Offline RPGs that don't need a server to shine

Too many mobile RPGs these days are really online services wearing an RPG costume. We wanted the opposite: games with a beginning, a middle, and an end that you can play on a plane without losing progress.

Emberfall Chronicles tops our list for its turn-based combat and a story that actually respects your attention. But it's not alone — the genre still has plenty of titles built around local saves and real campaigns.

The thing to look for is a game that saves on your device and never nags you to connect. If the intro screen spins forever without a signal, that's your warning sign.

Our advice: download a couple before a long trip and give each an hour. The ones that hook you in that window are usually the keepers. The rest you can delete without regret.