Summary
We’re more online than we ever have been, and that’s as true for gaming as any other industry. With many games now pushing online features and requiring online connections, theNintendo Switchremains a console where it’s easy to find games to play as they are, no matter the state of your internet connection or the functionality of the servers.
Fortunately, there are plenty of games designed to be played offline, including most Nintendo,anda huge catalog of ported games. You can take your Switch on the go and still have the entire experience without WiFi access.
If you haven’t yet played Breath of the Wild, or any game in the Legend of Zelda series, then you should consider giving this one a try. You take control of Link, ready to explore an open-world full of puzzles, combat, and colorful characters.
The entire game can be played fully offline, as long as you have it either downloaded or on a physical cartridge. There aren’t any online elements that will inhibit your progress or that you’ll be missing out on without a connection.
An action-packed installment featuring one ofthe most iconic game characters to ever exist,Super Mario Odyssey can be played without an internet connectionorany prior knowledge of the series. In it, you platform across a variety of worlds and levels using new (and familiar) power-ups.
All of the base game can be played offline, though there are a few elements that aren’t accessible if you don’t have an internet connection. You can’t connect to leader boards or Luigi’s Balloon World, but neither of these things factor into the main game’s progress. They’re just fun asides.
The award-winning sequel to Breath of the Wild, this game can likewise be played as it is, offline. You again take up the role of Link, this time with new tools and tricks, and go about re-exploring the changed landscape of Hyrule (and aboveandbelow).
While you could go ahead and play this game without playing the first one, the two together will offer over 100 hours of game play, which should be enough to cover even the longest of road trips without the internet.
As the title indicates, this game is a remastered version of the original Metroid Prime, so it’s a great way to experience some gaming history. You play as bounty hunter Samus, blasting your way through hostile forces in first-person while exploring this sci-fi world.
The entire campaign is read to go out of the box (or fresh off being downloaded) without any connection to the internet. Because the game stays so true to the original, there’s the same focus on the player’s immediate experience on the console instead of in an online space.
This complex, and long, RPG revolves around a handful of students who have access to an alternate reality, from which they can use their persona’s abilities to change people in the real world. It’s a story-heavy experience with combat elementsandsocial sim elements.
The online features are minimal (seeing what other players have done, getting answers to some classroom questions, and getting the abilities gained from online fusions) so you won’t be missing much without a connection. Other than that, everything about this game can be accessed and played offline.
Hades isn’t only an enjoyable rouguelite, it also has a tight story line (and excellent character design) that justifies the format in an interesting way that drives you forward without the combat getting repetitive.
The best part? You don’t need an internet connection at all to enjoy the game; it can be played completely offline, and is designed to be played that way. There aren’t any features that you need to worry about missing out on.
An indie darling, Undertale set the bar for a lot of interesting developments in both meta-gaming and choice-based gaming. If you’re looking for a shorter RPG that has a high replay value with some interesting elements, you might want to experience it for yourselfnow that you may play this indie game on the Switch.
Perhaps because the sole developer was already doing a lot, there aren’t any online features that being offline could impact. You can play everything the game has to offer, the whole story and all versions of it, without needing to worry about WiFi.
The point of the Bayonetta games is half style and half combat. You play as the titular Bayonetta, who takes on hordes of both angels and demons with various combinations of weapons. It’s a very fun, over-the-top experience with a unique protagonist.
While there is an online multiplayer mode, you’re able to play the game yourself without an online connection. This online co-op doesn’t include a couch co-op, but you aren’t missing out on any game play if you don’t have any connection (either interpersonal or internet).
If you enjoy Sonic, if you’ve played the original Sonic Mania, or if you’re completely new to the series, and you’d like an entry point, this game delivers on everything Sonic became famous for. It’s a 2D race through classic maps, all of which can be replayed in order to get new personal records.
There is a couch co-op in this game, but there’s no online play. The game comes playable as is. The new content and upgrades to the original Sonic Mania do not include any online additions.
For those who want a darker experience,the Switch is no stranger to horror games either.While Inside isn’t exactly a horror game, it does offer an eerie ambiance that should scratch the same itch. You play as an unnamed boy, navigating a strange and unsettling project via platforming and puzzle-solving.
Though it has a relatively short campaign, you can beat the entire game offline. Then, if you still want more, or you enjoyed the unique style, you can also play Limbo, an older game by the same developer that is also available on the Switch, with offline play.
