Since video games gained widespread popularity, there’s been an ongoing discussion within the gaming community – what length of gameplay is appropriate for its cost?
Certain individuals prefer expansive experiences, immersing themselves for hundreds of hours in games such as The Witcher 3 or Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, which are renowned for their vast worlds.
Some people argue that the length of a game isn’t as important as its quality and pacing. In fact, if your game seems to be nothing more than a series of repetitive tasks or unnecessary filler, one might question whether it truly offers good value for the price paid.
Occasionally, there are times when you’d rather play a game quickly, either for the sake of unlocking achievements or just to experience the satisfaction of finishing something.
If you fit this description, find the following list arranged from longest duration to shortest for quick-play games once you’re familiar with them:
1. Game A
2. Game B
3. Game C
4. Game D
5. Game E (shortest)
Times are taken from How Long To Beat and Speedrun.com unless otherwise mentioned.
1. Far Cry 4 – In an alternate ending to Far Cry 4, Ajay Ghale doesn’t kill the antagonist, Pagan Min, but instead helps him escape and offers him a chance at redemption. The game ends with Pagan leaving Kyrat and starting a new life somewhere else.
2. The Witness – In an alternate ending to The Witness, the protagonist never finds the exit from the island. Instead, they discover that they have been trapped there for decades, solving puzzles their entire life without realizing it. The game ends with the realization that the journey was the destination.
3. The Stanley Parable – In one of the alternate endings to The Stanley Parable, the player chooses to do nothing and waits indefinitely in the office, with no end or resolution to the story.
4. Gone Home – An alternate ending to Gone Home could involve the protagonist finding more clues and uncovering a deeper mystery about their family’s past, leading them on a journey to find answers that take them far beyond the house. The game ends with the protagonist discovering the truth about their family and coming to terms with their history.
10. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes
Enjoy the Mechanics
Typically, games from the Metal Gear series last between 10 to 20 hours, as you lead characters such as Solid Snake, Big Boss, Raiden, and others through a blend of action, adventure, and stealth scenarios. In contrast, Platinum Games’ Revengeance offers an abundance of high-octane action gameplay.
As a dedicated follower, I find myself immersed in the heart-pounding experience of Ground Zeroes, where I sneakily infiltrate a military compound in Cuba on a daring mission. My objective? To rescue two valuable individuals: a Cipher agent and a former child soldier who have found themselves in dire circumstances.
In this game, mainly focused on stealth, your goal is to move undetected, making use of every weapon available to you, ranging from sniper rifles for long-range operations to silent pistols when close up is necessary.
As a devoted enthusiast, I must share that this particular game is the briefest in the series, typically taking players around two hours to complete. However, for those well-versed in its mechanics, it’s astonishingly possible to conquer the game in an incredible 26 minutes!
As a sneaky gamer, I’ve noticed that the ‘No Kills, Stealth’ record on Speedrun.com is barely 2 minutes slower than the one with killing. This suggests that stealth is highly valued in this game!
Ground Zeroes acts as an introduction to The Phantom Pain, surprisingly, this installment boasts the longest gameplay time in the series, clocking in at approximately 45 hours for its main narrative.
9. Florence
Break the Doom-Scroll
Among the games listed, there are a handful that don’t necessitate understanding the puzzles or hunting for Easter Eggs to finish the game swiftly within a short span of time.
One of the games on this list can be completed without needing to figure out the puzzles or searching for Easter Eggs, which are usually necessary to rush through in minutes.
As a captivated admirer, I can’t help but describe Florence as an enchanting journey reminiscent of a charming short storybook. It guides you intimately through the transformative life of Florence Yeoh, from being trapped in a monotonous cycle of work and endless scrolling through gloomy news, to finding herself captivated by Krish’s charm and embarking on an inspiring artistic journey.
Within this game, there are mini-games similar to swiftly swiping through potential matches on a dating application or efficiently aligning numbers for job purposes. If completed promptly, the entire game could be wrapped up within roughly 16 minutes.
