With lengthy RPGs becoming the norm nowadays, it’s becoming harder and harder to find short and sweet games, like Undertale, that you can beat in a single weekend. Finding a game that’s able to capture all the story and gameplay elements needed to make it feel complete in less than 10 hours is difficult, but it’s not impossible.
While most games typically shoot for runtimes of 40+ hours to make players feel like they’re getting their money’s worth, that doesn’t mean a short game can’t be every bit as incredible as a long one. Hazelight Studios is a prime example of this; nearly all of its games have fallen under 15 hours, and one still ended up a GOTY winner, and their most recent release, Split Fiction, is in the running for 2025’s GOTY. So, with that in mind, here are some short and sweet games you won’t want to miss.
10 Experience The Life Of A Street Cat In Stray
Main Story: 5 Hours | 100% Completion: 10 Hours | Metascore: 83
If you’re looking for a slower-paced experience that still packs a visual punch, then 2022’s Best Indie Game, Stray, is undoubtedly the best way to spend a day. Throughout this clever little platformer, you play as a stray cat navigating your way through a futuristic urban setting. Not only is the gameplay itself simultaneously relaxing, with just the right number of little puzzles to solve, but the visuals truly bring this game to life.
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Stray is undeniably beautiful, and at a quick glance, I’d be willing to say it has some of the most realistic-looking visuals I’ve ever seen in a video game. This, paired with the incredibly lifelike behavior of the cat you’re playing as, makes Stray a completely immersive experience that’s worth making the time for, and with a Metacritic score of 83 and a user rating of 8.3, it’s clear to say others agree.
9 Unpacking Tells An Entire Story Without Words
Main Story: 3.5 Hours | 100% Completion: 8 Hours | Metascore: 83
Falling into a similar slow-paced style of gameplay as Stray, Unpacking is perhaps the most relaxing game on this list. Rather than learning about the story through dialogue or character introductions, Unpacking tells a story through items. As the name of the game suggests, the entire game revolves around unpacking boxes into various rooms. You begin with one single room to unpack and eventually work your way up to a large home.
I know how it sounds on the surface, but the way Unpacking weaves a lifetime into small details is a magnificent experience. As you jump to later years, you see objects and rooms that change to indicate notable moments in the main character’s life. Plus, while you do have some creative freedom with where things go, it does get somewhat difficult to make everything fit in the spots they would naturally go, keeping the gameplay interesting as you uncover the story.
8 The Stanley Parable Will Have You Second-Guessing Every Decision
Main Story: 1.5 Hours | 100% Completion: 9 Hours (Minus 1 Time-Locked Achievement) | Metascore: 88
Despite being the shortest game on this list, don’t be fooled, as The Stanley Parable fully delivers a complete experience. In what is almost entirely the opposite of Unpacking, The Stanley Parable is a narrative-driven game that consists of near-constant dialogue. As the player, you have the option to consistently make choices that will affect both your relationship with the narrator and your overall ending as you progress.
If you’re looking for additional content, you can also check out The Stanley Parable: Deluxe, which contains the original game as well as tons of additional content that only adds to the overall experience, but it is slightly longer as a result.
Every choice you make is entirely up to you and leads to various wacky scenarios, which also gives The Stanley Parable an incredible level of replayability. That being said, thanks to the short individual run times, this is still a game you can 100% complete in under 10 hours, and well worth taking the time to do so, as each ending only offers more insight into the overall mysterious story.
7 Firewatch Isn’t As Cozy As It Seems
Main Story: 4 Hours | 100% Completion: 5 Hours | Metascore: 81
While Firewatch may not necessarily look realistic, that doesn’t detract from it being one of the most visually rich games I’ve ever played. Working as a fire lookout in the middle of a national park, Henry spends a large amount of time walking the forest during vibrant sunsets, ensuring that everything is as it should be. However, as you continue to explore, you’ll learn this isn’t just any old walking simulator.
The more you explore, the more you start to learn that something’s not quite right in this national park. As things slowly shift into more of a mystery adventure game, the suspense of what’s going on changes Firewatch from something you can finish in one sitting to something you need to finish in one sitting. The visuals, while stunning, are nothing compared to the captivating story Firewatch has to offer in its short runtime.
6 Portal 1 & 2 Will Push You To Think Outside Of The Box
Main Story: 3 Hours & 8.5 Hours | 100% Completion: 10 Hours & 22 Hours | Metascores: 90 & 95
If relaxing isn’t so much your style, then Portal might be perfect for you, as it instead relies on quick critical thinking that’s anything but relaxing. Despite having a relatively simple premise in which you use portals to solve various puzzles, the puzzles themselves require out-of-the-box thinking and precise planning, which makes Portal a short but rewarding experience.
