Best Games Made In The Shortest Time

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Best Games Made In The Shortest Time

Key Takeaways

  • Legendary games like Fallout: New Vegas were created in under 18 months, showcasing quality despite short development time.
  • Super Smash Bros. Melee was completed in 13 months, showing dedication and quality from developers despite the rush.
  • Development time doesn’t always equal quality; games like A Short Hike and Flappy Bird were made in 7 and 48 hours, respectively, yet received wide attention.

As a seasoned gamer with decades of experience under my belt, I can’t help but marvel at the fascinating tales these games have spun. From Terry Cavanagh’s quest for a fulfilling, concise gaming experience to Dong Nguyen’s accidental viral sensation, each story offers unique insights into the world of game development.

Over the years, the methodology for creating popular video games has undergone significant transformation since the term “video game” entered everyday conversation. Back then, teams were relatively small, with fewer than a hundred members, as games themselves were more compact, less complex, and featured lower quality graphics. In contrast, modern developers often find themselves lost within a vast organizational structure filled with various specialists and leaders. This is due to the competitive race for technology that has resulted in the acceptance of lengthy development periods extending over multiple years.

While there’s generally no strict restriction, it’s possible for a team or developer to create an outstanding game within a brief timeframe. Many of the remarkable games from the past two decades were developed in under a year. Whether these swiftly-produced masterpieces are exceptions to the rule or evidence that game quality doesn’t depend on size or intricacy is a topic for further discussion, but what’s indisputable is the high quality of these games.

9 Fallout: New Vegas

Total Development Time: 18 Months

  • Important Caveat: New Vegas borrowed many of its assets and used an existing engine (albeit one that Obsidian was entirely unfamiliar with)

One notable RPG of history was created by a freshly assembled group of developers, who were essentially winging it. With no previous experience working with Bethesda’s Fallout 3 engine, Obsidian was tasked with releasing Fallout: New Vegas within just 18 months, likely to avoid clashing with the sales of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim on its iconic November 11, 2011 release date.

Due to a very strict deadline, the game was riddled with numerous bugs immediately after its launch, causing it to receive poor reviews from critics and low scores in aggregates. But, Obsidian’s relentless effort in fixing these issues and their creation of outstanding DLC has allowed New Vegas to improve over time. Now, it is often praised as one of the best roleplaying games ever made.

8 Super Smash Bros. Melee

Total Development Time: 13 Months

  • Important Caveat: While Melee had the N64’s Smash Bros. to work on top of, Melee was intended to showcase the new GameCube’s capabilities and was built on new hardware

It appears that the dedication and hard work poured into creating Super Smash Bros. Melee was just as intense as the competitive gameplay it offers. Skipping breaks, weekends, and even sleep at times were some of the sacrifices made to produce this exceptional fighting game.

The tight 13-month timeline took its toll on everyone involved with the development of Melee, including lead developer Masahiro Sakurai. By the end, the entire team’s physical and mental health had suffered significantly due to the intense working conditions. It’s possible that this demanding environment contributed to the game being both the most complex in the series and one of the hardest to master as well.

7 Final Fantasy 6

Total Development Time: 12 Months

  • Important Caveat: Square had put out five games in the format since 1987 and was well-versed in the RPG process by this point

In the production of their sixth major installment, it’s hardly shocking to discover that Square had mastered the formula and grasped the intricacies of creating a Final Fantasy game. However, Final Fantasy VI, often hailed by fans as one of the series’ finest due to its compelling narrative, innovative mechanics, captivating music, stunning visuals, and immersive setting, was constructed from scratch in less than a year.

Previously, the series had occasionally blended fantasy with science fiction, but Final Fantasy 6 made a significant change by incorporating steampunk as a prominent theme. The game’s narrative structure underwent a radical shift compared to its predecessors due to a surprising plot twist and an innovative character design where each figure could be the main protagonist.

6 The Legend Of Zelda: Majora’s Mask

Total Development Time: 12 Months

  • Important Caveat: Majora’s Mask borrowed most of its assets (character models, objects, effects, and environments) from Ocarina of Time

In the process of creating a sequel to a highly successful game, it’s quite logical to make use of existing resources when feasible. Given that Game Director Eiji Aonuma faced the challenging task of designing a “parallel quest” similar to the legendary Ocarina of Time within a tight one-year timeframe, justifying the reuse of character models as inhabitants of an alternate reality in Majora’s Mask‘s Termina was both ingenious and necessary.

