What "offline" actually means for phone games

We say a game is offline a lot on this site, so it's worth explaining what we check for. It's more than just whether the app opens without a connection.

First, we run everything in airplane mode from the start screen through to actual gameplay. Some games load fine but freeze the moment you try to save or advance a level. That's not offline in any useful sense.

Second, we look for hidden connection nags — daily login rewards, forced updates, or features that quietly greyed out. If half the game vanishes without wifi, it fails our test.

Finally, we care about where your saves live. Local saves mean your progress is yours. Cloud-only saves that need syncing are a red flag for a game we'd call properly offline.