5 games to play during your holiday travels

It’s the most wonderful time of the year . . . to be stuck in an airplane terminal. Holiday travel is exciting in that you get to spend some quality time eating inordinate amounts of quality food with your loved ones, but it can also mean massive travel bottlenecks. That’s fun for noone, but you can make the trip much more tolerable if you have your smartphone or tablet at your disposal. Why not give some of these games (which also happen to be airplane mode friendly) a try the next time you’re stuck waiting during holiday transit.

This Square Enix RPG is a cult hit that’s been remastered for iOS. This is a Square remake done right -- players are treated to full tracks from the wonderful soundtrack and the graphics have been given a beautiful update from the original Nintendo DS version. The game gives you seven days to stop the end of the world and draws heavily from Japanese urban culture for a fun twist on what can sometimes be a tired genre.

The classic Bioware RPG is now on mobile, and while it’s not the smoothest remake, it serves just fine when you want to go back to an old favorite on the go. Knights of the Old Republic is set thousands of years before Star Wars: Episode I. You train to become a Jedi and face off against Darth Malak. It’s pure Star Wars, although there’s more nuance to the story than you might find in the movies thanks to Bioware’s excellent storytelling.

This adorable, unique variation on the tower defense genre made PopCap a household name. Its surprisingly complex layers of strategy will keep you hooked until the last boss hours later. It's playable offline and so light-hearted it’ll lift any frustrations you may have over your travels.

The name pretty much says it all. Fish assorted aquatic life out of the sea, launch them into the air, and then watch them explode as you shoot them with an impressive arsenal of over-the-top weapons, from shotguns to flamethrowers. It’s immensely entertaining, but provides enough of a challenge to keep you coming back for more.

This atmospheric text-based game casts you as the sole contact between Taylor, an astronaut stranded in outer space. Your decisions determine her survival, making this an intense, suspenseful adventure.

Whether you need to survive a delayed flight or awkward family dinner conversation, these games, some of them tens of hours long, will help ease the stress of holiday travel.

What are your favorite games to play when you’re travelling cross-country? Share in the comments!