How We Test Whether a Game Really Works Offline

Plenty of games claim to be offline. Fewer actually are. Our test is simple and we run it on everything before writing a word: install on Wi-Fi, flip airplane mode on, and try to do everything the game offers.

First we check the launch. If the title screen spins forever without a connection, it fails immediately. Then we test saving, because a game that saves to a server is not offline no matter what the store page says.

We also look for the sneaky stuff: ads that need a connection to show before you can continue, daily rewards that lock content behind a login, and energy systems that quietly phone home. These are the traps that ruin a flight.

Only after a game survives all of that do we settle in for the actual review and the hours of play behind our rating. The offline check is a gate, not the whole judgment.

If you ever catch us listing something that fails this test, email us. We'll recheck it and update the review. Getting this right is the whole reason the site exists.