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That being said, if you find yourself yearning for more after completing the first game’s very short runtime, Portal‘s sequel, Portal 2, offers even more complex puzzles. While Portal is a good introduction to the concept, Portal 2 elaborates on the foundation set by Portal to offer a more complete experience with a fleshed-out story and puzzles that challenge you to test your skills. Based on the average runtimes submitted by players on HowLongToBeat, you might even be able to beat both in 10 hours if you’re quick enough.
5 Uncover The Deeper Meaning Behind Inside’s Bleak World
Main Story: 3.5 Hours | 100% Completion: 4.5 Hours | Metascore: 93
While not exactly a horror game in the traditional sense, if you’re looking for something a bit more unsettling, then perhaps Inside is the best way to fill your limited free time. As a small boy, you’ll navigate the bleak world of Inside by overcoming various obstacles that block your path. The 2D platforming, paired with the moody atmosphere and unnerving narrative, is the result of perfecting the format laid out by its predecessor, Limbo.
While Inside isn’t necessarily a sequel to Limbo, it does offer a similar gameplay style and story with a deeper meaning, giving it the feel of a spiritual successor. If you haven’t played either and don’t intend to play both, I’d recommend Inside over Limbo since it’s a refined version of the latter, and they don’t have any direct connection, but both are incredible and fairly short, so they could even be played back to back in under 10 hours if desired.
4 Balatro Was The GOTY Contender Nobody Saw Coming
Main Story: 7.5 Hours | 100% Completion: 233 Hours | Metascore: 90
After popping up seemingly out of nowhere, Balatro is an award-winning indie game that took the gaming community by storm. On the surface, it may seem like just a simple poker roguelite, but Balatro is also so much more than that. Between the addictive gameplay, chaotic hands, and careful skill required, this is one game that you’ll have a hard time walking away from.
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Additionally, don’t be misled by how often and long you see people playing this. This is a short game that can be beaten in under 10 hours. However, whether you’ll be satisfied stopping there is another thing entirely. Balatro is extra special compared to the other games on this list in that, while the runs are short, you can do as many as you want, and they’ll never be the same. This allows you to enjoy a unique combination of short playthroughs, but also offers hundreds of hours’ worth of content, if you want it.
3 Undertale Is A Must-Play For Everyone
Main Story: 7 Hours | 100% Completion: 20 Hours | Metascore: 92
When talking about short masterpieces, it’s almost impossible not to mention Undertale. Regarded as one of the best indie games out there and a lot of people’s favorite game of all time, Undertale is an incredible pixel art adventure that leads you on a journey of self-discovery.
If you’ve already played Undertale, try catching up on Deltarune, Undertale‘s sequel that is being released a chapter at a time and already has plenty of content available.
As a human who has found yourself in a world of monsters, you get to decide what kind of person you’ll be. Contrary to what you might expect, you don’t have to kill anyone or anything in this game if you don’t want to, and those decisions will affect the specific Undertale ending you receive. Undertale‘s charming story is matched only by its absurd humor, making it a story everyone should experience for themselves.
2 What Remains Of Edith Finch Will Break Your Heart In Just 2 Hours
Main Story: 2 Hours | 100% Completion: 3 Hours | Metascore: 88
If you want to pack as much story as possible into the shortest game possible, What Remains of Edith Finch should be the first game on your list. As Edith, you’ll explore your family home and uncover the mystery of why you’re the last one left alive as you go through the last day of each person’s life. Based on that description, as you might expect, What Remains of Edith Finch is a heartfelt tale that will have you in tears, both from joy and sadness.
While it doesn’t offer much in the way of replayability, as nothing truly compares to the initial run, it’s not something you’ll play and subsequently forget about either. Despite an incredibly short playthrough time of roughly 2 hours, What Remains of Edith Finch is a perfectly wrapped little package that delivers a complete experience that even some 60+ hour games fail to achieve.
1 Journey Set A New Standard For Indie Games
Main Story: 2 Hours | 100% Completion: 5.5 Hours | Metascore: 92
Journey is perhaps the mother of all walking simulators, as this game quite literally is a giant exploration. As you make your way through various terrains and weather conditions, you experience the world around you through incredible visuals and even more incredible music. Some might say this game can be a bit boring, but in a way that’s precisely the point.
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As it’s meant to be completed in one sitting, Journey isn’t about the destination; it’s about the journey. While exploring, you’ll encounter various puzzles, strange phenomena, and maybe even a friend or two. The online companion system in Journey allows you to quietly stumble on other players whom you may help or follow, as silent travelers. Journey paints an entire story in just a few hours through nothing more than what is essentially a long walk, and every second of it is beautiful. If ever there was a perfect game for finishing in a single night, this is it.
Sources: Metacritic, HowLongToBeat
