Games That Won't Kill Your Battery on a Long Trip

Nothing ruins a long trip like watching your battery drop to twenty percent an hour into a flight because your game is quietly cooking your phone. Some offline games are far gentler than others.

As a rule, turn-based and puzzle games are kind to your battery — they're not rendering a busy 3D world sixty times a second. Big Bass Fishin, for instance, ran for ages on my phone because a calm fishing scene just doesn't demand much.

Racers and big RPGs eat more, but you can tame them. Drop the brightness, cap the frame rate if the game allows it, and turn off any background effects. It makes a real difference over a few hours.

My travel loadout is usually one light game for casual moments and one heavier one for when I've got the charger nearby. Mix and match based on how long you'll be away from an outlet.