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For a lot of us, gaming is a passion, but not everyone has 80+ hours to sink into a giant open-world. These are the best single player games you can finish in under 5 hours. They are short, sharp, and fully contained experiences that respect your time without cutting quality. Whether you’re looking for a weekend gaming session or something to play in one sitting, each of these titles delivers something memorable and fast.
Editor’s Choice: Best Short and Quick Single Player Games
If you’re craving a full game experience without the long haul, these short single-player titles are the perfect fit.
- Stray: Stands out for its unique perspective as a cat navigating a beautifully detailed cyberpunk world combined with stealth and parkour mechanics.
- A Short Hike: A cozy, heartfelt adventure that encourages exploration and relaxation at your own pace with charming characters and a memorable soundtrack.
- Superliminal: Impresses with its mind-bending forced perspective puzzles that challenge how you think about space and scale in a dreamlike setting.
- Bramble: The Mountain King: Offers a dark, Nordic folklore-inspired atmosphere with intense boss battles and a haunting, fairy tale narrative.
- Carrion: Unique as a reverse horror game where you play an unstoppable amorphous creature, blending action and puzzle elements in pixel art style.
- Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (Remake): Emotional storytelling with innovative dual-character control and updated visuals that deepen the original experience.
- What Remains of Edith Finch: Known for its varied narrative vignettes that explore the lives and deaths of a family through immersive first-person storytelling.
How We Selected the Games
To make this list genuinely helpful, I focused on short single-player games that don’t just meet the time limit, but are actually worth finishing. Each title was chosen using clear, practical criteria to make sure it delivers a complete experience in just a few hours.
- Time-Efficient: All games can be completed in five hours or less based on average playthrough times.
- Narrative or Design Impact: Each game offers something memorable: storytelling, mechanics, or a unique atmosphere.
- Standalone Experience: They’re non-demo, full games that leave a lasting impression.
Best Short Single Player Games You Can Finish in Under 5 Hours
1. Stray
| Developers | Game Length | Platforms |
|---|---|---|
| BlueTwelve Studio | 5 Hours | Mac, Switch, PC, PS 4, PS 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S |
In Stray, you play as a cat where you literally prowl a cyberpunk city, meow at robots, and squeeze into tight alleyways with all the grace of a feline. The game is set in an atmospheric, neon-lit underground city. It is truly an environment that beg to be explored.
Stray mixes gentle puzzles, platforming, and light stealth into a short narrative arc that doesn’t overstay its welcome. Your companion, a helpful drone named B-12, adds a bit of heart to the story without taking away from the main attraction: the cat’s perspective.
While some players may feel the price is a bit steep for its length, the visual polish and immersive vibe make it a worthwhile pick, especially if it’s on sale. If you’ve ever wanted to see the world through whiskers, this is your chance.
2. A Short Hike
| Developers | Game Length | Platforms |
|---|---|---|
| adamgryu | 1 ½ Hours | Linux, Mac, Nintendo Switch, PC, PS 4, Xbox One |
Don’t let the title fool you, A Short Hike may be brief, but it packs a lot of heart into its tiny island. You play as Claire, a bird on vacation who sets out to reach the summit of Hawk Peak, meeting quirky characters and collecting goodies along the way.
This is a game about exploration and atmosphere. The dialogue is charming, the pixel art is expressive, and the soundtrack dynamically shifts as you climb, glide, and wander. It’s all about discovery at your own pace.
At just under two hours, this is the perfect palate cleanser of a game: cozy, satisfying, and a quiet reminder that sometimes, the journey really is the destination.
3. Superliminal
| Developers | Game Length | Platforms |
|---|---|---|
| Pillow Castle | 2 ½ Hours | Switch, PC, PS 4, PS 5, Xbox One |
Superliminal is a game that messes with your head in the best possible way. Based entirely around forced perspective and optical illusions, it asks you to view everyday objects and problems from new angles. What starts as an experimental dream therapy session quickly unravels into a surreal dive through shifting rooms, recursive puzzles, and mind-bending logic.
The narrative is light but effective, mostly carried by a snarky voiceover and clever design. While the final act loses a bit of momentum, the short playtime actually works in its favor with just enough to surprise you without wearing thin.
It’s the kind of game that’s best experienced without knowing too much. And though it lacks replayability, that first run is pure “aha!” moment after moment.
