Although we have seen a steady trend towards more affordable and accessible mobile data over the course of the last couple of decades, it seems like this progress is coming to a halt. By virtually all estimates, mobile data is getting more expensive for everyone, and mobile and internet bills are likely to continue increasing.
There are many reasons for this: cell providers wishing to cover the costs of expensive investments in 5G infrastructure, increased data usage across all levels of society has led to system strain, consolidation has created vast mobile data monopolies that allow companies to charge what they want – the list goes on.
Many people will baulk at rising data prices for a wide variety of obvious reasons. One such demographic might be mobile gamers. If you are keen on playing games on your smartphone, the last thing you want is to be paying more for your data.
After all, there are many, many times throughout the day where we might not have access to WiFi but will still want to load up our favourite mobile games. When this happens, you are reliant on your data plan. If your data plan is low but your gameplay needs are high, there is no need to panic. Simply follow these simple tips for low-data mobile gaming.
Choose Low-Data Online App Games
For many mobile gamers, it is a painful predicament that some of the most popular games happen to have mammoth amounts of data consumption. Fortnite, Apex Legends, CoD Mobile, and League of Legends all use absolutely huge amounts of data, meaning that anyone without an unlimited plan may find themselves struggling to play the game at its best.
If you still want to enjoy online multiplayer games that will not consume all of your data, you have plenty of alternatives to choose from. You could try Among Us, the space-themed multiplayer that is probably the most popular mobile game in the world right now (the game also allows you to communicate with your team via SMS, allowing you to save even more data).
You could opt for PUBG Lite, a simplified version of PUBG that uses significantly less of your data. Another popular choice is Fleet Battle, a battleship-esque game with a twist that has tens of millions of players worldwide. The list goes on.Â
Opt for Low-Data Browser-Based Games
Another easy way to play a wide range of games on your mobile device without using much data is to opt for browser-based games that do not require large amounts of data transfer to function.
An obvious contender here is online casino games since many of the top sites offering online slots and poker are powered by flash and run on any mobile browser with minimal data consumption.
Furthermore, the most popular platforms even offer casino bonuses that allow you to play for free, offsetting your data costs even further. The first thing to discover is that there are various types of casino bonuses, so you may need a glossary to understand the terms used.Â
Beyond that, there may be certain conditions to claim your bonuses, so the terms and conditions are always worth checking. Still, you can also try sites that offer a range of classic click-and-shoot flash games such as Miniclip and Armor Games, both of which promise gameplay with very low levels of data consumption. When in doubt. stick to your browser.
Choose Offline Gaming Apps
Of course, a very simple option for those with low data plans is to choose mobile games that do not consume any internet data whatsoever. For this, all you need is the foresight to download the right game apps while you are actually connected to the WiFi.
Probably one of the top contenders here is Angry Birds, the smash hit mobile game by Rovio Entertainment that has evolved to offer hundreds of levels and endless hours of fun. However, there is no reason to stop there.
You could play a few rounds of Monument Valley 2,  the puzzle game classic that remains the most popular of its type in the world right now. You could download Carcassonne, a strategy world-building game that strongly resembles the Civilizations series. Then there are no-internet mobile versions of popular PC games such as Rollercoaster Tycoon and The Sims. None of these requires any data or even an internet connection to play.Â
As this guide shows, no mobile gamer ever has to feel restricted by the size of their data plan.