Games That Take Place During One Day

Key Takeaways

Some video games pack great storytelling and gameplay into a 24-hour window.
Titles like Control, God of War, and A Short Hike offer rich experiences in a short timeframe and allow the player to “live the game” in real-time.
Games like Metal Gear Solid create a sense of urgency and drama with a hard 24-hour time limit.

As a seasoned gamer with decades of experience under my belt, I must say that the games you’ve chosen here are nothing short of remarkable. Each one offers a unique and captivating narrative that can be completed within a day, making them perfect for those who want to immerse themselves in a rich story without investing an excessive amount of time.

Video games have been assessed by critics based on their length since they first appeared, resulting in increasingly long playtimes and narratives that often surpass the weekend leisure time of most working adults. Nevertheless, some video games have recognized the value of condensing exceptional storytelling and gameplay into a shorter duration. In fact, certain games even weave their stories within a 24-hour timeframe or less, offering players an immersive experience that closely mirrors real-time action.

These games can be completed without time-travel shortcuts in less than a full day, although achieving 100% completion might take slightly more time. Players often split their playthrough into multiple sessions, but the characters from these titles will remember the experience as if it were a single, thrilling day of action.

Control

One Heck Of A First Day On The Job

Control takes place in under a single otherwordly, often confusing, first night on the job

Throughout the narrative of “Control”, Jesse takes on several significant roles: she ascends to the position of director at the Federal Bureau of Control, battles a menacing Eldrich adversary, and uncovers the fate of her long-lost sibling. A surprising twist is that all these events unfold within a single night.

As a gamer, I’d say it feels like time itself bends when I step into the Oldest House, the central hub of Control. It’s not just your typical office building; there’s a creepy hotel, an inexplicable otherworldly mining pit, and an existential void that make it unique. But what’s fascinating is how this place seems to expand and contract according to the tumultuous realities and extraordinary events that unfold during the night of the Hiss invasion. It’s like the House adapts to accommodate these shifts, keeping me on my toes as I navigate through its ever-changing landscape.

Batman Arkham Asylum

Cleaning Up Chaos In A Single Nightshift

Batman only has dusk until dawn to dust up every rioting villain in the asylum

In the game titled Batman: Arkham Asylum, you find yourself in a terrifying scenario where a man, disguised as a bat, is not the patient but rather the enforcer in an insane asylum. The story unfolds over one disturbing night, where the Joker and many of Batman’s villains have seized control of the institution. The order Batman maintains amidst the turmoil suggests his effectiveness as a crime fighter.

Yet, just two years after the event, it’s clear that the same criminal elements – likely spawned by the endemic poverty and social injustice fostered by Gotham’s corrupt ruling class – have taken control of Arkham City, a fortified zone carved out of the city’s most deprived neighborhoods. Batman, as always, deploys his fortune to suppress these mentally ill criminals through personal intervention, maintaining order within this troubled district.

God Of War

One Long, 24-Hour Rampage Through The Norse Pantheon

Although time works differently across the realms, players can see from the continuous single shot that Kratos and the boy never rest in their 24-hour quest

2018’s God of War is packed with events that would fill a grand epic poem, featuring battles against Norse deities and mythical beasts, as well as exploring themes like fatherhood, sorrow, and personal reformation. Remarkably, thanks to some cleverly hidden loading techniques, players can journey through the entire narrative in approximately 20 hours without any interruptions or pauses.

Few individuals could boast about scaling a mountain, battling through multiple realms, slaying some powerful deities, and descending without a moment’s rest, even given the differences in time across each realm. However, for a battle-hardened god of war like Kratos and his son, it’s simply another achievement added to their axe.

Oxenfree

How One Night Can Change The Course Of The Future Forever

Oxenfree follows a group of friends across their entire night out on an abandoned island, but no more

On an island reminiscent of supernatural teen movies from the ’80s, a gang of pals embark on a thrilling nighttime journey. After hours of exploration, they stumble upon strange occurrences that reveal the island’s hidden mysteries and test their grasp of reality, trust in each other, and personal beliefs.

In the game ‘Oxenfree’, there’s an element of repeatability built-in, which is subtly incorporated through one of its multiple endings. The exceptional narrative of Oxenfree makes players eager to revisit the story as soon as the final credits are shown. Despite this eagerness, a single playthrough of the game spans only one significant night, a duration that might correspond to an ordinary player’s evening gaming session.

Metal Gear Solid

Age Hasn’t Slowed Him Down One Bit

The terrorist cell on Shadow Moses leaves Snake less than 24 hours to complete his mission

In Metal Gear Solid, Foxhound sets their demands just before the main storyline begins, threatening to launch a nuclear warhead if not met within 24 hours. Throughout Snake’s mission, he is consistently aware of the dwindling time, which heightens the tension and adds an intense sense of urgency as the minutes count down.

The Metal Gear series stands out due to its cinematic inspirations, yet it offers an unprecedented experience that sets it apart from other mediums, even TV shows based on a 24-hour time constraint. This is because players have an unparalleled view of their entire journey – encompassing both the ordinary and extraordinary – throughout Shadow Moses. The success of the game seems to heavily rely on the player’s determination and ability, creating a unique experience that can’t be replicated elsewhere.

A Short Hike

One Of The Most Accurate And Concisely Named Games Ever

A Short Hike is brief but memorable, with a total playtime clocking in at about three hours

The title and cost of the game “A Short Hike” suggest that this delightful indie production offers a limited playtime, approximately as long as Claire, a bird character, takes to ascend a mountain in search of an important phone call. Given that the game was designed to be completed within just a couple of hours, the narrative unfolds quickly enough to be wrapped up within a day.

In this game, all actions unfold within a specific time period. The player has ample time to achieve their goal without feeling pressured, and there are numerous side activities and characters to interact with along the way. If a player doesn’t deliberately try to rush through the game like in a reverse speedrun, they can typically finish it in just an afternoon.

2024-09-07 18:33