Games You Can Finish in Under 6 Hours
In recent years, we've been treated to a host of wonderful indie games that offer up memorable experiences without demanding too much of your time. From spooky experiences like Man of Medan to relaxing gems and immersive narrative adventures like Stray, you're sure to find something here for you in our round up of the best short games.
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00:00 [MUSIC]
00:03 This list is for anyone looking for something you can pick up and
00:06 play without having to invest lots of time.
00:08 In recent years, we've been treated to a host of
00:11 wonderful indie games that offer up memorable experiences,
00:14 from spooky experiences to relaxing gems and
00:18 immersive narrative adventures and of course, the game with a cap.
00:21 You're sure to find something here for you in our roundup of
00:24 six games you can finish in six hours or less.
00:27 >> Do you have a problem? >> Yeah, I got a problem with you.
00:30 >> Man of Medan is a cinematic, choose your own adventure style
00:33 horror story from Supermassive Games, the makers of Until Dawn,
00:37 that takes around five hours to complete.
00:40 This is the first episode in an ongoing anthology horror series
00:43 from Supermassive.
00:45 Man of Medan is pliquist interactive scare fest on now.
00:48 Coming in between four and six hours,
00:50 depending on how many of your characters survive till the end.
00:52 [MUSIC]
00:58 The best part is it's novel, rather brilliant,
01:00 cooperative play online or locally with friends,
01:03 whom can be responsible for different characters e-faring horror fest.
01:07 It can take a while to get going in the early hours,
01:10 but Man of Medan is easily a stellar choice for any party.
01:13 Not least because of how quickly it can be beaten.
01:16 >> There are always weak consumers.
01:20 >> Stray is a third-person cat adventure game.
01:23 I know, might as well start that download now, right?
01:26 But in case you need any more convincing,
01:28 you control a stray cat who falls into a world populated by robots,
01:33 and must explore and solve puzzles to return to his family,
01:36 which should take you around six hours.
01:39 Regardless of whether you're a cat lover or just fancy
01:42 a brilliant little platformer to sink into,
01:44 then Stray is an excellent romp.
01:46 Yes, it does help if you're a cat lover
01:49 because it's so beautifully animated and captures the cat's personality so perfectly,
01:53 but there's also so much more to love here.
01:56 Between the alluring semi-post-apocalyptic story,
01:59 the dense atmospheric world,
02:01 and the cast of quirky characters that inhabit it,
02:03 Blue Twelve Studios has created a fantastic experience.
02:08 What Remains of Edith Finch is
02:11 an interactive walking sim about the history of a cursed family living in the woods.
02:16 Lasting roughly three hours, it presents an emotional range and depth
02:20 that's richer and more affecting than dozens of other,
02:23 much longer games that released in 2017.
02:26 Developer Giant Sparrow has crafted a series of bite-sized vignettes,
02:30 akin to an anthology of short stories.
02:32 But while each tale differs in gameplay variety,
02:35 all share a bittersweet fondness for childhood, family,
02:39 and friendship that tugs at the heartstrings and tear ducts
02:42 in ways you won't be expecting.
02:44 Set aside a cold, rainy evening by the fire for this one.
02:48 This split-screen co-op game has to be played with another human being,
02:54 either locally or online.
02:56 A Way Out is by far the longest game on this list,
03:00 taking an average of six hours to complete its story.
03:02 But the extended evening binge is well worth the journey with a friend.
03:06 Enjoyed together right next to each other on the same couch
03:09 or through the wonders of the internet.
03:11 Created by brothers, A Tale of Two Sons, Joseph Farras,
03:14 A Way Out is a co-op game like no other,
03:17 maintaining and experimenting with the split-screen format
03:20 that is usually deployed as nothing more than a necessary evil
03:23 to accommodate local multiplayer.
03:25 Two players will take the roles of Vincent and Leo,
03:28 a pair of convicts on a high-stakes prison break.
03:31 And your subsequent escape is essentially made up
03:33 of a diverse series of mini-games,
03:35 all of which revolve around tight co-op mechanics.
03:39 It's a unique, well-crafted experience
03:41 with a surprisingly engaging story at its heart.
03:44 Just make sure the person you're playing with
03:46 is one you don't mind spending six consecutive hours alongside.
03:49 Journey is a therapeutic odyssey set across a glistening desert landscape.
03:56 Completely wordless, deliberately cryptic,
03:59 and nay a hint of user interface in sight.
04:02 Journey is just two hours long, but its legacy will last a lifetime.
04:06 The story seems like nothing more than vague symbolism at first,
04:10 but developer ThatGameCompany communicates its message
04:13 through a bespoke set of gameplay languages and rhythms
04:16 that elevates Journey's narrative into something much greater,
04:19 almost indescribable in its experimental impact.
04:23 It's also one of the few multiplayer games
04:25 to feel truly seamless in its interactions with other players.
04:29 And you'll still find fellow strangers
04:30 making the same treacherous odyssey online to this day.
04:34 There are hundreds of theories and analytical think pieces
04:37 as to what it all means, but at its core,
04:40 Journey is exactly what it says.
04:42 It's an expedition from point A to point B
04:45 that all of us can relate to.
04:47 Firewatch is our final game on this list
04:51 and is a story-focused first-person adventure
04:54 where you play as a newly recruited park ranger
04:57 running from a troubled past.
04:59 Developer Campo Santo condenses the events of several months
05:03 into a four-hour, lightly interactive adventure
05:06 set in the Wyoming wilderness.
05:08 The results are as good as you'd expect
05:10 from a story penned by the lead writer
05:12 of Telltale's The Walking Dead.
05:14 With award-winning central performances
05:16 from its two leads, Rick Sommer and Cissy Jones,
05:19 Firewatch uses Olly Moss' striking deception
05:21 of rural America as a backdrop for its meditation
05:25 on aging and remorse.
05:27 There's more uplifting moments in there too,
05:29 and Campo Santo's knack for the written word
05:32 creates some genuinely amusing moments.
05:34 Plus, you can pick up a turtle, so what's not to like?
05:38 Some will say Firewatch's story
05:40 is a little on the disappointing side,
05:42 deliberately undercutting its central mystery
05:44 with something much less exciting than it makes out to be.
05:47 But you'll have been glad to have embarked
05:49 on this brief getaway to the country either way.
05:52 - You're not in your tower?
05:54 - No, I'm not.
05:55 - Then who is?
05:56 - What's your favourite game to finish in an afternoon?
06:01 Let us know in the comments below
06:02 and hit that subscribe button
06:04 so you never miss another video.
06:06 See you in the next one.
06:07 (upbeat music)
06:10 (upbeat music)
06:12 (electronic beeping)