My 13 hour flight just got delayed 7 hours, I'm stuck at my second airport, and I dont think I'm gonna make it. I have some movies and audio books on my phone, but really only anticipated having to burn the flight time via napping and some media, not 7 hours leading up to it, and I'm pretty sure I'm gonna mentally burn out on passive media.
I have media on my phone - movies, shows and audio books, but I can only do about 2-3 hours at a stretch before I burn out on those things.
I have wifi and power both on the ground and on the plane, although I'm sure the connection once we get going isn't going to be performance enough for online games.
I have a phone and headset but didn't bring a laptop because it was just extra bulk I didn't think I'd need. I don't have a switch or steam deck or anything neat.
I have access to the airport lounge, so drinks are free, and I get free drinks on the plane. I don't want to get wasted or have to pee constantly, so my plan is to jim lahey it.
I'm intrigued by mobile games, but every one I've tried has felt too gimmicky with gambling or freemium BS mechanics. Also tried started valley but it never got me hooked either. I have an android and will buy games if they're worth it.
I'm open to any other ideas that could somehow mentally (or physically while on the ground) stimulate me.
I'm a dude in my 30s with a family and kids, but I'm currently traveling solo.
I've already killed 2 hours on a plane and 2 more on the ground (my planned connection time) doing nothing, I was saving my media trying to avoid burning out on shit before I get on the plane.
For games, my suggestion is that you try a whole bunch of them; get Google Play Pass and, if you have a Netflix subscription, browse through the list of Neflix Games and try anything that looks remotely appealing. None of these are gambling or freemium - they have no way to make money from you except for your continued subscription - and there's something for pretty much every conceivable genre.
If you can give any guidance about the specific sorts of things you like from games (action, story, puzzles, building stuff) I'm sure people can recommend some specific titles.
Ditto on the GPP, it's a life saver for long trips. My go to mobile games:
-Stardew Valley, If it didn't catch your attention, fair enough, its a litle slow at first, but maybe worth a try since time is a currency you have load of.
-Death Road to Canada, starts stupid hard, so 20h goes quick
-Magic Survival, retro style gameplay, but and addictive gameplay loop
-Mindustry, RTS and open source so free to play no ads or in-app $$
-Every game by Kairosoft, stupid FTP type games, but no ads or in-app purchases with Play Pass. I recommend deleting from your phone when you don't wanna waste time.
-80 Days, story based choose your own adventure based on "Around the world..." Playing while traveling enhances the experience.
-Blooms TD 5/6. Tower defence and a good GP loop.
-Do not feed the monkey. Great game for anytime, but good for 3-4 hours
-Oxenfree, now free with Netflix, great game for anytime, but another 3-4 hours well spent.
I travel a lot, so some of these are way more "addictive" than "great", but they keep me sane.