Short Games: 10 Gems You Can Beat in One or Two Evenings
The best short games wrap up in an evening or two and stick with you as much as a giant epic. Everything on this list takes between about 1 and 4.5 hours according to players on IGDB: Portal 2, Inside, Journey, What Remains of Edith Finch, Firewatch and five more gems. Perfect for clearing your pile without signing up for weeks.
Why play short games
A short game isn't a small game. It's a game that gets to the point, with no filler, no pointless collectibles and no map buried under icons. You start, you play, you finish, and you keep thinking about it for days.
It's also the best weapon against an overflowing backlog. Beating a game in one evening feels great, and it makes you want to play more. The times below are for the main story: most of these games are done before midnight if you start after dinner.
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1. Portal 2
About 4.5 hours for the solo campaign, and it flies by. With your portal gun, you solve ever crazier test chambers, guided by GLaDOS and Wheatley, two of the funniest characters in gaming. There's also a separate co-op campaign, perfect for a second evening with a friend.
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2. Inside
About 2 hours for an experience that stays with you. A boy runs through a gray, unsettling world with no words and no interface. The puzzles are simple but clever, the atmosphere is oppressive and the ending had everyone talking. Ideal for a night with headphones on and the lights off.
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3. Journey
About 2 hours crossing a desert toward a distant mountain. No dialogue, no combat, just sliding over sand, a stunning soundtrack and encounters with other travelers. It's short, contemplative and often deeply moving. One of the rare games you can recommend to someone who never plays.
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4. What Remains of Edith Finch
About 1 hour according to IGDB, often a little more if you take your time. Edith explores her family home and relives, through a series of short stories, what happened to each of her relatives. Every chapter plays differently, and some are unforgettable. A perfect evening.
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5. Firewatch
About 4 hours in the Wyoming wilderness as Henry, a man who takes a summer job as a fire lookout. Your only link to the world is Delilah, your supervisor on the other end of the radio. The dialogue is excellent, the scenery gorgeous, and the mystery creeps in slowly.
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6. Gris
About 3.5 hours in a hand-painted world where a young woman works through grief. No text, no deaths, just gentle platforming, light puzzles and colors that slowly come back. It's one of the most beautiful games on this list, best played in one sitting.
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7. Limbo
About 2.5 hours in black and white, in a hostile world where a boy searches for his sister. It's the first game from Playdead, the studio behind Inside, and their knack for atmosphere and cruel traps is already there. You'll die a lot, but you always learn something.
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8. A Short Hike
About 1 hour to reach the summit, though you'll probably dawdle. Claire, a young bird, climbs Hawk Peak while waiting for a phone call. You glide, fish, chat with hikers and collect feathers to fly farther. The coziest game on the list.
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9. Unpacking
About 3.5 hours of unpacking boxes. Across eight house moves, you put away the belongings of someone you never see, and piece together their life through their stuff. It's soothing, clever and surprisingly emotional. Perfect for a quiet evening, or for someone who thinks they don't like video games.
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10. Gorogoa
About 1 hour of pure wonder. You move and layer hand-drawn panels to connect scenes, and the story moves forward when the images line up. You've never seen a puzzle like it. One evening is enough, and you'll be telling everyone about it.
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Tips to get the most out of short games
Play them in one go if you can. These games are built like a movie or a good book: the pacing and emotion work best without breaks. Put your phone away, grab headphones for Inside, Limbo or Journey, and let it carry you.
Don't look up a guide. Most of these games rely on surprise, and a walkthrough video would ruin the best part. If you get stuck on a puzzle in Gorogoa or Portal 2, take a break and come back with fresh eyes. And if you want something a little longer next, check out games to beat in a weekend or games for short sessions.
FAQ
What is the best short game to beat in one evening?
What Remains of Edith Finch, Journey and A Short Hike take about 1 to 2 hours according to players on IGDB, and all three are favorites. For something a bit longer, Portal 2 and Firewatch fit into one long evening or two short ones.
How long is a short game?
Usually it means games you can finish in under about 5 hours. Everything on this list takes between about 1 and 4.5 hours for the main story, according to players on IGDB. Extras and completionist runs can stretch that a little.
Are short games worth it?
Yes, often more than very long ones. They get straight to the point with no filler and leave powerful memories. They're also perfect for busy stretches, or when you want to clear games from your backlog without committing for weeks.
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