Puzzle games that survive the underground

The metro is where offline games earn their keep. You've got maybe twenty minutes and no bars, and you want something that boots instantly and doesn't stall waiting for a server.

Gridsmith Puzzles is my current pick. It loads fast, the logic boards scale nicely, and I can do a couple between stops. The hint system is gentle enough that I'm never truly stuck but not so generous that it solves things for me.

A good commute puzzle needs one thing above all: it has to be interruptible. You should be able to lock your phone mid-thought and pick up exactly where you left off. The best ones save state constantly.

Avoid anything with a lives system tied to a countdown. Those are designed around an always-on connection and fall apart the moment you go offline.