15 Short Games You Can Beat in One Sitting

Journey – Journey may not be an action-packed adventure, but its stunning world filled with dilapidated ruins of a forgotten civilization makes for one of the most immersive and emotional experiences you can play right now. You’ll play as a nameless protagonist on their quest to reach the mountaintop in the distance. We won’t say much more about Journey, other than it can be finished in a couple of hours, and it’s absolutely worth your time.

What Remains of Edith Finch – What Remains of Edith Finch sees players step into the shoes of Edith, as she explores her old family house and recounts the untimely ends each of her deceased family members met. With each family member’s story having a slightly different mechanic or unique element, the game feels fresh and exciting right until the credits. It’ll only take a couple of hours to beat, too.

The Turing Test – The Turing Test is a puzzle game that’s eerily reminiscent of Portal. You, Ava Turing, are tasked with using a special weapon of sorts to collect and fire energy orbs. These can be used to open doors, activate machines, and plenty more. Your objective? To explore this space facility and figure out exactly what’s going on with the rest of Ava’s crew. Depending on how good you are at puzzle games, you’re looking around four to six hours, perfect for a chilled evening session of gaming.

Madden 19’s Longshot – Madden 18’s Longshot was one of its biggest boons, allowing players to follow up-and-coming talents within the NFL, and just give a bit more personality and story to the sport sim. It succeeded, and Madden 19 brings the second chapter of the story, focusing on Cruise and Wade once more. It’s only four to five hours in total, and is largely made up of training drills, but it’s a bit of corny fun for all you football fans all the same.

Captain Spirit – The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit is more of a playable teaser than a proper game, but for those fans of Life Is Strange, it absolutely cannot be missed. This short, standalone episode gives players a peek into the lives of Chris, a young child living with his dad. The episode hints at what’s to come in Life Is Strange 2, and though we now know exactly what it was hinting at, it’s a great way to get yourself hyped for Life Is Strange 2 in the space of a couple of hours.

Rime – Washed up on an abandoned island, players assume control of a small boy who must navigate the world, interact with objects, and basically, follow the magical fox that’s seemingly guiding him somewhere. We won’t say much more about Rime’s story, but its platforming puzzles and beautifully-styled world make for another pleasant and relaxing game, perfect for a chilled evening gaming session. It’ll take you about five to six hours, so you might want to save it for a weekend.

Moss – While a lot of VR games are incredibly short and easy enough to complete in one sitting, Moss is arguably one of the strongest and most delightful experiences on PSVR right now. You’ll guide the adorable mouse, Quill, through a miniature world absolutely bursting with fantasy, magic, and wonder. Its puzzles are on the simple side, but still offer enough challenge in places to make you stop and think. If you can stomach VR for a solid three to four hours, Moss will sink its teeth into you and not let go until the credits roll… not that you’ll want to stop anyway.

Valiant Hearts: The Great War – Valiant Hearts is emotional, sincere, compelling, and an absolute treat to look at. Telling the stories of numerous characters as they live through the events of World War I, it’s down to players to guide them through each level, helping those they find along the way and navigating themselves to safety. It’s probably on the upper limit of what you can finish in one sitting, coming in at about six to eight hours, but that’s what rainy days are for, right?

Inside – Inside continues the sinister tone set by Playdead’s first game, Limbo, with a mind-bending narrative that slowly unravels throughout its duration. Though, we’re still not entirely sure what we saw! Its puzzle platforming is some of the finest in the genre, mixing things up and requiring the player to learn and develop their skills as they go. It’s possible to finish it in about three to four hours, but it may take you a little longer depending on your skill level. Regardless, Inside is definitely the kind of game that suits being played in a single sitting, so commit to it and revel in its dark awesomeness.

Limbo – And if you want to see where it all began after playing Inside, then Limbo is obviously the next port of call for you. Its monochrome world is teeming with dangers and particularly nasty traps, all of which you’ll need to overcome if you’re to uncover the fate of the protagonist’s sister. Again, it’s only about three to four hours long, so it’s definitely a game you can complete fairly easily in a single sitting.

Gone Home – Gone Home has gathered a bit of a cult following since its initial release back in 2013. As the title suggests, you arrive home after a year abroad, only to find the house is completely empty and your family is nowhere to be seen. As you explore the family house, taking peeks into their personal lives and uncovering secrets, you’ll never feel quite at ease. Gone Home is a narrative-driven game, so it may not be for everyone, but coming in at two hours makes it very difficult not to recommend. You can speedrun it even faster, too, if you’re feeling so inclined.

Firewatch – Firewatch is another largely narrative-driven game that tells the story of Henry, a man who has taken on a job as a fire lookout in the Wyoming wilderness to escape from the pressures of normal life. Though things start off simple enough, everything quickly takes a sinister turn, and you’ll be left to figure out what the heck’s going on. It’s emotional, unsettling, and an absolute beauty of a game to just sit and gawk at. If you can stop staring at its stunning vistas, you can finish it in about four hours. A perfect game as summers begins to come to a close.

Tacoma – Yet another narrative-driven title, this time you’ll be sent to the Tacoma space station as you assume the role of Amy Ferrier. Tasked with completing an AI transfer from the space station, you’ll explore each of the different compartments of the station, locating access points and downloading necessary data. However, thanks to some AR hardware, you can watch reconstructions of the crew members conversing and going about their daily routines. At only two and a half hours, it’s a viable alternative to watching some sci-fi movie, and it’ll probably stick with you for longer, too!

A Way Out – Josef Fares’ outburst of passion for video games at The Game Awards last year certainly catapulted him into meme-levels of internet fame, but players had to wait until this year to check out his studio’s game, A Way Out. The game’s focus on co-op is what makes it so unique, with the game not playable solo at all. Fortunately, two players can play with just one copy of the game online, so you’ll never be without someone to play with. Its gameplay can feel a bit repetitive at times, but if you want a different game from the same ol’ thing, it’s a great way to pass six hours or so with a buddy.

Titanfall 2 – After its predecessor made the cardinal sin of releasing without a campaign right at the start of the console generation, Titanfall 2 made amends by bringing the series’ hulking mechs into the spotlight. Its campaign focuses on the relationship between protagonist Jack Cooper, and Titan BT-7274 which he kinda just inherits. The visuals are great, the shooting is tight, and the story is enjoyable enough, albeit a little corny. Considering it’s likely heavily discounted by now, its six-hour campaign is well worth checking out. Plus, you’ve got its multiplayer to dive into once you’ve dusted off the single-player, too.