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Best Offline Games for Girls
Gaming is no longer considered just a “boy” thing. Nowadays, tons of girls enjoy playing video games just as much as guys. However, with busy schedules and a lack of constant internet access, it can be hard to play some of the latest online multiplayer games. That’s why there has been a resurgence in popularity for offline gaming experiences that provide all of the fun with none of the connectivity issues.
When looking for the best offline games for girls, there are a few key things to consider. Great games offer engaging gameplay, have relatable female protagonists, provide positive role models, and avoid gender stereotypes. The games should also work across multiple platforms like PC, console, and mobile without an internet connection required.
With these criteria in mind, here are the top 20 best offline games for girls available right now:
Life is Strange
Life is Strange is a choice-based adventure game that follows a high school senior named Max Caulfield who discovers she can rewind time. This gives her the ability to manipulate events and uncover secrets about the disappearance of a fellow student.
With strong female leads, an emphasis on friendship and relationships, and a mystery drama storyline, Life is Strange offers the perfect blend of fun gameplay and impactful narrative for female gamers. It’s available on PC, PS4, Xbox One and iOS devices.
Horizon Zero Dawn
This open world action RPG takes place a thousand years in the future after civilization has fallen and robotic creatures dominate the Earth. You play Aloy, a skilled female hunter looking to uncover mysteries about her past and the true nature of the robotic creatures she encounters.
Horizon Zero Dawn features a captivating story driven by a smart, capable female protagonist. Gameplay allows you to battle robots both big and small using a variety of weapons and strategies. Epic Adventures can be enjoyed offline on PS4.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
The Uncharted series of games has long been popular for its Indiana Jones-style action and adventure. The Lost Legacy is a standalone installment in the franchise that follows two femme fatale treasure hunters, Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross, as they recover an ancient Indian artifact.
With its gameplay focused on exploration, environmental puzzles, and third-person shooting, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy demonstrates that the ladies can hold their own just as well as the charming Nathan Drake. The game is offline and playable on PS4.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
The cozy world of Animal Crossing has brought pleasant adventures and relaxing gameplay to players for nearly 20 years now. New Horizons for the Nintendo Switch is the best version yet, letting you build and customize an entire island community from scratch.
As the island’s resident representative, you get to design the layout, decoration, and facilities while befriending the adorable animal villagers who move in. With chill vibes and endless design options, it’s an ideal offline game for girls on Switch.
Portal 1 & 2
The Portal games offer some of the most innovative and engaging puzzle designs around, even though they are over a decade old now. Assuming the role of tenacious heroine Chell, you must navigate the tricky test chambers of the mysterious Aperture Science labs using only an experimental “portal gun” that can create linked teleportation portals.
The portal’s puzzling gameplay is utterly satisfying and really makes you think outside the box. Plus, the deadpan humor of the villainous AI GLaDOS adds amusement. Portal games deliver everything girls want for a clever offline gaming experience on PC and consoles.
The Sims 4
For maximum escapism, nothing beats The Sims. The long-running life simulation franchise lets you control practically every aspect of your virtual character’s life, career, home, relationship and more. The Sims 4 is the latest version, with gorgeous graphics, deep customization tools, and fun expansion packs to add supernatural events, pets, seasons and hobbies.
Girls who enjoy nurturing relationships, interior decorating, and endlessly modifying their character’s wardrobes will find The Sims 4 to be an addictively entertaining offline escape on PC and Mac.
Kentucky Route Zero
This indie point-and-click adventure depicts a mysterious road trip across an odd version of Kentucky, filled with magical realism, haunting characters, and introspective themes. You play like an antique delivery man making one last trip along the secret Kentucky Route Zero highway.
With minimalist visuals and conceptual storytelling, Kentucky Route Zero expertly balances artistry and accessibility for a compelling offline experience on PC, console, and mobile. Girls who enjoy contemplative narratives and experimental style will appreciate this artistic choice-based game.
Undertale
Undertale puts a clever spin on standard RPG gameplay with its emphasis on non-violent solutions, humor, and story originality. You control a human child who fell into an underground world of quirky monsters and must find a way back home, deciding whether to befriend or battle the creatures along the way.
With heartwarming characters, laugh-out-loud humor, and thoughtful commentary on gaming tropes, Undertale is an offline indie masterpiece for PCs and consoles that girls of all ages can enjoy thanks to its retro graphics and accessible mechanics.
Gone Home
Unlike action-packed adventures, Gone Home is a quiet, introspective game focused on environmental storytelling. After arriving home from a year abroad, play as 21-year-old Kaitlin Greenbriar explores your family’s new empty house looking for clues to discover what happened to your missing sister and parents.
With its low-key gameplay and engaging narrative conveyed via notes, diaries, and objects, Gone Home is ideal for girls seeking an offline atmospheric thrill ride on PCs and consoles without any combat or time pressure.
Dragon Age Series
For decades, the fantasy genre has been dominated by male-focused stories, but the Dragon Age series turns that tired trope on its head. These epic RPGs feature deep character customization so you can create your own female elf mage hero and lead your party on unforgettable adventures in a gorgeous high fantasy setting.
