Although it’s enjoyable to get misplaced in an expansive open world, it’s additionally good to roll credit on shorter video games that require much less of a dedication.
With so many video games simply begging to be performed, it’s good to get out and in earlier than a title has outstays its welcome. That’s the concept behind this small assortment of video games which you can begin on Friday evening and have completed by Sunday night.
For this record we centered on video games that may be completed in round eight to 12 hours. Knowledge about recreation size was gathered from How Long To Beat, and covers solely the essential important story.
1
Portal 2
Whereas the unique Portal is a recreation that hardly lasts three hours should you give attention to the primary process at hand, Portal 2 greater than doubles this. That is a type of uncommon cases the place the sequel to some of the beloved video games of all time will not be solely larger but additionally an arguably higher recreation. The sport takes place a very long time after the occasions of the primary outing, however the thought is similar: cease GLaDOS and keep alive.
2
Resident Evil 2 (2019)
Arguably top-of-the-line online game remakes of all time, 2019’s Resident Evil 2 will take round 9 hours to finish with a give attention to the primary story, and round 16 hours should you’re preoccupied with the extras. The sport takes place two months after the occasions of the primary recreation and has you are taking management of Leon or Claire as they battle by means of Raccoon Metropolis which has grow to be overrun with zombies. It’s a real homage to the unique that turns the attention sweet as much as 11 and makes some considerate quality-of-life enhancements.
3
Dredge
2023’s Dredge is a recreation that caught with me lengthy after I performed it. It combines fishing, Lovecraftian horror, and parts of a Metroidvania into one tight bundle which you can see by means of to the top in just below 10 hours. The gameplay loop is especially addictive: head out fishing to seize what you possibly can, make your means again to port, promote your spoils, and improve your vessel. Simply you should definitely make it dwelling earlier than darkish, or else you’ll end up on the mercy of the deep.
4
The Quarry
The Quarry is a narrative-driven interactive horror film from Supermassive Video games, the studio answerable for hits like Till Daybreak and The Darkish Footage Anthology. It’s a recreation that you just wish to full inside just a few sittings as a result of it performs out lots like a teen slasher film, with a runtime of round 9 hours. In it, you are taking management of a bunch of youngsters who’re compelled to spend one closing evening at Hackett’s Quarry summer season camp. Make choices which have far-reaching penalties and battle to maintain your campers alive to safe an excellent ending.
5
Half-Life
Do you know which you can beat Valve’s iconic 1998 first-person shooter Half-Life in round 12 hours? This linear journey sees you are taking the function of Gordon Freeman, a scientist who’s having a really dangerous day at work. After an experiment goes mistaken and opens up a portal to an alien dimension referred to as Xen, you will need to battle your means by means of the Black Mesa analysis facility and take the battle to the invaders. The sport nonetheless holds up nearly three many years later, notably following the Twenty fifth-anniversary replace that arrived in 2023.
6
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is the comply with as much as 2017’s shock hit Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. It follows the story of Ninth-century Orcadian warrior Senua, who’s captured by slavers and brought from Orkney to Iceland solely to get caught in a violent storm. This Unreal Engine 5 recreation seems to be beautiful and, although the gameplay consists of principally easy traversal, puzzle fixing, and a little bit of fight, at round seven hours the sport seems like the proper size.
7
Wanderstop
Wanderstop is a comfy recreation about serving to to run a tea store. Launched in 2025, the sport encourages you to take your time doing issues like making tea, gathering herbs, and sweeping up leaves. There’s little or no stress to carry out right here, so that you’re left largely to your individual gadgets. The sport might be completed inside round 12 hours, although this may naturally fluctuate based mostly on how lengthy you spend taking on the planet.
8
Chants of Sennaar
Chants of Sennaar is a neat little journey recreation by which the first objective is to translate fictional languages into English. Clues are discovered by puzzle fixing and easy duties, with a small quantity of stealth thrown in for good measure. The sport has you filling in a dictionary of phrases which are cleverly built-in into the sport’s important narrative, which makes you are feeling notably intelligent when deciphering the varied clues. You possibly can full the entire thing in round 9 hours.
