Some of the biggest games take hours to complete. But a game doesn't have to take long to be great. There are many iconic titles that are less than 5 hours long. This is good because not everyone has time to spend 100 hours on a game.
Sometimes you just want to sit down for the evening and enjoy a great adventure until the end. Fortunately, there are plenty of games on Steam that are short enough to do just that. The most notable ones are:
10
door
Portal is an iconic puzzle game where you have to complete test after test with the help of a cool gun that can shoot portals. In every test chamber, the task is to reach the exit, but there are usually many obstacles on the way. The puzzles are very creative and well designed.
What elevates this puzzle title even further is GlaDOS, which forces the AI to do all the testing. She may be a robot, but she's full of personality and taunts you throughout the 3-5 hour game.
9
untitled goose game
Untitled Goose Game lets you play as a mischievous little goose who wreaks havoc on an entire small town. All you can do is move around, honk and grab things, but that's all it takes to scare people.
Each screen has a to-do list, and the goal is to check them all off and move on to the next area. The fun of the game is figuring out how to honk and catch to complete the set task. It's a pretty silly game, but the puzzles are actually really clever and fun to figure out. The entire task will take approximately 3-4 hours to complete.
8
Firewatch
In Firewatch, you play as a man with a new job: a fire watchman. Every day I go out and check out the surrounding area. Along the way, you will have conversations with your supervisor.
These discussions are really what make the game what it is. The two characters have great chemistry and engage in interesting conversations that naturally deepen as their bond begins. The story goes in some surprising directions, and you can experience it all in about four hours.
7
travel
In just two hours, you can fully experience Journey's fascinating journey. You control a cloaked character in the desert who must reach a distant mountain. Along the way, you'll have to jump, fly a bit, and use your powerful musical sounds to get past obstacles.
You may even meet other people online along the way. There is no in-game chat, so you have to bond and communicate solely through actions. This creates a unique multiplayer experience that enhances an already beautiful game.
6
inside
Inside is a unique 2D puzzle platformer that puts you in control of the boy in the red shirt. While wandering through a dark dystopia, the shirt is one of the few bright things in the game. As a boy, you have to move forward and stay away from danger as best you can.
Typically this means completing puzzles, most of which are well designed and fun. The game also has a great atmosphere and beautiful art direction. This is why it is considered one of the best of its generation. And you can complete the entire adventure in less than five hours, and it will stay with you for much longer than that.
5
The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe
In The Stanley Parable, you play as an office worker named Stanley in an abandoned office building. You wander around the place, and there is a narrator there to guide you. You can do exactly what he says, but a big part of the game is moving places and doing things he didn't intend. He reacts in a funny way to almost everything you do. This is the beauty of the game because the narrator's writing is fantastic.
There are many different endings you can find in the game. Once I find one, I start over and try more. There are so many endings that it's unclear what counts as finishing a game. But you can get most of the endings in one evening.
4
super hot
Superhot is a unique puzzle game that plays as fast as you do. Because whenever you move, so does time. So if you stand still, so do the enemies and their bullets. The goal is to plan your moves to eliminate all of your enemies while avoiding enemy fire.
Everyone, including you, falls in one hit, creating tension. Done right, it'll make you feel like a true action star. There aren't many puzzle titles like that, and they're only 3 to 5 hours long.
3
Ethan Carter's Disappearance
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter tells the story of a paranormal investigator heading to a small town after receiving a letter from a child named Ethan Carter. When he got there, he discovered that Ethan was missing and that there were strange supernatural phenomena all over town.
You have to wander around there and investigate everything to find out what happened. You can do this without much hand-holding, because the game simply gives you the freedom to explore and investigate yourself. A captivating adventure that lasts only 4 hours.
2
little nightmare
As far as puzzle platform games go, Little Nightmares is a lot darker and creepier than most. During the course of the game, you must traverse dark areas filled with strange-looking creatures that can instantly kill you. So you have to time your movements and complete puzzles to get through the area without these beasts seeing you.
The gameplay is fun, but the presentation could be better. Because it has a great art style and the sound is fantastic. Together they help the game feel very atmospheric. Overall, it's a fantastic title that can be completed in 3-5 hours.
1
donut county
If you're looking for a leisurely two-hour experience, Donut County might be the place for you. It's a simple title where you control a hole in the ground. This hole continues to grow as it eats away anything on the surface. Typically you start with small things like bricks and then move on to vehicles and other larger items.
Sometimes they may throw an object out of the hole and put it back for someone else to eat. It's still satisfying to devour things during a two-hour playthrough. There's also a fun and quirky story about the raccoon that caused this large hole.
