the might be played offline but we have to download the next chapter to continue, and if we continue, we have to upgrade equipments to win battles ahead, not as easy as you heard, somtimes you'll face a hard situation when the difficult suddenly changed to impossible but you low on money to get upgrade things either the upgrade cost,
Everybody will feel it is a freemium or maybe pay2win, especially when it brought to pvp. Just play it and you'll feel it. Oopss.... exception! get the mod apk version of shadow fight below the third series and you wont face nothing on pve. Have a nice day.The games mentioned in this article are really good. It's my exams now, and i really wanted to play some offline games. Thanks for letting me know about these games.
why you never talk about game word ? so much people playing that
Can i play in my phone with rams 2 gigs ??
Illyria cRPG trilogy gets way less recognition than it deserves. Each installment tells a bit different story taking place in same world, with player controlling a party of up to six heroes (some among them quite villain-ish characters), traveling across quite massive piece of land, Oregon-trail style.
It's great, it's cheap, it works offline and IAPs are truly optional (sets of armors, or 'kill them all'-grenades that come in handy, but aren't indispensable to the gameplay).
Larry Hryb, the man known to the world as Major Nelson, announced on Twitter today that Microsoft has 'made some backend updates to improve your experience playing @Windows 10 games offline.' Basically, if you're going to be somewhere that lacks online coverage—on a submarine, for instance—it will still be possible to play your games. But there are some restrictions.
'Most games available in the Store on your Windows 10 device support offline play, but check the details of the game to make sure yours is supported by searching for your game at http://www.xbox.com,' the Xbox support site says. 'Most games with a campaign mode will be playable offline, but games with network co-op or multiplayer features will not work while you’re offline. While playing offline, some features, such as the ability to purchase additional items from the Windows Store, will not be available. Additionally, any leaderboards will be unavailable while you're offline.'
Obviously, online features like buying stuff from in-game stores won't be available when you're offline, but the bit about 'games with network co-op or multplayer features' not working while offline really isn't clear. We tested with Gears of War 4 and confirmed that the offline features like campaign and LAN multiplayer worked just fine when disconnected.
There are more caveats, though. You're limited to just one 'designated offline device' at a time, and you can only change your designated offline device three times per year. Switching into offline mode isn't all that easy, either. First, you'll need to set your designated offline device:
- Make sure that you’re online.
- Check that your device has the latest Windows updates: Go to Start,Settings, Update and security, and then Windows Update and see if any relevant updates are available.
- Open the Store. You’ll be prompted to sign in if you haven’t already.
- Select the Me icon (this is your profile picture).
- Select Settings, and then under Offline Permissions, make sure that the toggle is set to On.
After that, you'll have to 'prepare' your games by launching each one that you want to play offline while you're still online, and logging into your Xbox Live account. This is a bit like launching Steam into Offline mode while you still have an internet connection.. but you'll have to prepare each individual Xbox game this way before going offline.
Once you've logged into the game while you're online, you can exit at any time and you'll be set. Of course, if you change your mind and want to play something you haven't properly prepared, you're out of luck.
The upside is that this only affects Windows 10 games, but it still seems wildly complicated and restrictive to me. Worse, while improved functionality is always welcome, I can't see how this does anything but beg for unflattering comparisons with Steam: When I want to play my Steam games offline, I set Steam offline, restart it, and I'm on my way—and I can do it as often as I want. Microsoft's implementation of offline play is an improvement, but only because it wasn't available at all previously. As a step toward becoming more competitive with Steam, though, it falls woefully short.
Update: We have updated this article to include new selections in May of 2019. Please note that these games are not listed in any particular order.
Original article reads as follows:
The PC is filled with a myriad of games, many of which are free to play. These are made up of titles that are just as good as their premium counterparts, and come in a range of genres from shooters and team-oriented MOBAs to turn-based and real-time strategy games.
With that in mind, we’ve compiled 50+ of the best free to play games that the PC has to offer. They are not listed in any particular order, so don’t get mad at us for putting League of Legends over Dota 2.
#52 Duelyst
Duelyst is a competitive multiplayer tactical turn-based strategy game with cards. It has minions, spells, and artifacts–all the stuff you’d come to expect from a digital card game that’s played out on a board somewhat similar to Final Fantasy Tactics. It’s also one of the best online games there is at the moment. Definitely give it a try.
#51 Trove
This free-to-play action MMORPG is a bit like Minecraft, but offers way more combat and adventure and is set on a massively multiplayer server. Instead of simply building stuff, players can group up with others online to travel through the vast lands to discover weird new things and explore dungeons to kill strange monsters.
