Anyone who’s sat through a red-eye flight or a delayed layover knows the drill: you watch a movie, put on a playlist, scroll through your phone for a while — and somehow there are still hours left on the clock. That’s usually the point where a good game saves the trip.
Whether you’re stuck in a middle seat, killing time at the gate, or riding shotgun on a road trip, the right game can turn “are we there yet” into “wait, it’s boarding already?” Below are 10 of the best travel games for flights, layovers, and road trips, ranging from cozy farming sims to deck-building strategy. And if you want to stock up before you go, GAMIVO is worth a browse for cheap digital game keys across most platforms.
10 Best Games to Play During Travel
Here are the best games you can enjoy and play during long flights and road trips
- Minecraft
If you want one game that can realistically eat an entire flight, Minecraft is hard to beat. Build a house, dig a mine, tame animals, or just wander and see what’s out there — there’s no script forcing you to hurry.
That open-endedness is exactly why it’s one of the most flexible games to play during travel. Twenty minutes before boarding? Fine. A six-hour flight? Also fine. Just double-check the offline mode on your specific version before you leave the house — some editions lean more on a connection than others.
- Terraria
Think of Terraria as Minecraft’s 2D cousin with a bit more combat bite. You’re digging through caves, gathering loot, building a base, and fending off whatever the world throws at you — all wrapped in a genuinely charming pixel-art style.
There’s always one more boss to fight or one more biome to find, which keeps it firmly on the list of solid travel games for long flights. It’s easy to pick up for a few minutes and just as easy to lose an hour in. Confirm what you’ll need pre-downloaded if you’re expecting spotty Wi-Fi.
- Stardew Valley
Not every trip calls for combat and crafting chaos. Sometimes you just want to tend a farm, chat with the townsfolk, and watch your crops grow. That’s Stardew Valley’s whole appeal.
It’s low-stress by design — nothing punishes you for putting the game down mid-task, which makes it one of the more relaxing games to play during travel. Play for ten minutes while a drink cart rolls by, or sink into a full session on a delayed layover. Either way works.
- No Man’s Sky
For travelers who like the idea of exploring somewhere new (fitting, given the circumstances), No Man’s Sky hands you an entire galaxy. Hop between planets, scan strange wildlife, mine resources, and build up your base as you go.
There’s genuinely so much to see that running out of content isn’t really a worry on a single trip. Just check your platform’s storage and offline requirements ahead of time — a game this big comes with a download size to match.
- Project Zomboid
If survival games are more your speed, Project Zomboid leans into a slower, more methodical style of gameplay. You’re managing food, shelter, health, and the ever-present zombie threat, which means every decision actually matters.
That deliberate pace is a good match for long stretches of travel time, since you’re not rushing from one action sequence to the next. It’s also a strong pick if you’re specifically after games to play during travel; just confirm what your platform needs downloaded beforehand.
- Slay the Spire 2
Card and strategy fans should have Slay the Spire 2 on their radar. Every run is about building the right deck, chaining synergies together, and adapting your strategy as new cards show up.
Because it’s turn-based, you can pause mid-run without losing momentum — a genuinely useful trait for airport layovers where boarding time is a moving target. Ten minutes here, twenty there, and you’re still making real progress.
- 7 Days to Die
Part survival game, part base-builder, part horde-fighting shooter — 7 Days to Die blends crafting and combat into one steady loop of scavenging and defending. Gather supplies, fortify your base, and brace for the next wave.
There’s enough variety in what you’re doing hour to hour that it holds up well over a long journey, making it a solid contender if you’re compiling a list of the best travel games. Update it and check your storage space before you head to the airport, since it’s not a small install.
- Deep Rock Galactic
Traveling as a group? Deep Rock Galactic turns the trip into a shared mission. It’s a co-op mining and combat game where your squad digs, blasts, and fights its way through underground caverns together.
Group trips are exactly where this one shines, since everyone’s working toward the same goal. The catch: multiplayer needs a connection, so it’s smart to have a single-player backup ready in case the Wi-Fi doesn’t cooperate.
- Tabletop Simulator
For anyone who’d rather be playing a board game than a shooter, Tabletop Simulator brings physical games into digital form — chess, card games, party games, and plenty of community-made tables to explore.
It’s a nice change of pace from combat-heavy titles and works especially well with a group of friends along for the ride. Multiplayer requirements vary by which game you’re loading up, so it’s worth checking details before departure. You can also browse more titles on GAMIVO if you want to round out your travel library by genre.
- Subnautica
Subnautica trades the sky for the sea — you’re exploring an alien ocean, scavenging wreckage, building a base, and slowly uncovering what actually happened here. It’s tense in places, but never in a way that demands your full attention every second.
Since it’s entirely single-player, it’s a natural fit for solo travelers who’d rather not depend on a connection. If offline play matters to you, get everything downloaded and double-check your platform’s requirements before you leave.
How to Choose the Best Games for Travel
Picking the right game isn’t just about grabbing whatever’s trending. A few things worth thinking through first:
- Offline support — non-negotiable if you won’t have reliable Wi-Fi
- Battery use — some games drain a phone or laptop faster than others, especially on long flights
- Storage space — bigger open-world games eat up a lot of it
- Downloads and updates — handle these before you leave, not at the gate
- Play style and session length — short, pausable games suit layovers; longer, immersive games suit uninterrupted stretches like overnight flights
If you’re still torn, browsing by genre on GAMIVO is a decent way to find something that actually matches how you’ll be playing.
Tips for Gaming on Flights and Road Trips
Here are some tips that help you to enjoy games to play during travel:
- Download your games and any pending updates while you’re still on solid Wi-Fi
- Charge everything fully before you leave
- Free up storage ahead of time, not mid-flight
On flights, dim your screen to stretch your battery, bring headphones, and keep at least one fully offline game ready as a backup.
On road trips, gaming is a great way for passengers to pass the miles — but it goes without saying that whoever’s driving needs to stay focused on the road, not the screen.
FAQs: Best games to play during travel
- What are the best offline games for flights?
Minecraft, Stardew Valley, and Subnautica are great picks since they run fully offline once downloaded.
- Which games work best for short airport layovers?
Turn-based, pausable games like Slay the Spire 2 are ideal since you can stop anytime without losing progress.
- Can I play multiplayer games like Deep Rock Galactic while traveling?
Only if you have internet access, so it’s best to keep a single-player backup ready.
- What should I do before traveling with games?
Download all games and updates, free up storage, and fully charge your device beforehand.
- Are road trip games different from flight games?
Not really; the same games work for both. Just remember the driver should never play while driving.
Final Thoughts
A long flight or a slow layover doesn’t have to feel like dead time. With the right lineup of games to play during travel, you can relax, explore, build, or strategize your way through hours that would otherwise just drag.
Pick a couple of games from different genres, get them downloaded ahead of time, and check their offline and storage requirements before you go. And if you’re looking to add to your library, GAMIVO is a good place to find your next travel game before takeoff.
