Plenty of iPhone games stop working without a connection, or quietly lose their ads, saves and purchases. Every game on this page says it plays offline. That includes our Director games, which never connect to the internet at all, and other studios' games whose own App Store descriptions say they work offline or in airplane mode.
We make the Director games, so they come first, and we say so. Everything about other studios' games comes from their App Store listings, checked on 20 October 2026. Prices are US prices.
Before you fly
- Download the game at home, not on airport Wi-Fi. Bigger games can be several hundred megabytes.
- Open it once while you're online. Some games finish downloading content or set up a save on first launch.
- Switch to airplane mode and open it again before you leave. If it plays, you're set.
Our games: never online, no ads
| Game | What you do | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Airport Director | Run an airport in real time: airlines, runways, security queues, weather | $2.99 |
| Oil Director | Find oil, drill, pipe it to market and ride the price | $2.99 |
| Vineyard Director | Grow grapes, make wine and face the critics | $2.99 |
| Hotel Director | Build a London hotel group, one week at a time | Free |
The Director games never connect to the internet, have no ads, and only run while you're playing, so nothing goes wrong while your phone is off. Hotel Director is turn-based, which makes it ideal for a flight: put it down at any point and pick up exactly where you left off. Each needs iOS 26 or later.
Other iPhone games that say they play offline
| Game | Developer | Price | In-app purchases | What its listing says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game Dev Tycoon | Greenheart Games | $4.99 | None | Plays in airplane mode |
| ISLANDERS: Mobile | Coatsink | $4.99 | None | Offline play with no ads |
| Rebel Inc. | Ndemic Creations | $1.99 | Yes | Internet connection not required |
| After Inc. | Ndemic Creations | $1.99 | Yes | Plays offline |
| The Battle of Polytopia | Midjiwan | Free | Yes | Offline play |
| Hotel Story: Resort Simulation | Happy Labs | Free | Yes | Plays offline |
- Game Dev Tycoon: build a games studio from a garage to a top publisher. No ads, no in-app purchases, and hours of play per run.
- ISLANDERS: Mobile: a calm island town builder, ideal for a short flight.
- Rebel Inc.: stabilise a war-torn region, from the makers of Plague Inc.
- After Inc.: the same team's game about rebuilding civilisation after a zombie outbreak.
- The Battle of Polytopia: a turn-based strategy game you can play against the computer offline.
- Hotel Story: build a resort hotel with hundreds of facilities.
Why tycoon games are good on a plane
Tycoon and management games suit flights. They're single-player, they don't need quick reactions, and a run can last for hours. The best ones for offline play are premium games, because free games usually depend on ads and online shops, which don't work in airplane mode.
Frequently asked
What games can I play on iPhone without Wi-Fi? Any game on this page. The Director games never connect at all, and the others' App Store descriptions say they play offline.
Do Director games save while I'm offline? Yes. Your saves stay on your phone, so nothing needs a connection.
Is there a free offline tycoon game for iPhone? Hotel Director is free, plays fully offline and has no ads. London plays in full; other cities are optional purchases.