#50 Sven Co-op
This cooperative multiplayer game was originally developed as a mod for the original Half-Life. It was pretty popular back in the day, and now it’s back as a full fledged standalone title on Steam. In Sven Co-op, players must work together against AI and solve puzzles together as a team.
#49 AdVenture Capitalist
In AdVenture Capitalist, the idea is to make money – lots of money. You start by squeezing one little lemon for your lemonade stand and then… well, then it’s two in the morning and you’re an oil baron. The art style is reminiscent of the original Monopoly board, and there’s a spritely ‘50s soundtrack to keep you on track in your monetary adventures. Capitalism is fun, see?
#48 Spellweaver
Spellweaver is a new free-to-play digital card game in the same vein as Hearthstone and Magic: The Gathering. The title adds some new unique features to set it apart from its competitors. Namely, players can develop skills for their hero as they play. The hero complements your deck and affects gameplay.
#47 Warframe
Developed by Digital Extremes, Warframe is a cooperative free-to-play third person shooter that puts players in teams of four highly sophisticated Tenno commandos to take on a host of enemies throughout the solar system. Players can engage foes in melee and ranged combat.
#46 Dota 2
The sequel to the Warcraft 3 mod, Dota 2 is a competitive action game that’s played by millions around the globe. Players pick from a pool of over a hundred heroes, forming two teams of five players that go up against each other on a map, defending their base and attacking the enemy’s.
#45 Marvel Heroes 2015
Marvel Heroes 2015 (also known as Marvel Heroes) is the massively multiplayer online action RPG that allows players to take on the roles of many popular comic book heroes from the Marvel universe. Playable characters include the X-Men, the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and much more. Players battle against infamous villains like Dr. Doom and Loki throughout a game that receives periodic updates and new content for free.
#44 Heroes & Generals
Heroes & Generals is a free to play massively multiplayer online FPS that’s set in the midst of the Second World War, where Axis and Allies vie for control over Europe. The game currently sits in Steam Early Access and sees the addition of new content all of the time.
#43 Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft
From the developers of World of Warcraft and Diablo comes Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, an online card game that pits players against each other using fully customizable player decks. Players can earn new cards simply by playing the game for free, or pay to gain instant access to new decks of cards.
#42 SCP: Containment Breach
SCP: Containment Breach is a free-to-play title based on the SCP Foundation mythos. To be exact, the game is based on SCP-870, a story about a hideous man-made object which comes to life when you aren’t looking and attempts to kill you. It’s a bit like the weeping angels in Doctor Who.
If you aren’t staring at it or looking at what it’s doing, it’ll kill you, so you have to keep your eyes open and blink whenever you have a chance to do so so you don’t get tired and die.
Games To Download To Play Offline
#41 Planetside 2
Planetside 2 is a free-to-play massively multiplayer first person shooter which offers full scale battles taking place over the face of the planet Auraxis, where three distinct groups battle for territorial dominance. They have at their disposal numerous vehicles and weapons to allow for a futuristic experience of war.
It’s not a game that’s easy to pick up and play but it’s one you’ll want to master as it’s very addictive. You’ll need to invest some time in getting with a dedicated group of players and staging assaults, or you may find yourself lost and alone without a clue as to your objectives.
#40 Slender
We love to be scared, and Slender manages to do just that. Some would say that Slender isn’t so much of a game as it is a short, interactive experience that’s built right into the browser—but we think otherwise. If you love scares, do yourself a favor and play this one with the lights off and the headphones on.
Slender is played through the browser, but that don’t let that stop you from thinking it isn’t anything but a real game.
#39 Team Fortress 2
Team Fortress 2 is Valve’s biggest free-to-play game and one that offers AAA-quality first person shooter action through a variety of game modes ranging from simple Capture the Flag and Team Deathmatch, to unique ones like Push the Cart. There’s even a variety of variations on these modes, which see both teams pushing separate carts. The game also plays host to a variety of objective control modes and a bomb delivery mode.
In addition to all of those competitive team-vs-team modes, players can also indulge in a cooperative mode called Mann vs Mann, which pitches players against throngs of robotic enemies across a variety of maps.
#38 Blacklight Retribution
Blacklight Retribution is a sci-fi themed FPS in which players can join any number of servers to partake in online battles against many other players. The game is split across a variety of game types and maps, largely offering close quarters battles in which players engage in classic death match modes, Capture the Flag, or fight for dominance over specific objectives on the map.
Blacklight’s maps are filled with weapon depots, in which players can purchase upgrades with points accumulated during play, for ammo, better weapons, and even hardsuits, small-sized mechs that can be mounted by players to provide an edge on the battlefield. One of the game’s biggest feats is the customization of weapons and armor. Players can upgrade their kit by accumulating in-game money, which is acquired through play and leveling up, or use real-world currency to purchase these items permanently or lease them for a short period of time.
