The best games to play on a plane without Wi-Fi are ones that live entirely on your device. Classic board games like chess, backgammon, Mancala, Reversi and Hangman can be played with your seatmate on one phone or against the computer on your own, and once you’ve loaded them before boarding, they work in airplane mode from takeoff to landing.
Get set up before you board
In-flight Wi-Fi can be slow, expensive or missing altogether, so don’t count on it. A few minutes at home or at the gate is all it takes:
- Open the site while you’re still connected. Pass and Play Games works offline after the first visit, so loading it once at home or in the terminal is enough.
- Install it as an app if you like. It’s optional, but it puts the games on your home screen next to your other apps.
- Test in airplane mode. Switch it on and open a game to make sure it loads.
- Charge up. Bring a power bank in case your seat has no outlet.
- Pick your theme. The site has light and dark modes, and dark mode is easier on your eyes (and your neighbors’) when the cabin lights go down.
Everything here is free and needs no sign-up. For more games that run without a connection, browse our offline games.
Five games for two seatmates
These games are built for two people sharing one screen. Rest the phone or tablet on the tray table between you, or pass it across the armrest each turn. The optional “pass the device” screen between turns makes it clear whose move it is.
Chess
The classic for long flights. A casual game can easily fill half an hour or more, and there’s no board to balance and no pieces sliding into the seat pocket. If you’re traveling with someone new to the game, working through the beginner chess tutorial together is a good way to spend the first hour. Play chess.
Backgammon
Backgammon mixes dice luck with real decisions, so a beginner can win any single game, and games are short enough to play a match of several. It belongs to the “tables” family of board games, which has been played for well over a thousand years. On a phone, the dice can’t roll off the tray table. Rusty on the starting position? The backgammon rules guide walks through it. Play backgammon.
Mancala
Mancala is a family of “sowing” games played for centuries across Africa, the Middle East and Asia. The version here uses Kalah rules: each player has six pits with four seeds in each, plus a store at the end. Scoop up all the seeds in one of your pits and drop them one at a time counterclockwise. Land your last seed in your own store and you go again; land it in an empty pit on your side and you capture the seeds in the pit across from it. Games are quick and work for kids and adults alike. Play Mancala.
Reversi
Players take turns placing discs on an 8x8 board, flipping any of the opponent’s discs trapped in a straight line between the new disc and one of their own. The lead can swing wildly in the last few moves, so nobody is out of it until the end. With 60 open squares at the start, a game can’t run longer than 60 moves, which fits even a short hop. Play Reversi.
Hangman
One player types a secret word while the other looks away (the pass screen keeps it hidden), then the guesser picks letters one at a time. Choose a theme like your destination, foods or movies. It’s a relaxed, quiet game for a seatmate who doesn’t feel like learning strategy at cruising altitude. Play Hangman.
Plane games compared
Game lengths are rough guides for casual play; experienced players and close games run longer.
| Game | Players | Typical game length | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chess | 2 | 30 minutes or more | Long flights and patient thinkers |
| Backgammon | 2 | 10 to 20 minutes | A best-of-five match |
| Mancala | 2 | 5 to 15 minutes | Quick rounds, kids and adults |
| Reversi | 2 | 10 to 20 minutes | Simple rules, big comebacks |
| Hangman | 1 or 2+ | A few minutes per word | Low-effort, quiet fun |
Flying solo? Play the computer
Traveling alone doesn’t leave you stuck with the in-flight magazine. Every game on the site except Snakes and Ladders has a computer opponent with Easy, Medium and Hard levels. A long flight is a good chance to work your way up: start on Easy while you learn the rules, then move up a level once you’re winning comfortably. In Hangman, the computer picks words from its built-in lists, so it works for one player too. Our games vs computer page lists every game with a computer opponent.
Flying with kids
Younger travelers do best with fast games that need little explanation. Try Tic-Tac-Toe or Four in a Row, where rounds take a minute or two. Snakes and Ladders is pure luck, so a parent and a five-year-old start on equal footing. For older kids, Mancala is easy to pick up and good counting practice. If siblings are sharing one tablet across the row, agree on turn order before takeoff.
Be a good seatmate
- Mute the sound or plug in headphones.
- Turn down the brightness on night flights.
- Put the device away when asked. The game saves automatically, so you can stop for meal service or descent and pick it up later.
- Use undo for turbulence taps. One bump can put a piece on the wrong square, and undo takes it back.
- Have a no-battery backup. Hangman, Tic-Tac-Toe and Dots and Boxes need nothing more than a pen and a napkin.
If the next leg of your trip is by car, see our road trip games with no internet. For more head-to-head picks, browse our two-player games.