Why we test every game in airplane mode

A game can call itself offline and still be a pain the second you lose signal. We've all seen it: a loading spinner that never finishes, a menu that greys out, a save that won't sync. So we built a rule into every review — before we publish, the game gets tested in airplane mode.

The test is boring but revealing. We finish a level, open the menus, restart the app, and see what breaks. Sometimes a game works fine until you try to reach a specific screen, then it demands a connection. That goes straight into the review.

It's shaped what we cover, too. Games that fail the test get a clear warning at the top, even if they're otherwise good. We'd rather tell you upfront than have you discover it on a flight.

It also keeps studios honest, in a small way. If enough people expect offline to mean offline, more games might actually deliver it.