In a typical session, it usually takes around 30-40 minutes to complete the game’s main storyline.
8. Far Cry 4
A Far Cry From Normal
In the action-adventure first-person shooter game Far Cry 4, developed by Ubisoft, the primary narrative typically lasts around 17 and a half hours. The protagonist becomes entangled in a civil war within the fictional nation of Kyrat, following his visit to scatter his mother’s remains there.
Yet, hidden within the game is a secret finale known as an “Easter Egg.” In this scenario, following your capture by the captivating tyrant, Pagan Min, you’re instructed to relax and savor some Crab Rangoon.
Should you comply, kindly spend around 15 minutes at Min’s residence, afterwards, Min will come back and guide you to the spot where your mother’s ashes were requested to be dispersed.
Later on, he inquires if you’re “feeling improved now” and if you’re ready to “ultimately fire some guns at last.” As the credits unfold, a sense of satisfaction washes over you as you’ve successfully completed a Far Cry game without killing a single soul. A Different approach to the usual gameplay dynamics in the series.
7. Twelve Minutes
Enough Time to Air Fry an Egg
As a passionate gamer, I’d like to share my enthusiasm for “Twelve Minutes,” a captivating point-and-click adventure game that immerses you in a time loop. In this intriguing narrative, I embody three distinct characters: the ‘Husband’, the ‘Wife’, and the ‘Cop’, brilliantly portrayed by James McAvoy, Daisy Ridley, and Willem Dafoe respectively. Each character’s performance brings an extraordinary depth to this compelling tale of mystery, love, and survival.
In this game, you begin by controlling a character who’s the husband, coming home from work, only to be taken aback by his wife’s unexpected news of pregnancy. They rejoice together, but suddenly, a police officer arrives and takes the wife away, eventually leading to her arrest, while the husband meets an unfortunate end.
Each time the game resets, returning to the start of the evening, it’s your task to apply what you’ve discovered during each reset to move deeper into the enigma.
According to its title, the initial cycle lasts for 12 minutes, and skilled players can finish the whole game in roughly 14 minutes. Keep in mind that an epilogue is included which extends the duration slightly.
6. Outer Wilds
Wildly Exciting Gameplay
In this instance, we’re looking at another game revolving around time loops. This time, you assume the role of The Hatchling, an interstellar traveler, given the mission to traverse our solar system. Simultaneously, you manage a device capable of deciphering the enigmatic ‘Nomai’ script. Your goal is to solve their mysteries using this ability.
Unfortunately, after precisely 22 minutes, the sun undergoes a catastrophic explosion known as a supernova, obliterating the solar system and resetting the game to its initial state. However, your memory of past playthroughs and whatever data the game considers significant enough to save in your ship’s log persists between each restart.
It’s now your task to repeatedly play the game, leveraging the information about past events leading up to the supernova. Gradually, you’ll unravel the secrets and figure out the sequence of actions necessary to save the solar system.
Typically, playing Outer Wilds takes around 17 hours. But, if you’re aware of the sequence of tasks, it’s possible to finish the game in just a little over 7 minutes.
For your initial play, I’d recommend approaching it without any prior knowledge, as it will offer you an outstanding gaming experience that I found truly memorable. The various elements seem perfectly aligned, and with some careful consideration, they all come together beautifully.
To avoid any misunderstandings, I should clarify that The Outer Worlds, an RPG lasting approximately 13 ½ hours and created by Obsidian Entertainment (the team behind Fallout: New Vegas), is not the same game as another title released in 2019. Both games were launched within a short span of five months.
5. My Name is Mayo
My name is Platinum Trophy
The game “Mayo” is a delight for those who love achievements. It’s all about clicking on a virtual jar of mayo 10,000 times – simple as that!
As you advance, you’ll gain access to a variety of outfits, including ‘dad mustache’, swimwear, and many others in between. You’ll also find humor and lore tidbits related to the mayonnaise jar scattered along the way.