With remarkable world-building and NPC companions who react to your choices, the combat and dialogue-heavy Dragon Age games bring an offline cinematic flair for girls to enjoy on PCs and consoles.
Fallout 4
The latest game in the acclaimed Fallout series, Fallout 4 gives you tons of options for how you want to experience its post-nuclear apocalyptic Boston wasteland. Take on quests to build settlements, craft weapons/armors, pick locks, hack terminals – the possibilities are endless.
With the option to play as a female protagonist and its emphasis on exploration, discovery, and customization, Fallout 4 makes a great open world action RPG for gamer girls to enjoy offline on PC, PS4, and Xbox.
Overcooked 1 & 2
For some cooperative offline madness, Overcooked 1 & 2 are must-play party games. In these kitchen chaos simulators, you cook up meals by preparing ingredients, operating kitchen equipment, and coordinating with teammates – all within absurdly hazardous kitchens.
With increasing calamity and unlockable female chefs to play as, these frantic games test communication skills and adaptability in the face of unrelenting orders. Overcooked is the perfect offline group game for foodies and friends on all major platforms.
Alto’s Odyssey
Looking for something more serene? Alto’s Odyssey is a gorgeous side-scrolling endless runner game featuring sandboarding adventures across picturesque desert landscapes. You tap and gesture to grind, jump, and flip over various terrain while appreciating the lovely dynamic lighting and weather effects.
With its zen gameplay and charming visual style, Alto’s Odyssey is the ideal on-the-go offline distraction for girls on iOS and Android mobile devices.
Florence
If you want a thoughtful mobile gaming experience that you can finish in just 1-2 hours, Florence is a must. This bite-sized slice-of-life narrative follows 25-year-old Florence Yeoh through ups and downs in her relationships, incorporating clever gameplay vignettes.
With relatable story beats and an elegant visual style, Florence crafts an inspiring tale about the transformative power of love. Its compact offline playtime makes it a wonderful game for girls seeking empathetic stories on iOS and Android.
Child of Light
Child of Light stands out with its poetic fairy tale story presented through an inventive side-scrolling RPG. You play as young Aurora navigating a fantasy world based on the works of the Brothers Grimm and imaginative locations in Austria.
With a heartwarming coming-of-age story, beautiful hand-painted artwork, and mixer of platforming and turn-based battles, Child of Light brings a magical offline experience to girls on PC, consoles, and Switch.
Pokemon Series
No list of games for girls is complete without mentioning Pokemon. These classic RPGs allow you to collect, train, and battle with hundreds of whimsical monsters while traversing the game’s region. With its positive themes about adventure, friendship, and discovering strengths, Pokemon offers age-appropriate offline gameplay on nearly every platform. Let the Pokemon training commence!
The Room Series
Fans of eerie mysteries will love The Room series. These minimalist 3D puzzle games place you in tactile locations filled with odd contraptions and artifacts. You must investigate and manipulate the environment to unlock secrets and progress through the creepy storylines.
With its clever puzzles based on touch controls and intricate box-within-a-box layouts, The Room games bring chill offline escapism to girls on iOS and Android. Just beware things aren’t always what they seem.
Night in the Woods
Experience a delightful anthropomorphic coming-of-age story with Night in the Woods. Return to your remote hometown as Mae Borowski, a college dropout who explores the offbeat town, reconnects with friends, and unravels conspiracies beneath the surface.
With relatable characters, memorable dialog, and captivating art style, Night in the Woods excels at bringing heart and humor to challenging themes. Girls and non-binary gamers will find much to love in this offline indie gem for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch.
GRIS
For a poignant work of interactive art, GRIS delivers a visually poetic experience with no text or dialogue. You guide the game’s nameless protagonist through sorrowful situations, collecting hope and regaining color via simple platforming challenges and environmental puzzles.
With its striking watercolor visuals and metaphorical non-verbal storytelling, GRIS offers girls an unforgettable offline arthouse journey of resilience, optimism, and inner strength on PC, Switch and iOS.
Cozy Grove
For wholesome fun with a supernatural twist, check out Cozy Grove. You play as a Spirit Scout tasked with befriending ghost bears, deer, and more by completing tasks around a haunted island campground. With relaxing elements of camping, crafting, and decorating, it brings chill offline play to girls on Switch, Xbox, and mobile.
Most Popular Offline Game Genres and Types for Girls
While these 20 games provide a great starting list, offline gaming offers such a wide range of possibilities for girls to explore. Here is an overview of some of the most popular offline video game genres, types, and platforms that girls tend to enjoy:
Adventure Games
From point-and-click tales to action-adventure epics, offline adventure games allow gamer girls to experience stories, worlds, and characters at their own pace. Puzzles, exploration, and mystery are common. Examples include classic series like The Legend of Zelda, Tomb Raider, LucasArt’s SCUMM games, and many more.