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4. Bramble: The Mountain King
| Developers | Game Length | Platforms |
|---|---|---|
| Dimfrost Studio | 4 ½ Hours | Switch, PC, PS 4, PS 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S |
Bramble brings Nordic folklore to life in a way few games have. This dark fairy-tale adventure blends horror and fantasy in equal parts, following a young boy on a violent, emotionally charged quest to save his sister. From giant trolls to violin-playing water spirit, every encounter is both striking and unsettling.
The game’s linear structure and occasionally stiff controls won’t win over everyone, but it more than makes up for it with visual storytelling and grim, mythic atmosphere. Bramble’s world feels alive in a dangerous, surreal way that sticks with you.
If you’re into narrative-driven horror that leans on cultural myth rather than jump scares, this one’s a gem. Just be prepared for some truly grim moments.
5. Carrion
| Developers | Game Length | Platforms |
|---|---|---|
| Phobia Game Studio | 4 ½ Hours | Linux, Mac, Mobile, Switch, PC, PS 4, Xbox One |
Carrion flips the horror genre by casting you as the monster. In this reverse-horror side-scroller, you slither through air vents, rip through scientists, and grow stronger as you escape a shadowy research facility. The pixel art is gorgeously grotesque, and the audio design adds serious weight to every squelch and scream.
Gameplay is snappy and fun, with plenty of ways to upgrade your monstrous abilities. But it could’ve benefited from more challenging enemies or tougher puzzles to match its growing power curve.
Still, for anyone looking to feel like an unstoppable horror movie creature, Carrion delivers something refreshingly different and completely playable in one evening.
6. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (Remake)
| Developers | Game Length | Platforms |
|---|---|---|
| Avantgarden | 3 Hours | PC, PS 5, Xbox Series X/S |
The remake of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons sticks closely to the emotional storytelling and puzzle-adventure gameplay of the original, with upgraded visuals and a newly recorded orchestral score. You guide two siblings through a fantastical world to find a cure for their ailing father, solving environment-based puzzles using each brother’s unique abilities.
Mechanically, it’s simple after a few minutes, especially if you’re used to more dynamic co-op experiences like It Takes Two. But the charm lies in its wordless narrative and the emotional bond you build through the dual controls or local co-op mode.
It may not appeal to everyone, especially those coming off more recent co-op games, but it’s still a meaningful tale that respects your time and rewards your attention.
7. What Remains of Edith Finch
| Developers | Game Length | Platforms |
|---|---|---|
| Giant Sparrow | 2 Hours | Mobile, Switch, PC, PS 4, PS 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S |
What Remains of Edith Finch is a quiet, haunting walking simulator that explores the legacy of a cursed family through a series of deeply personal vignettes. Each chapter is presented in a different gameplay style, making every story feel distinct even as each ends in loss.
As Edith, you explore the labyrinthine Finch house, uncovering the strange and sometimes tragic tales of your ancestors. The visuals and narrative structure do a lot of the heavy lifting, and while the emotional beats may not hit for everyone, it’s hard not to admire the craftsmanship.
It’s a love-it-or-don’t title, especially if you’re not into passive storytelling, but if you’re open to games that play more like interactive fiction, it’s a memorable two-hour journey.
Final Thoughts
Each of these short single-player games proves that great storytelling and design don’t require dozens of hours to make an impact.
If you’re after atmosphere and immersion, Stray and Bramble: The Mountain King are visually rich and emotionally resonant. For clever mechanics and brainy fun, Superliminal and Carrion each offer fresh perspectives on puzzle and horror gameplay. And if you’re in the mood for something calm and heartfelt, A Short Hike is a perfect, relaxing escape.
Whether you’re short on time or just looking for a tightly crafted experience, these games show that brevity and quality can absolutely go hand-in-hand.
FAQs
Yes, many short games are designed to deliver a complete, polished experience in just a few hours. They often focus more on tight storytelling, emotional impact, or clever mechanics without filler content.
Yes, especially those with open-ended exploration or multiple endings. Others, like Superliminal, are more impactful on the first playthrough but still memorable.
Yes, most high-quality short games come from indie developers. Smaller studios tend to focus on tightly scoped experiences that emphasize creativity over length.
Steam tags like “Short,” “Walking Simulator,” or “Story Rich” are great starting points. Also, checking curated lists or itch.io can uncover hidden indie gems built for shorter playtimes.
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