Games to play on a plane with friends, without Wi-Fi

GoFiChat lets you play 16 games with the people you're flying with, each on your own phone, in airplane mode. The phones connect over Bluetooth seat to seat, so you don't need the plane's Wi-Fi, and you can chat between games.

The short answer

Turn on airplane mode, switch Bluetooth back on, and start a room.
Up to 8 people, iPhones and Android phones together, a few rows apart at most.
Party games for the group, two-player games across the aisle, and live air hockey and ping pong.
Nothing to buy: no in-flight Wi-Fi, no data, and the app is free with no ads.
Install it before you get to the airport. Downloading needs internet; playing doesn't.

Before you board

Install GoFiChat at home or in the departure lounge, and get everyone you're travelling with to do the same. Open it once to pick your name and avatar. If you want to learn the games first, the practice room has GoFi Bot, who plays 14 of them.

On board, turn on airplane mode and then switch Bluetooth back on. Airlines decide whether Bluetooth can be on in flight, so follow their rules and the crew's instructions.

Which games work best on a flight

For the whole row, or the whole group

Odd One Out (3 to 8 players): everyone gets the same secret word except one person, who has to bluff. You say clues out loud, so it suits a group sitting together. Keep your voices down on a night flight.
Draw and Guess (2 to 8): one person draws on their phone, and the others watch it appear on theirs and type guesses. It's quiet, which makes it the easiest party game on a plane.
Quiz (1 to 8): ten questions, four answers each, and points for speed.
Gumblox (1 to 8): a two-minute block-popping race where everyone gets the same pieces.

For two people side by side

Chess, Reversi, Connect Four and Battleship, which take as long as you like and don't mind turbulence.
Pool: 8-ball, aimed by dragging back like a slingshot.
Air Hockey and Ping Pong, played live between the two phones.

For a few of you, taking turns

Mini Golf, Bowling, Darts and Memory, for up to 8, and Dots and Boxes for up to 4.

The room keeps score across every game you play, so a long flight can turn into a tournament. See all 16 games for the rules of each.

Odd One Out with Mia, Ben, Cy and you: Ben's turn to say one word out loud, and your card showing the word Kangaroo in the category Wild animals — Odd One Out

Draw and Guess: Ben's drawing of a house in the sun, five blanks for the word, 23 seconds left and three wrong guesses — Draw and Guess

Chess against GoFi Bot, your move as White after the bot played knight to h6 — Chess

How to start a game in the air

Start a room

One person taps Start a room. The others scan the QR code from their seats, or type the 6-digit code and wait to be let in.

Pick a game

Tap the controller button and choose a game. A table opens at the top of the chat, and whoever wants to play taps Join.

Play and keep chatting

Two-player games start when the second person sits down. Bigger games start when you tap Start. The chat stays open inside every game.

Seats, range and battery

Bluetooth reaches about 10 to 30 metres between phones, and a plane's seats and passengers soak some of that up, so a group spread over a few rows is fine and a group at opposite ends of the cabin may not be. A phone in the middle can pass messages along for someone farther away. If someone goes to the bathroom and drops out, they're back in when they return, and a turn-based game waits when it's their go.

A chat uses very little battery. Live games like air hockey use more, because the screen and radio stay busy, so on a long-haul flight it's worth plugging in if your seat has power.

On your own

Flying alone, or everyone else asleep? Gumblox, Mini Golf, Bowling, Darts, Memory and Quiz have Play solo, and all but Memory keep your personal best. Today's Gumblox gives everyone the same pieces that day, so you can compare scores with friends when you land. GoFi Bot plays the rest except Odd One Out and Draw and Guess.

Questions

Can you play multiplayer games on a plane without Wi-Fi?

Yes, with games that connect phone to phone. GoFiChat's games go over Bluetooth between the phones, so they work in airplane mode with no in-flight Wi-Fi.

Can we play if one of us has an iPhone and the other an Android phone?

Yes. iPhones and Android phones join the same room and play all the same games.

How many people can play?

Up to 8 in a room. Odd One Out needs at least 3, Draw and Guess at least 2, and the two-player games exactly 2. Several games can run in the same room at once.

Is Bluetooth allowed on planes?

That's up to the airline. Many let you use Bluetooth with airplane mode on, but check their rules and follow the crew's instructions.

Does it work on long flights?

Yes. There's no time limit, the room keeps score across games, and most games left unfinished with friends, like Chess or Mini Golf, carry on when you open the room again.

Get GoFiChat before you fly

Coming soon to the App Store and Google Play. It's free.

Tell me when it's out