RPGs
Role-playing games come in both Western and Japanese varieties but most allow girls ample room for character customization, dialogue choices, and crafting their own interactive stories. Turn-based JRPG combat provides a more tactical gameplay style versus real-time action RPGs. Massive franchises like Pokemon and Final Fantasy drive this genre.
Platformers
These run-and-jump games test dexterity and problem-solving as players control characters over precarious obstacle courses of platforms, enemies and puzzles. Offline platformers offer lighthearted fun for all ages through beloved series like Super Mario Bros, Spyro the Dragon, Ratchet and Clank, etc.
Sim and Management Games
For girls who enjoy controlling virtual worlds, offline simulation games allow you to construct and manage households, cities, theme parks, and more at your own pace. Popular examples include The Sims, Rollercoaster Tycoon, Harvest Moon, restaurant games, plus pet and home design sims.
Puzzle Games
Simple yet endlessly replayable, puzzle games challenge girls’ logic, spatial reasoning, and problem-solving in straightforward yet addictive ways. Master brain teasers, match 3 games, physics puzzles, Tetris-style block manipulators and more without an internet connection.
Survival and Crafting Games
Gamer girls get to live out their wilderness fantasies by collecting resources to build shelter, tools, and more in order to survive harsh environments. Top survival games like Minecraft and Don’t Starve provide engaging objectives wrapped in creativity.
Board and Card Games
Traditional games like Solitaire, Mahjong, Chess, Checkers and more have gotten fantastic digital ports as offline titles for girls seeking strategy and competition without the web. Whether playing solo or locally against others, virtual boards and card decks provide unlimited entertainment.
Fighting Games
While often designed with male audiences in mind, quirky fighting series like Super Smash Bros., TMNT: Mutant Melee, and Power Stone provide special offline multiplayer fun for girls seeking crazy combat devoid of complex controls or violence.
Music/Rhythm Games
What better way to enjoy tunes offline than by playing along? Rhythm games let girls dance, sing, and play instruments by timing button presses and movements to music. Franchises like Just Dance, Rock Band, and Hatsune Miku turn your living room into a concert.
Hidden Object Games
This popular casual genre combines mystery, puzzles, and exploration as players locate lists of objects cleverly concealed in intricate virtual scenes. With thousands of offline hidden object games available, girls can get lost for hours in these imaginative interactive dioramas.
Best Platforms for Offline Girl Gaming
While today’s focus is on online connectivity and streaming, there are still plenty of great platforms for offline gameplay tailored just for girls.
PC
PC gaming has thousands of options for offline play thanks to indie developers, emulator support for classic consoles, and the precision of keyboard and mouse controls. PCs can also easily connect to big screens and speakers to enjoy offline titles to their fullest.
Nintendo Switch
The Switch supports online play but really shines as a dedicated offline handheld thanks to its stellar first-party games and the ability to seamlessly transition from a TV console to on-the-go portable gaming. The tactile Joy-Cons also lend themselves perfectly to same-room multiplayer.
PlayStation 4/5
Sony’s latest consoles offer cinematic AAA experiences for offline plays like Horizon: Zero Dawn and The Last of Us, while also featuring family-friendly titles, co-op games, and diversity across its exclusives.
Xbox Series X/S
While promoting Xbox Game Pass online services, the newest Xbox consoles also cater to girls seeking profound narrative exclusives like Ori, Psychonauts 2, and the upcoming Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 that can be enjoyed offline.
Nintendo 3DS
The dual-screen handheld might be fading away, but the 3DS has an enormous library of charming offline titles across every genre that still makes it an ideal gateway for girls getting into gaming.
iOS/Android Mobile Games
Thanks to premium indie developers and innovative game design, mobile devices have become powerhouses for compelling offline gameplay experiences tailored for girls. No bulky console or PC needed to dive into these mobile masterpieces.
Tips for Choosing the Best Offline Games for Girls
With so many offline options across genres and platforms, it can get overwhelming to find the best game titles suited for what girls want. Here are some tips for choosing to win offline video game experiences for girls and female audiences:
Seek games with strong, nuanced female protagonists – Compelling heroines that break gender stereotypes or offer rich characterization are ideal for girls to connect with.
Look for positive messaging and themes – The narrative, characters, and gameplay should reinforce uplifting ideas about confidence, empathy, intelligence, and relationships.
Ensure there are difficult options – Games should cater to different experience levels so girls can find the right challenge that matches their abilities.
Consider multiplayer/co-op potential – Even for offline games, features that allow local split-screens or passing controllers provide nice social play options.
Favor explorable worlds and unlockable content – Games with progression systems and worlds that reveal more as you play feed girls’ sense of curiosity and discovery.
Check parental guidance ratings – Ratings from ESRB, PEGI, etc. help narrow options for age-appropriate content, if that is a concern.
Read/watch game reviews – Get impressions from sources that center female perspectives to determine if a game aligns with girls’ wants and needs.
Choosing offline games with these criteria in mind will help unlock gaming experiences that girls will find meaningful and enjoy for hours, even without Wi-Fi.