#37 Alien Swarm
Released by Valve for free, Alien Swarm is a remake of the Unreal 2004 mod that brought classic Gauntlet-style cooperative gameplay to Steam. With several classes to choose from, a host of upgrades and a ranking system, Alien Swarm provides countless hours of cooperative play.
#36 Knytt Stories
Knytt Stories is the brainchild of indie developer Nifflas. It combines platform action with art—surreal landscapes are its heart and soul. As a bonus, Knytt Stories even comes with downloadable stories that greatly extend its experience.
#35 Within a Deep Forest
Within a Deep Forest is another one of Nifflas’ creations. In the game, the player must control a ball that can be transformed into different substances and materials found in the landscape and use its transformative abilities to bypass obstacles to get to the next area.
#34 TribesNext
TribesNext is a fan-made release of Tribes 2. Arguably the best multiplayer shooter for its time, Tribes 2 can now be enjoyed for free. TribesNext offers continued support for the game, allowing players to browse game servers and play online matches in a hack-free environment.
#33 Spelunky
Spelunky takes players into a randomly generated underground world with every new adventure. Every cave is riddled with traps, angry monsters and untold riches. Players with a low tolerance for failure need not apply!
#32 Cave Story
Cave Story is an epic adventure told in gorgeous 16-bit. Inspired by games like Metroid, Castlevania and Commander Keen, Cave Story puts players in the role of an amnesiac boy who awakens in the strange world populated by floating islands. Players journey through the world completing platform puzzles and shooting enemies.
#31 D&D Online
D&D Online is an attempt to bring the magic of the pen and paper game Dungeons & Dragons to the PC. As a massively multiplayer game, D&D Online invites players to group up in parties or much larger raids to clear dungeons and progress through a pre-written story. Players will have emergent experiences that color their character’s personal story.
#30 Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun + Firestorm Expansion
Tiberian Sun is regarded by many as one of the best real-time strategy games ever created. Developed by Westwood Studios as a sequel to the groundbreaking Command & Conquer, Tiberian Sun and its expansion pack Firestorm continue the story of the GDI’s war against the sinister Brotherhood of Nod.
#29 Red Alert
Like Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun, the original Red Alert was released for free by its publisher EA as part of a promotion for Red Alert 3. In this RTS, players can play as either the Americans or the Soviets in an alternate history, altered by the death of Adolf Hitler.
#28 Star Control II: The Ur-Quan Masters
Star Control II is arguably the best game in the trilogy of Star Control titles. Like other titles in the trilogy, it is a story-driven space exploration adventure game where the player (in control of the Captain’s Ship) interacts with strange alien races through hours of dialogue and occasional ship-to-ship combat.
#27 Quake Live
Quake Live is a new variant of Quake III Arena, designed to run on Windows, OSX and Linux platforms through a web browser plugin. The FPS features a number of updates over Q3A and allows players to go head to head in online duels. Players can participate in free-for-alls, capture the flag, and team deathmatch, to specialized modes like InstaFreeze. Quake Live enjoys an active community of both amateur and professional gamers and is one of the few online games intended to be played as a professional sport.
#26 Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory
Before there was Team Fortress 2, there was Enemy Territory. Developed as a free multiplayer add-on to Return to Castle Wolfenstein, players took on the roles of axis and allies in this heavily stylized Gothic take on World War II in an objective-driven multiplayer FPS.
#25 League of Legends
This DOTA-inspired game is one of the most popular online multiplayer games the internet has to offer. It may not be entirely possible to thrive on League of Legends by sticking to the free mode, but that shouldn’t stop you from playing the game and—if you don’t like the idea of spending time to unlock champions—pay to unlock the ones you’d like to play.
#24 Passage
Passage is the definition of “games as art.” The game manages to elicit more emotion through its 8-bit graphics than most triple A titles. It’s the best 5 minutes you’ll ever spend playing a game.
#23 Dwarf Fortress
Dwarf Fortress is the only game on this list to favor a text user interface over graphics. It’s critically regarded as being one of the most intensive economic and strategic simulations to ever exist. Fortunately for players who can’t get used to the game’s text interface, there are a number of graphical mods that make it not only accessible, but even more enjoyable to play.
#22 Battle for Wesnoth
Battle for Wesnoth is a free downloadable turn-based game in the same vein as classics like Panzer General and Fantasy General, where battles take place on a hex map. Loosely based on the Sega Genesis title Warsong, Wesnoth is an open source strategy game with very simple rules yet remains both challenging and fun thanks to its strong AI.
