Video games can get very long -- often frustratingly so - with some modern triple-A games spanning hundreds of hours. Not every game has to be huge, though, and plenty of indie developers have stepped up to provide shorter experiences that are just as polished and just as enjoyable as their high-budget contemporaries.
Sometimes you don't want to spend a year chipping away at a huge RPG, so that's why we've put together this list of short games for people who lead busy lives. Every game on this list can be completed in ten hours or less, making them easy to get through over a week or in a single weekend.
Indika
Indika is a wild game in which you play as a Russian nun during the 19th century -- possibly the only game in which you do so. It's a genre-bending ride that mixes third-person action gameplay with pixel art 2D platforming, blending the two with a fascinating approach to cinematography and storytelling. Indika is unique and clocks in at about just four hours in an average playthrough, which is perfect to knock out in a weekend.
Indika is available on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Shovel Knight
Shovel Knight is a wonderful little retro platformer inspired by the NES era of gaming. It's got slick platforming, tight controls and some of the best music in the genre's history. The main campaign of Shovel Knight will take about six to seven hours, but it has three other campaigns too -- King of Cards, Specter of Torment and Plague of Shadows. Each of these additional, paid, standalone campaigns will last between four and seven hours, essentially giving you four short games to play through and enjoy.
Shovel Knight is available on PC, Xbox One, PS4 and Nintendo Switch.
Sayonara Wild Hearts
Part experimental pop album, part arcade racer, fighter, shooter, and rhythm game, Sayonara Wild Hearts is both the shortest game on this list and one of the most distinct. At most it'll take you about two hours to complete -- perfect for a laid-back afternoon -- and your reward is an incredible soundtrack, a vibrant and energetic art style and a wonderfully told story.
Sayonara Wild Hearts is available on PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch and iOS.
Crow Country
If you want to relive the glory days of the PS1 era but don't want to deal with the hassle of setting up a PS1 and finding a game to play, Crow Country is the game for you. It's a retro-themed third-person survival horror game inspired by classics like the original Resident Evil, and it both looks and feels the part. At just five hours long, Crow Country doesn't overstay its welcome, and can be completed over a weekend while leaving you feeling both terrified and fulfilled.
Crow Country is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch.
Unpacking
The Australian-developed Unpacking is entirely absent of dialogue or narration, but that doesn't mean it's light on story. Unpacking weaves a story through gameplay, with the main character moving houses several times throughout the game and the player tasked with unpacking their home after each move. Through the simple act of unpacking, players will learn about the characters and their trajectory through life. It's a touching game with some surprisingly impactful moments, all conveyed through showing, not telling. At about four hours in length, Unpacking definitely delivers the most emotional bang for your buck of any game on this list.
Unpacking is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android.
Citizen Sleeper
Citizen Sleeper was one of the best games of 2022. This seven-hour roleplaying game has players taking the role of a "Sleeper," a human mind digitized and placed into a robot body in servitude of a gigantic corporation. We won't spoil what happens next, but it's one of the best stories in video games, with multiple endings and plenty of meaningful choices to make along the way.
Citizen Sleeper is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch.
What Remains of Edith Finch
What Remains of Edith Finch is not only a short game overall, coming in at around three hours, but it's also broken up into a series of seven short chapters, making it perfect to slowly knock out over a week of afternoons. This wonderful adventure story game has you exploring the home of the Finch family, discovering what happened to each member and figuring out how it all fits together. Filled with twists and turns, it's an absolute delight to play in small chunks.
What Remains of Edith Finch is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and iOS.
Stray
Any game that lets you play as a cat is great, but playing as a cat in a robot-filled cyberpunk dystopia is even better. Stray is fully committed to giving the player a realistic cat experience, with the way you move, platform and interact with the world being as catlike as you can get in a video game. It's packed with adorable animations and fuzzy moments, and at just six hours it's a must-play for any gamer short on time.
Stray is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch.