Games That Feel Shorter Than They Actually Are

Gamers have different preferences when it comes to game length. Some enjoy shorter experiences they can finish in a weekend, such as games like Titanfall 2 and Super Mario World. Others prefer massive games that take months to complete, like Baldur’s Gate 3 or The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It’s usually easy to tell a short game from a long one, but games of moderate length can be harder to categorize.

Great game pacing can make time fly – a twenty-hour game can feel much shorter if you’re really engaged. The games below are particularly good at creating that immersive experience through clever pacing and design.

The Legend Of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (2019)

A Small Dream

Basic Playthrough: 14 Hours

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is a relatively short adventure for a Zelda title, set on an island with a single main side quest focused on trading. The remake faithfully recreates the original game, and, just like the Game Boy version, it maintains a smooth and focused experience because it doesn’t have many distractions.

Many players find they can finish the game in around fourteen hours, which is impressive because it doesn’t have a lot of diversions. This makes it a great Zelda title to enjoy when you just want to relax and play without needing to solve complicated puzzles.

Split Fiction

Quicker With Your Partner

Basic Playthrough: 14.5 Hours

Playing games is usually more fun and faster with a friend, and Split Fiction is a great example of that – it’s designed for two players to play together. One player takes on the role of Zoe, a writer who loves fantasy stories, and the other plays Mio, who’s passionate about science fiction.

While a bit longer than The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, the game can still be completed in around three to four hours. This is due to frequent resets of the gameplay and environments, and generally, a smoother experience comes from minimizing repetitive tasks.

Resident Evil 4 (2023)

My Date With The President’s Daughter

Basic Playthrough: 16 Hours

Resident Evil 4 dramatically reinvented the series by shifting its setting and how the game is played, but it kept a familiar face: Leon S. Kennedy. The story begins with Leon traveling to a remote European village, where he encounters hostile villagers infected by parasites. He soon discovers they are controlled by a dangerous cult responsible for kidnapping the President’s daughter.

The story moves quickly from one exciting moment to the next, feeling like a fast-paced horror film instead of a long, drawn-out experience. This remake is comparable in both length and quality to the original version.

Super Mario RPG: Legend Of The Seven Stars

Done Before Your Know It

Basic Playthrough: 17.5 Hours

As a huge Mario fan, I always loved Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars! It was the very first role-playing game starring Mario, and what’s really cool is that it avoids a lot of the frustrating things you find in other RPGs. You can actually see the monsters as you explore, and thankfully, you don’t have to spend ages leveling up – the game doesn’t really require a lot of grinding, which is awesome!

I’m really digging how this game keeps me moving! I can explore new areas, finish what I need to, and then jump right into the next thing – no boring grinding here. And the battles? They’re way more engaging because you’re actively involved in every turn. I heard the Switch version is quicker to finish, but honestly, the original just has this special something that’s hard to beat.

Marvel’s Spider-Man

Not An Origin Story, Thankfully

Basic Playthrough: 18 Hours

Insomniac Games’ first Spider-Man game, while not as feature-packed as their later title, strikes a better balance in its story structure. This is partly because the game centers solely on Peter Parker, keeping the narrative focused.

Okay, so Doc Ock is the big bad in this game, but honestly, the other villains like Kingpin, Shocker, and Scorpion really add to the experience. It’s just a really fun game – swinging around New York is a blast, the combat is awesome, and it’s got a lot of heart. I found myself just getting lost in it and before I knew it, I’d finished the game, and even went back to try and get everything! It’s that easy to pick up and play, and super rewarding.

Alan Wake 2

A Two-Way Split

Basic Playthrough: 19 Hours

Alan Wake 2 is a lengthy game, taking around twenty hours to complete. However, with two playable characters, players might not feel as tired as they would with a single protagonist. You’ll play as both Alan Wake, who’s trapped in a strange dimension and trying to escape, and Saga Anderson, an FBI agent investigating a murder connected to Alan Wake’s disappearance from years ago.

Alan Wake 2 lives up to the hype! It’s a thrilling sequel filled with scary monsters, strange characters, and a wonderfully eerie atmosphere.

God Of War (2018)

Lone God And Cub

Basic Playthrough: 20.5 Hours

The 2018 reboot of God of War switched settings from ancient Greece to Norse mythology, and brought back the main character, Kratos, this time with his young son. The game takes place in a cold, atmospheric world and features intense, satisfying combat. A key part of the gameplay was the new Leviathan Axe, which could be thrown and returned like a boomerang, adding a unique element to the action.

Players will likely feel a sense of progression throughout the game, but it probably won’t take more than around twelve hours to complete, even if they need to revisit some areas towards the end of God of War.

Chrono Trigger

Time Is The Name Of The Game

Basic Playthrough: 23 Hours

Chrono Trigger heavily features time travel, and the creators at Square really deliver, creating a game so engaging you’ll lose track of time while playing. Similar to Super Mario RPG, it doesn’t require repetitive grinding, battles aren’t turn-based but move quickly, and you can see enemies as you explore dungeons.

The game lets players journey through time, moving between the present, past, and future to assist good characters working to prevent strange events. Even with other time-travel RPGs available, it remains a uniquely memorable experience.

Kingdom Hearts

World Hopping

Basic Playthrough: 28.5 Hours

The original Kingdom Hearts told a straightforward story: Sora, Kairi, and Riku, three young friends, were unexpectedly transported to worlds based on Disney movies when a strange event occurred on their island. Kairi was taken by Disney villains, Riku was manipulated into becoming a vessel for darkness, and Sora, along with Donald and Goofy, was left to rescue them both.

The game features many worlds inspired by stories like Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan, but each adventure is fairly brief. This makes it feel more like an episodic series that players can quickly finish, one after another.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake

City Limits

Basic Playthrough: 32.5 Hours

Fans had high hopes for Final Fantasy 7 Remake, but it turned out to be just the first installment in a planned trilogy. The entire game takes place in the city of Midgar, which has been significantly expanded with new content that feels seamlessly integrated, even including side quests.

It’s amazing how Square Enix expanded a relatively short original game – around eight to ten hours – into a sprawling thirty-hour-plus adventure. The remake succeeds thanks to its engaging characters, quirky townsfolk, and a dynamic combat system that kept us hooked. It cleverly reimagines a classic RPG without feeling artificially stretched out.

2026-01-08 06:07