#21 Simutrans
Simutrans is an open source remake of Transport Tycoon, where the player strives to run a successful transport system by setting up railroads, travel routes and mass transit.
#20 OpenTyrian
Tyrian is without question one of the best top-scrolling shooters to ever exist on the PC, standing among the likes of Raptor and Raiden 2. Tyrian differs from the competition with its story-intensive single player campaign and RPG-like elements, as players can upgrade their craft with all kinds of weaponry. Players can even ditch their existing craft for all new ships. Thanks to the open sourcing of the game, fans have made it possible to play Tyrian natively on both Windows and OSX platforms in high resolution.
#19 OpenTTD
OpenTTD is a remake of Transport Tycoon Deluxe. As an urban planning and transport simulation, the player’s goal is to earn profit through the transportation of passengers and freight by land, water and air. OpenTTD offers a multitude of customizations and even supports multiplayer gaming through LAN and Internet.
#18 King’s Quest I Remake
King’s Quest I is a fan remake of the Sierra’s original adventure game, released in 1984 and subsequently remade in 1990. It features all new graphics, a point and click interface, as well as full speech for all the characters in the game.
#17 King’s Quest II: Romancing the Stones
King’s Quest II takes off after the events of the first game. Like its predecessor, it has been remade with new graphics, interface and audio. The quality of the remake rivals Sierra’s own King’s Quest VI.
#16 King’s Quest III Redux
King’s Quest III is the final planned remake, and like the two previous games, adds new audio and visuals. The game also features several fleshed-out characters, new areas, and puzzles not seen in the original Sierra version.
#15 MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries
Released for free by Studio MekTek, MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries is the final game in the fantastic MechWarrior series of mech simulations. Players take on the role of a mercenary pilot named Spectre who finds himself in the employ of the Inner Sphere. The player makes a living by performing missions and completing contracts for the game’s various factions. The outcome of the story depends on the missions the player chooses to take on and the choices he or she makes during the game.
#14 MechCommander Gold
MechCommander is a real time tactical game which puts players in command of a company of mechs. Tasked with taking back the planet of Port Arthur, players start out with the weakest of mechs and must salvage equipment and acquire superior mechs while completing various objectives in missions. Much like an RPG, pilots also increase in skill as they use them during missions.
#13 Path of Exile
Path of Exile is an action RPG title that is often considered a clone of the Diablo series. The video game puts players into an exile who must live on a continent known as Wraeclast which houses other exiles for their various crimes. Much like Diablo, players will take on quests, fight off a variety of enemies, and lastly, gather new loot.
#12 World of Tanks
World of Tanks is an MMO that puts players into the mid-20th century. Overall, the game is an action title that features vehicle combat. Players will be fighting within a variety of tanks that will vary in stats and as players progress within the game, new tanks can be collected to use in online matches.
#11 Smite
Smite has been around for a few years now on the PC platform. This is a MOBA video game that focuses on mythological figures going to battle. If you’re familiar with titles such as League of Legends then you can expect the same overall gameplay within Smite. However, there is a number of game modes to choose from which will alter the overall gameplay goals or the maps, such as Clash, a game mode that only contains two lanes.
#10 Mandagon
Mandagon is a platformer that is inspired by Tibetan theology. The game design looks similar to titles such as Super Meat Boy and Fez, however, the game is non-linear offering a bit more exploration. Overall, your goal is to acquire various tablets and bring them to shrines and while that sounds pretty bare bones, there is a Narrative journey to be enjoyed while you play.
#9 Paladins
Often considered an Overwatch clone, Paladins is still a fantastic game. There are some slight differences between the two hero-based shooters, but you’ll still find that each hero in Paladins will have their own unique abilities that they can bring in to the fight. With that said, you can expect there to be some more emphasis on purchasing some microtransactions, but it makes sense since the overall game is free to play.
#8 Warface 2016: Anubis
Warface 2016: Anubis is a polished FPS video game that offers both the ability to play with or against your friends. The title plays extremely well, though being a free-to-play title there is some emphasis on paying a few microtransactions. With that said, these microtransactions are completely optional where if players spend enough time going through the game, new unlocks and items can be acquired without spending a dime.
#7 Wildstar
Originally released to be a subscription-based video game, Wildstar has since turned to the free-to-play model. This is an online RPG title set in a fantasy sci-fi world in which players will be completing quests, going through dungeons, and facing against other players. A nice little addition to this video game is that gameplay doesn’t necessarily rely on level progression as much as the title focuses on skill level.
