Puzzle games for a long flight

Flights are the ultimate test of an offline game. No signal, nothing to do, and a screen that has to earn its battery drain. Puzzle games are my go-to, and over the years I've learned which types survive the trip.

Logic puzzles with a chapter structure work best. You get a clear sense of progress, and if you nod off you can pick up exactly where you stopped. Hollow Lantern isn't strictly a puzzle game but its environmental puzzles scratch the same itch beautifully.

Avoid anything with daily challenges or energy meters that reset on a timer — those usually phone home. Before you board, open the game once in airplane mode at the gate to make sure it still runs. A surprising number don't.

Pack two: one calm, one sharp. When your brain tires of the hard one, the gentle one keeps you going.