9
Metroid Dread
Although the sport might be completed in a median of about 9 hours, 2021’s Metroid Dread can really feel like an actual problem. I’m not afraid to say that I beat my head in opposition to boss fights quite a few instances on this recreation, however I had a spectacularly enjoyable time doing it. The sport follows the standard Metroidvania formula of exploration and incremental upgrades, with heart-pounding “dread” sequences the place you’re pursued by killer robots. The sport was well-received and serves as an awesome reminder that Nintendo can nonetheless work magic into this tried and examined system if the corporate is prepared to take just a few probabilities.
10
Not For Broadcast
Not For Broadcast gives a brand new spin on the full motion video (FMV) genre by which you play the function of a director of a British newsroom. Finally it’s as much as you to determine what to broadcast, with the whole lot you see on a two-second broadcast delay. You’ve bought to censor the plain stuff like dangerous language whereas flavoring the footage with applicable sound results. You’re graded in your efficiency based mostly on viewers rankings, which impacts your pay (and you may even watch your completed broadcast). The sport ought to take round 9 hours to finish.
11
Kirby and the Forgotten Land
2022’s Kirby and the Forgotten Land was a return to type for Nintendo’s lovable pink protagonist. It was the primary time Kirby appeared in full 3D and, although the gameplay consisted of principally easy platforming, the quirky title does sufficient attention-grabbing issues to maintain gamers hooked. Kirby’s capability to soak up and tackle the properties of enemies and gadgets is central to the gameplay, and upgrades had been added to those talents that permit gamers to tailor the character to their most well-liked play model. The sport ought to solely take round 10 hours to roll credit, and some extra hours to finish the extras.
12
Halo: Fight Developed
Bungie’s iconic first-person shooter debuted on the unique Xbox in 2001 solely to be remastered and re-released a decade in a while the Xbox 360. Halo: Combat Evolved: Anniversary is now playable on fashionable platforms as a part of Halo: The Grasp Chief Assortment, with a playthrough taking about 10 hours to finish (although be ready to take longer should you pump the issue up). Not solely is that this a nostalgic approach to spend your weekend, you possibly can expertise the entire thing in co-op with a pal.
When you take pleasure in your time with Halo: Fight Developed, you’ll be happy to listen to most different titles in The Grasp Chief Assortment have a equally accessible runtime, together with Halo 3: ODST which is one of the most underrated games in the series.
13
SteamWorld: Heist
The SteamWorld video games are all fairly good, however just a few stand out. The unique SteamWorld: Heist is a good start line, particularly should you take pleasure in turn-based fight. The sport takes place from a 2D side-scrolling perspective by which you interact in projectile-based battles, accumulate hats, and work your means by means of greater than 100 weapons. There’s an actual emphasis on trick photographs right here, and studying to ricochet bullets off partitions and ceilings is a talent that’s loads of enjoyable to grasp. You possibly can see the sport by means of in about 12 hours, although the sequel will take practically double that.
Although very totally different video games, SteamWorld Dig and its sequel are additionally value a glance and might be completed in round 5 and 7 hours respectively.
14
Return to Monkey Island
Return to Monkey Island is proof that they actually do make them like they used to. The ultimate entry of one of many best point-and-click journey sequence of all time, this story of a father (Guybrush Threepwood) recounting the story of his best journey is touching, humorous, and many enjoyable. You don’t have to be intimately conversant in the supply materials, Monkey Island veterans and newcomers alike will take pleasure in this colourful reimagination of some of the endearing journey video games of all time. Like all good story it’s over and leaving you wanting extra in round 10 hours.
15
Chicory: A Colourful Story
A recreation that was met with common acclaim when it first arrived on PS5 in 2021, Chicory: A Colorful Tale is a recreation the place you tackle the function of a canine that the sport names after your favourite meals. When coloration is drained from the world, it’s as much as you to revive it together with your magical paintbrush and the buddies you meet alongside the way in which. How lengthy Chicory takes to finish largely relies on how lengthy you spend perfecting your stunning creations, although the sport ought to take round 9 hours on common.
Not bought a full weekend to spare? Take a look at 15 games that you can complete in a single evening. On the lookout for a extra severe dedication? Some games can be played forever!