It’s truly astonishing that Aonuma and his team managed to create entirely fresh locations, lore, gameplay, and mechanics within a short timeframe, given the exceptional quality of The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask. This game consistently ranks among the series’ best, an impressive feat considering the high caliber of competition it faces.

5 Crash Bandicoot: Warped

Total Development Time: 11 Months

  • Important Caveat: Although Warped is mainly based on classic Crash action, Naughty Dog injected a considerable amount of level variety and mechanics

With two successful games under their belt on PlayStation, Naughty Dog was preparing for the third installment in the Crash Bandicoot series: Crash Bandicoot: Warped. Instead of simply dishing out more of the same, Naughty Dog incorporated a wider range of gameplay than ever before into Warped and developed multiple engines to support the free-roaming vehicle and flying segments.

According to Naughty Dog’s internal timeline, the Crash team was very close-knit during the early stages of Crash Bandicoot: Warped, which was developed in the first half of 1998. This tight-knit group managed to produce one of the best PlayStation games ever in less than a year, an impressive feat given their exceptional talent as programmers, level designers, and animators.

4 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

Total Development Time: 9 Months

  • Important Caveat: Vice City was built on top of GTA 3 and was intended to be an expansion

It’s said that the highly-awaited “Grand Theft Auto 6” apparently required more than a decade in development, which is significantly longer than “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City”, a game that Rockstar reportedly developed in just nine months after their initial foray into 3D. As stated by a former Rockstar developer, “Vice City” was originally intended to be an expansion pack for “GTA 3”, but the project expanded beyond its original scope.

Ultimately, the studio decided that releasing it as a standalone game was more advantageous. This setup proved beneficial since the developers responsible for Grand Theft Auto 3 were busy adapting the game for PC release. Consequently, artists and designers could leverage their work on the earlier game, requiring minimal additional input from them for new features (compared to their initial ground-up development).

3 A Short Hike

Total Development Time: 7 Months

  • Important Caveat: A Short Hike was in development from December 2018 to April 2019 but fully released in July of the same year

In the annals of gaming, a trend emerged where video games were assessed by critics based on their length. This practice encouraged many game publishers to extend the playtime of their games excessively, resulting in numerous overly long gaming sessions (and explaining the vast number of unfinished games on Steam users’ libraries). However, independent developer Terry Cavanagh, during a prolonged project, came to understand that shorter games could also thrive. Therefore, in December 2018, he decided to develop an impactful yet succinct gaming experience, aiming to avoid burnout in his professional life.

The end product is named “A Short Hike“, an enchantingly compact and heartwarmingly pure game that centers around a bird venturing through an island. For a single purchase, this game offers players the sensation of exploration and joy. Initially released on Itch.Io in April 2019, it took four months to develop, but it wasn’t until July of the same year that it was fully launched on Steam. Thus, from its beginning to completion, the development timeline spanned a total of seven months.

2 Mega Man 7

Total Development Time: 3 Months

  • Important Caveat: Some work had begun on the game earlier, but most of Mega Man 7 was developed in three months

During the peak of the Mega Man series, Capcom understood the game’s widespread appeal and aimed to roll out roughly a new game every year. Originally planned as part of this annual release cycle, Mega Man 7 was initially scheduled for launch in Japan around March 1995. However, one of its senior programmers revealed that misunderstandings, contrasting design ideas, and complications with an external team led to the project’s eventual collapse.

Consequently, the production of Mega Man 7 commenced an astonishing three months prior to its due date, leaving the team at Capcom with barely enough time for an extremely grueling 90 days of relentless effort. However tough the circumstances, their strong bond and effective teamwork enabled them to create a robust action-platforming journey that, while not everyone’s preferred Mega Man title, remains dear to numerous fans.

1 Flappy Bird

Total Development Time: Around 48 Hours

  • Important Caveat: Flappy Bird received criticisms for its seemingly plagiarized art style

Even though the indie video game market and the wider gaming industry have evolved significantly since 2013, it’s worth recalling the extraordinary tale of Flappy Bird. This deceptively simple yet incredibly addictive game where you tap to make a bird flap through seemingly familiar green tubes became a global phenomenon. Believe it or not, this game was developed in just a weekend, showcasing the power of minimalist design.

Dong Nguyen, the inventor from Vietnam who made the popular flap game, stated that people seem to enjoy imperfect things more, a claim that raises intriguing thoughts for new developers. After facing allegations of plagiarism (apparently some from Nintendo) and undesired scrutiny and limelight, Nguyen removed the game from circulation just a few months later. Nonetheless, its rapid rise to viral fame ensured it would be remembered in gaming lore for years to come.

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2024-08-28 13:34