Yes, Game Finale needs an internet connection because the games are played online against real players and bots. Every match is server-authoritative — the shuffle, dice and tile draws happen on the server to keep play fair — so a live connection is required to join tables, sync your chips and record results. A stable Wi-Fi or mobile-data connection works best. If you briefly lose signal during a game, the system tries to reconnect you to your seat so you can carry on. There is no offline mode, but the browser version at gamefinale.com lets you jump in quickly without installing anything.