#6 Minecraft Classic
Minecraft has been an iconic video game title for years now and you’re likely aware of the current editions made available on platforms you’re enjoying today. While these current editions will set players back, Microsoft did release the Minecraft Classic edition completely for free. In fact, the video game can be enjoyed right now without the need of any download. The entire classic edition of this video game can be enjoyed through your web browser though you will want to make note that this classic edition is pretty bare bones by today’s standards. Don’t go into the game expecting all the content and features from the franchise that you’d be able to enjoy with the latest launches but it’s certainly a great time killer.
#5 Evolve Stage 2
Evolve Stage 2 is essentially Evolve which you may have remembered from when it first released a few years ago. After support ended for the original Evolve video game, Evolve Stage 2 released with a few changes for players to enjoy. For the most part, this is still very much player vs player type gameplay. While there is still the 4v1 gameplay that was present in Evolve, there are a few other new game modes added in which players will either become a hunter who must kill off any monsters, or become a monster themselves and hunt down the remaining players.
#4 Gwent
After gaining attention as a minigame in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Gwent: The Witcher Card Game released in a beta. This is a turn-based card game where two players will face against one another, similar to Hearthstone. The goal is to win two out of the three rounds by playing and collect various cards. While the game has a positive reception, we still have to hold off for its official release.
#3 Fortnite
Fortnite has become one of the biggest video games to play at the current moment especially for the battle royale mode. With its over-the-top cartoonish aesthetics, Fortnite has attracted players from all ages. Overall, the goal of the game is to be the last man standing in a tense third-person shooter. Players are able to roam the map freely as they search for resources and goods though at certain periods the map size shrinks forcing players to eventually meet in a small area.
#2 Quake Champions
Quake Champions is the latest Quake main entry title since Quake 4 released in 2005. This is another fast-paced arena FPS where players will face against each other with a roster full characters that have their own unique abilities and traits. Likewise, you’ll even find some new faces in the roster such as B.J. Blazkoicz from the Wolfenstein series along with the infamous Doomguy.
Currently the game is in Early Access on Steam but it was announced during QuakeCon 2018 that the game has gone completely free-to-play.
#1 Apex Legends
Apex Legends was a surprise video game release from developers Respawn Entertainment. After EA had acquired the development studio, it was believed that the only real game on the development team’s plate was Titanfall 3 but in early February of 2019, Apex Legends was announced along with released into the market. This is a battle royale video game title which takes place in the same universe of Titanfall. In fact, the game is set just a few decades after the events of Titanfall 2 and it plays similar to other battle royale focused titles such as Fortnite with mixed hero focused characters.
In the game, players are divided up into squads of three with a total of twenty teams. Each player then picks a character which will have their own unique abilities and attributes. When the match starts, players are dropped into a large map where they must rely on fellow teammates while scavenging for resources and weapons. As the map size shrinks, players must work on defeating all of the opposing teams in hopes that their team is the last standing. There are the traditional microtransactions within the game such as Respawn Entertainment’s take on loot boxes but the title is certainly gaining plenty of gamers as already the title received over twenty million downloads in its first week.
If you typically don’t enjoy battle royale video game titles then you may want to give this game a try. It’s quickly gained a massive audience and it offers a slightly unique spin on the franchise with the inclusion of hero class characters. Even if you still don’t find any enjoyment out of the game you won’t have to spend any money to give it an honest try.
If you’re planning to be in an area with no online coverage, such as on a long-distance flight or a sailing excursion, you can prepare your Windows 10 device to allow you to play offline. Most games available in Microsoft Store on your Windows 10 device support offline play, but check the details of the game to make sure yours is supported by searching for your game at http://www.xbox.com.
Most games with a campaign mode will be playable offline, but games with network co-op or multiplayer features will not work while you’re offline.
While playing offline, some features, such as the ability to purchase additional items from Microsoft Store, will not be available. Additionally, any leaderboards will be unavailable while you're offline.
Achievements
If you earn any achievements while playing offline, they will sync to your account the next time you sign in to Xbox Live on your device. You won’t see a toast notification letting you know that you unlocked the achievement until you sign in to Xbox Live on that device.
Cloud saves and offline game play
Before you go offline, connect to Xbox Live to sync your most recent game save to the cloud. While you play offline, your game save progress will continue to be saved locally, and it’ll sync the next time you sign in to Xbox Live. If you want to continue playing on a different device (or platform, if the game supports Xbox Play Anywhere), you’ll need to go online and connect to Xbox Live to allow your local saved game to sync with the cloud again.
If you’re on a Windows 10 device, your cloud saves will automatically start uploading once you’re signed in and connected to Xbox Live. Game save sync is usually fast, but allow a couple of minutes before you try playing on another device.