Don’t Have Time for Video Games? Here Are Our Fave New Games You Can Finish in a Single Sitting
Gaming is a big part of my beat here at Sweety High, but on Video Games Day today, I've been thinking about how many video games aren't that accessible to most people.
Not everyone has the time—or even the desire—to commit to a game that might take dozens of hours to complete. Thankfully for those who want to play more casually, there are games for all types of players.
That's why I've assembled a list of my favorite game experiences from the last year or so that can comfortably be completed within three hours. Are you ready to take on these challenges in a single sitting?
Chuchel
Chuchel may be the oddest game I've played in years. It's a zany, story-driven point-and-click adventure about an adorably gross furball and his quest to get his hands on a tasty cherry. Along your way, you'll meet all kinds of off-kilter characters set to a frenetically cheery soundtrack, completing bizarre mini games and puzzles ranging from mind-bending to completely silly.
The game's 30 or so levels can be completed in just a couple of hours, and it's a truly weird experience from beginning to end. It can be played now on Steam, and is also coming soon to mobile devices.
Donut County
Donut County is a delightfully mischievous game. You play as BK, the reckless and roguish raccoon. When BK gets way too wrapped up in an app, he winds up destroying his entire town by swallowing it up through a hole in the ground. Gameplay consists of controlling the hole, making things fall into it, and in turn growing with the addition of each new item, as well as solving hole-based puzzles. The whole time you're very aware you're responsible for the wreckage, which makes the game even more fun.
The game can be finished in a couple of hours, and though it's available on PlayStation 4 and Steam, I personally prefer the more tactile iOS version. Just because you're finishing the whole game in a day doesn't mean you shouldn't bring it on the go with you.
Florence
Not enough games are solely about the joys and pains of falling in love, which is one of the reasons Florence is so special. The story follows a young woman named Florence whose life is in a bit of a rut until a chance encounter with a handsome musician named Krish. The two fall hard for each other, and their relationship unfolds through powerful playable vignettes about their life together, through all the ups and downs.
It takes about 45 minutes to experience the entire story, and there's no way to mess up or fail this narrative-driven game. It's a mobile game that's available on both Android and iOS devices.
Gorogoa
It's hard to describe the magic of Gorogoa in words. Its breathtaking, hand-drawn visual puzzles are unlike anything else I've seen before. Incredible, seemingly unconnected illustrations slide into place to form a single cohesive and interactive image, with an abstract story which tells a tale of curiosity and seeking out the truth, whatever the cost. The trailer will give you a sense of what I'm talking about—but it's only the beginning of what Gorogoa achieves.
I was definitely stumped once or twice by the puzzlers in Gorogoa, but it will probably take between two and three hours to beat the game, depending on how quickly you can solve them. It's available on Android and iOS, plus Steam for Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.
Minit
Despite its black and white, 8-bit aesthetic and small world, Minit is a surprisingly deep game. It follows an unnamed critter who picks up a jinxed sword, cursing it with a one-minute lifespan. 60 seconds into every outing, you die and wake up back home—but that doesn't mean the progress you've made along the way is lost. The game is all about chipping away at the story and uncovering incredible new sights a minute at a time until you can reverse the curse and set things right.
Even if you're being a completionist, the game probably won't take more than a couple of hours to beat the first time—though if you're anything like me you're going to want to beat it again and again to improve your times. It's available on Steam as well as PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.
Mom Hid My Game
Mom Hid My Game has a really simple premise. In each of the game's 50 levels, the main character's mom has taken his Nintendo 3DS away from him and carefully hidden it. Your goal is to get it back without getting caught—or getting chomped by an alligator, or being run over by bicyclists. You get the idea. Levels get increasingly wacky and complicated as the game progresses, ending in an oddly heartfelt final level that will make you question everything.
The game shouldn't take much more than an hour to complete and is available on Nintendo Switch and New Nintendo 3DS systems, as well as on iOS devices for free under the title Hidden My Game By Mom 3. I wish it had kept that title for the Nintendo releases, too.
Semblance
Semblance takes traditional puzzle platforming and turns the genre on its head by allowing players to manipulate the landscape. The main character, Squish, can slam against certain walls and platforms to reshape them, allowing them to traverse deadly spikes or reach otherwise elusive areas. In some instances, Squish can even flatten itself against walls to squeeze under low-clearance ledges or become tall and skinny to reach new heights. The puzzles are ingenious and innovative, requiring critical thinking as well as fast fingers to get to the solutions.
It takes about three hours, give or take, to play through the whole thing. It's available on Steam as well as Nintendo Switch.
What Remains of Edith Finch
What Remains of Edith Finch follows the titular Edith, a teenager who returns to her allegedly cursed ancestral home after her mom passes away. Death seems to follow the Finch family around, with Finch children often losing their lives in bizarre and inexplicable ways before adulthood. Edith is the last living member of her bloodline, and she has returned to learn more about the family history that has been kept secret from her. As she explores the house and learns about each member of the family, players relive their final moments on earth in small playable scenes that range from haunting to whimsical to hopeful to utterly moving. Break out the tissues, because this game will make you feel everything.
You should be able to complete this narrative-driven game in about two hours. It can be played on Steam for Windows as well as PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
To learn more about a game you'll definitely want to play for more than a few hours, click HERE for a review of my current obsession, Hollow Knight.