Top 20 Video Games That Can Be Beat in Under Five Hours – Reader’s Feature

One reader mentions a whole host of games that can not only be completed in an afternoon, but are just as good as their more time-consuming equivalents.

Whether you’re someone with limited playing time or just looking for a palette cleanser between hundred-hour role-playing games, it’s often fun to play a game knowing that you can tackle everything it has to offer in just a few hours. to see. So here are my top 20 games that can be completed in five hours or less.

Played from a top-down perspective, Ape Out challenges players to guide a gorilla through a series of maze-like levels, while dodging or killing the many enemies that stand in the way. The unique graphic style, reactive jazz soundtrack and fast-paced gameplay make for an enjoyable few hours.

19) 10 seconds Ninja

As the title suggests, you play a ninja with just 10 seconds to eliminate each level of enemies. It certainly requires some quick fingers, but thanks to the tight controls and balanced learning curve it always had that ‘one more go’ factor.

A relaxing game in which the ultimate goal is to reach the top of a mountain. With a short walk, players can explore the game world at their own pace, interacting with the various inhabitants as they choose. Even with little challenge or traditional gameplay, I couldn’t help but be won over by its charms.

A cleverly designed and often very funny commentary on the nature of video games and story structure. There’s little traditional gameplay to be found here, with the player instead simply making decisions as needed. Each run lasts 10 to 15 minutes, but most players will need to play multiple times to see what they can discover.

16) The hexagon

Six video game protagonists are told by their bartender that someone is planning a murder, and so begins a series of flashbacks spanning multiple game genres and the discovery of some dark secrets. It’s really weird, but if you’re looking for something different, try this.

An eerie atmosphere, combined with clever physics-based platforming and puzzles, makes Little Nightmares well worth playing, despite the somewhat clunky controls and camera angles.

Superhot’s clever combat system, where the enemies only move when you do, works very well with or without VR and it’s worth playing both versions.

Year Walk, a puzzle-oriented horror game based on Scandinavian folklore, evokes a terrifying, yet strangely beautiful atmosphere that has stuck with me ever since. Turn off the lights, put on your headphones and prepare for a unique journey.

A 2D action platformer where players use various skills to dodge attacks and kill enemies; Katana Zero’s fast-paced gameplay and twisted plot make for an entertaining (and often challenging) way to spend a few hours.

In gameplay terms, Pony Island is largely made up of endless runner-style segments and abstract puzzles, but it packs an incredible amount of surprises into its short runtime and is unlike anything else you’ve ever played.

My advice for playing Inside would be to go into it as little as possible. So I will say that it is a 2D puzzle platformer with a brilliantly realized aesthetic that makes for a somber, yet very memorable experience.

9) My friend Pedro

My Friend Pedro is a side-scrolling shoot ’em-up in which players can use a variety of special abilities, such as slowing down or splitting your aim to hit two enemies at once. It’s just a lot of fun and one of those games where I often found myself replaying levels multiple times to try and improve my scores.

The minimalist approach to storytelling (think Ico and Journey), combined with excellent climbing mechanics and breathtaking views, makes Juant an extremely enjoyable gaming experience.

Thanks to its difficulty, Hotline Miami may take some people longer than five hours, but the fast-paced, almost puzzle-like 2D gameplay is incredibly fun and goes well with the strange atmosphere.

A clever gameplay gimmick where players control both brothers simultaneously using the two halves of the control panel, and a moving story with a famously emotional ending make Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons one of the best puzzle platformers ever made, regardless of length.

Depending on your puzzle-solving skills, Braid can last a little over five hours, but I had to include it on this list because the time control mechanics were very new at the time and still can’t really be beaten within the genre.

An old-school side-scrolling 2D shooter with a clever time travel mechanic that allows players to rewind at any time and then battle alongside their previous attempts on the level. It’s very well done and requires players to try to set up each run correctly to ensure you meet the strict time limits.

Of course, Tetris can be played pretty much forever, but the core of Tetris Effect is the 27-stage Journey mode, which takes 3 to 4 hours to complete. When played in VR, the way the music and graphics respond to the player’s actions is simply fascinating and every Tetris fan owes it to themselves to check this out.

Apart from a few simple puzzles, Journey offers very little traditional gameplay, but the visual and audio design, along with the brilliantly implemented online multiplayer, combine to create an emotional and truly memorable experience.

1) Portal

With its clever physics-based puzzles and strange sense of humor, Portal was something gamers had never seen before and for me it is still the best puzzle game ever made. The sequel is a little longer, but also excellent.

By reader drlowdon

Reader characteristics do not necessarily represent the opinions of GameCentral or Metro.

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