The duration of the game can significantly vary based on your clicking pace. Typically, it lasts around 45 minutes, but for those with swift fingers, they can complete it in as little as 7 minutes and 7 seconds.
Following the accomplishment of this task, you’ll have the chance to unwind amidst your freshly earned 50 bronze trophies and a resplendent, mayonnaise-coated Platinum Trophy. If the allure of more polished metals for your collection is piquing your interest after ‘If My Name is Mayo’, here are 10 effortless paths to securing a Platinum Trophy.
4. Minit
More Like 7 Minutes
Minit is a game tailor-made for this compilation. It’s an engaging action-adventure title, with each playthrough lasting exactly 60 seconds due to the curse on the sword you find at the game’s start!
In every playthrough, you gradually discover more about the world and the steps needed for survival. To assist, any item you gather during a gameplay session will be carried over to future sessions. Furthermore, your respawn point will vary based on your progress in each session, eventually bringing you nearer to the final destination.
Generally speaking, it’s expected that playing the entire game would last around 1 hour and 30 minutes. However, if you’re familiar with the game, you might be able to finish it in about 7 minutes.
3. The Witness
One of the Shortest Easter Eggs
In the intriguing game titled “The Witness,” players can quickly finish it within a span of just 2 minutes, through an Easter Egg ending. This captivating game takes you on a journey as you exit an underground shelter and venture into ‘The Island,’ one of the tiniest open worlds in the gaming industry.
Although the world may seem compact, it’s teeming with approximately 650 brain-teasers scattered across the island, many required and most are voluntary. Basically, each puzzle revolves around filling in a section where you must draw a path adhering to specific guidelines.
On The Island, there aren’t many instructional guides available, making it necessary for players to decipher clues from its visual elements to understand their actions and destination.
Among these visual clues, the sun itself serves as a hidden marker for the beginning of a panel, not long after you set foot on The Island. If you successfully uncover this secret panel, it will trigger the unlocking of a door, enabling you to swiftly advance through the game in less than 1 minute and 25 seconds.
In this game, you gradually uncover the mysteries and rules of The Island as you play. If you’re curious about how to finish the game expeditiously, check out the speedrunning demonstrations by the game’s skilled players. They can provide a quick guide on completing the game efficiently.
2. The Stanley Parable
Stanley, What Are You Doing?
In a unique twist on the exploratory gaming genre, “The Stanley Parable” – developed by creators Davey Wreden and William Pugh – places you in the role of Stanley, an ordinary office employee. One unusual day, however, finds Stanley without any specific tasks assigned to him.
Accompanied by an ever-present Narrator, Stanley embarks on a journey of self-discovery, opting to step out of his office confines and explore the world beyond. The original game offers 19 distinct conclusions, while the Ultra Deluxe edition boasts 46 different endings.
In simpler terms, ‘The Cowards Ending’ occurs when Stanley, at the start of the game, decides to stay put and wait for directions, rather than entering the office. This action triggers the game to restart approximately one minute and some change after the player takes control of Stanley.
Should you choose to continue playing the game, I recommend that you do so, as it will take approximately 3 hours to explore all endings in the base game, while the Ultra Deluxe edition requires around 12 hours of playtime.
Apart from the mentioned games, William Pugh is responsible for developing Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Swift Heist, another potential selection. This game is designed to be finished within approximately 26 minutes.
1. Gone Home
Going, Going, Gone
Among the early ‘exploration’ video games, Gone Home presents an unusual scenario where you return to your family residence. Upon arrival, you discover the house empty and receive a message from your sister asking you to refrain from investigating further.
Should you opt for playing the game properly, it would typically require about 2 hours to meticulously explore the house and assemble the puzzle’s solution.
Additionally, it’s possible to finish the whole game within a mere minute, earning you the ‘Homerunner’ trophy along the way.
To accomplish this task, you must follow a particular sequence of steps, leaving little wiggle-room for mistakes. For a thorough walkthrough, check out Maka91Productions video tutorial.
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2025-03-25 18:12