- What's the quickest way to test any game?
- Before you test: what does the store listing say?
- How do you check an Android game offline?
- How do you test on an iPhone or iPad?
- How do you test a PC game or a Steam game?
- Can you check a console game offline?
- Ways to cut the connection on phones, PCs and consoles
- Which features fail first when you play without a signal?
- Where to look next
- Frequently asked questions
To check if a game works offline, install it and open it once on wifi, then close it, turn on Airplane Mode or disconnect, and make sure wifi is off too. Reopen the game, play a full level, then close and reopen it to check your progress saved. Consoles and Steam need their offline setting turned on first.
Last checked: October 2026.
There's nothing quite like settling into a long flight or a train with patchy signal, opening a game you downloaded specially, and getting a message that says you need to connect. Store listings help, but they don't always tell the whole story. The only way to be sure is to test the game yourself before you need it.
Below you'll find a simple test that works on any device, then the specific steps for Android, iPhone, Windows and Steam, PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch. The settings and menu names come from each company's own support pages. If you're not sure what counts as an offline game in the first place, start with my explainer on what offline games are and how they work.
What's the quickest way to test any game?
The method is the same everywhere: get the game fully ready while you're connected, cut every connection, then play it the way you'd play it on the journey.
- Download and install the game on wifi.
- Open it once while you're still connected. Let it finish any extra downloads, tutorials or sign-in screens.
- Close the game completely, not just to the background.
- Cut the connection with Airplane Mode or by going offline, and check wifi is off too.
- Open the game again and play a full level, round or match, not just the menu.
- Close it, reopen it and check your progress is still there.
Step six matters more than people think. Some games let you play offline but only save your progress when they can reach their server, so you'd lose everything you did on the plane.
Before you test: what does the store listing say?
Read the listing before you download, because it can save you time. On Google Play, some game listings show an Offline tag among the genre tags under the description, and many descriptions mention offline play directly. Hill Climb Racing's listing, for example, says it's playable completely offline. The Battle of Polytopia's listing says it can be played offline.
Look for phrases like playable offline, no internet required or no wifi needed. Then look for warning signs: words like live events, online multiplayer, compete with players worldwide or sync your progress usually mean some parts need a connection. A listing claim is a good sign, but it isn't proof. That's what the test is for.
How do you check an Android game offline?
Google's help page gives two ways to turn on Airplane mode. You can open the Settings app, tap Network & internet and turn Airplane mode on. Or you can swipe down from the top of the screen and tap the Airplane mode icon.
Google also says that when you first turn on Airplane mode, wifi and Bluetooth turn off, but if you switch them back on, your phone will remember that next time. So if you've ever turned wifi back on during a flight, check the wifi icon before you trust the test.
How do you test on an iPhone or iPad?
Apple's support page says to open Control Center and tap the Airplane Mode button. Apple also says Airplane Mode turns off every radio except Bluetooth, and that you can turn wifi back on while you're in Airplane Mode if your airline allows it. As with Android, glance at the wifi icon in Control Center to make sure it's off before you open the game.
How do you test a PC game or a Steam game?
On Windows, Microsoft's support page says you can select the Network icon on the taskbar and choose Airplane mode, or go to Start, Settings, Network & internet, Airplane mode. Microsoft notes that Windows remembers whether wifi or Bluetooth was on last time, so check both.
For Steam, there's a separate step. Steam's support pages say Offline Mode lets you play games through Steam without reconnecting to the Steam Network each time. Steam's guidance is to set it up while you're online: sign in with Remember me ticked, make sure your games are updated, launch each one once, then choose Go Offline from the Steam menu. Do this at home before you travel, because if Steam asks you to sign in, you'll need to be online to get past that screen.
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Can you check a console game offline?
Yes, and on consoles there's usually a setting to turn on before the test means anything.
- PS5: Sony's support page says to go to Settings, Users and Accounts, Other, Console Sharing and Offline Play, and enable it. With it on, anyone using that PS5 can play your games and media even when the console is offline. It can only be on for one PS5 at a time.
- Xbox: Xbox Support says your home Xbox lets you play your digital games offline, and you can only have one home Xbox at a time. You can also set the console to offline so it stops asking you to connect. Xbox notes that you need to be online when you set the console up the first time.
- Nintendo Switch: Nintendo says that once a virtual game card is loaded on a console, all users on that console can play the software without an internet connection. Nintendo Switch Online classic games need a connection to check your membership, and cloud versions of games need the internet to run.
Once the setting's in place, unplug the network cable or turn off wifi on the console and launch the game. Play past the title screen, because some games only check for a connection when you start a mode.
Ways to cut the connection on phones, PCs and consoles
| Device | How to cut the connection | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Android phone or tablet | Settings, Network & internet, Airplane mode, or the Airplane mode tile | The phone remembers if you turned wifi back on |
| iPhone or iPad | Control Center, Airplane Mode button | Wifi can stay on in Airplane Mode, check the icon |
| Windows PC | Network icon on the taskbar, Airplane mode | Windows remembers your last wifi setting |
| Steam on PC | Steam menu, Go Offline | Sign in with Remember me and update games first |
| PS5 | Turn on Console Sharing and Offline Play, then disconnect | Only one PS5 can have it on |
| Xbox | Set it as your home Xbox, then go offline | First setup needs a connection |
| Nintendo Switch | Load the virtual game card, then disconnect | Online membership and cloud games still need internet |
Which features fail first when you play without a signal?
When a game passes the basic test, it's worth poking at the edges for a minute. These are the parts most likely to stop working:
- Daily challenges, events and spin-the-wheel rewards.
- Leaderboards and anything that compares you with other players.
- Saving to the cloud or switching between devices.
- Unlocking new levels or characters that the game downloads on demand.
- Rewarded ads, the ones that give you a bonus for watching.
None of these is a dealbreaker if the core game works. You just want to know before you're somewhere with no signal and a bored child in the back seat.
Where to look next
If you'd rather start from games that already pass, I keep lists of the best free games to play on a plane and offline games for long train journeys. Run the quick test on whatever you choose anyway, because games change with updates.
Related guides live in the Free Games to Play Offline and Online: Every Guide in One Place (2026).
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if a game is offline before I download it?
Read the store listing. Look for phrases like playable offline or no internet required, and on Google Play check for an Offline tag among the game's tags. Then test it with Airplane Mode after you've installed it.
Why does a game work offline at home but not on the plane?
Usually it was never opened while connected, so it hadn't finished downloading its extra files. Open every new game once on wifi before you travel.
Does Airplane Mode stop all games connecting?
It turns off mobile data and, by default, wifi. Both Apple and Google let you switch wifi back on while Airplane Mode is on, so check the wifi icon is off before you test.
Can I play Steam games without the internet?
Steam has an Offline Mode. Set it up while you're online by signing in with Remember me ticked and updating your games, then choose Go Offline from the Steam menu.
Will my progress save if I play offline?
Most offline games save to the device. Some only save when they can reach their server, so close and reopen the game during your test to check.
