Puzzle games that survive a long flight

A long flight is the true test of an offline game. No signal, a dying battery, and a lot of hours to kill. Puzzle games are my go-to here because they're light on the battery and easy to pause when the drinks cart arrives.

The best offline puzzlers give you a big stack of levels stored locally so you never hit a wall waiting to reconnect. I always check before boarding — flip on airplane mode and see if the game still opens every menu. Some fail that test instantly.

I lean toward puzzles with a gentle difficulty curve rather than ones that spike hard. On a flight you want steady flow, not frustration at 30,000 feet. Games that let you skip a stubborn level are a small mercy.

Bring headphones too. A good puzzle game's soundtrack does a lot to block out engine noise, and it makes the hours melt away faster than you'd think.