Looking for the perfect weekend escape that won’t eat up your entire day? Dive into these 7 great games you can finish in under 5 hours-each delivering a memorable, bite-sized adventure that fits perfectly into any busy schedule. Whether you crave gripping stories, clever puzzles, or cozy simulations, these picks prove that great gaming doesn’t have to be a marathon.
We’ve polled the collective brain trust of AELGAMES’s most ardent short-game enthusiasts to bring you a selection of the best games you can play and enjoy in under five hours. From recent indie hits to critically acclaimed classics, there’s a ton of great games you can lose yourself in without eating up all your free time.
Minit
$10 $10
Where to play: Android, iOS, Mac, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows PC, Xbox One
You’re an inquisitive ducklike creature who picks up a nifty sword that washes up on the shore next to your house. Unfortunately for you, the sword is cursed, causing you to die and be resurrected back at your home every 60 seconds. Minit is a whimsical time-loop twist on a Zelda-like adventure that’s perfect to play on a lazy weekend afternoon. –Toussaint Egan
Read More $10 at Steam$10 at Nintendo
A Short Hike
$8 $8
Where to play: Mac, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows PC
A Short Hike is the epitome of a “cozy” game, putting players in the role of a young bird girl named Claire enjoying her summer vacation in a beautiful provincial park filled with interesting characters and loads of fun activities to do. Collect golden feathers in order to reach the peak of a nearby mountain, or play volleyball, collect seashells, or race a speedboat across the ocean. –TE
Read More $8 at Nintendo$8 at Steam$8 at itch.io
Monument Valley
$4 $4
Where to play: Android, iOS, Windows PC
Ustwo Games’ 2014 puzzle game takes a page out of M.C. Escher’s playbook, immersing players in a fantastical world of optical illusions and impossible objects as a pointy-hatted princess on a journey of discovery. If you enjoy similar mind-bending games like Portal or Manifold Garden, you’ll absolutely love Monument Valley. –TE
Read More $8 at Steam$4 at Android$4 at iOS
What Remains of Edith Finch
$20 $20
Where to play: iOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
What Remains of Edith Finch was released seven years ago, but it’s still one of the games I think about often. It’s like a benchmark for storytelling; it’s a bittersweet, haunting story that’s told through the eyes – and hands – of one woman exploring a strange old house. The BAFTA-winning game from developer Giant Sparrow does all this in just three hours, all spent wandering from room to room (and memory to memory) in search of answers to Edith’s questions about her family’s history. It’s the sort of game that you’ll want to indulge in through one straight session, as if it were a movie. Though What Remains of Edith Finch is no longer than a few episodes of House of the Dragon, you’ll likely spend a lot of time, like me, thinking about it after. –Nicole Carpenter
Read More $20 at Steam$20 at PlayStation$20 at Nintendo
Thirty Flights of Loving
$2$560% off $2
Where to play: Mac, Windows PC
If you really want a short game, how about an epic, multilayered spy caper packed into 15 minutes? This is the stunning achievement of Brendon Chung’s 2012 miniature masterpiece Thirty Flights of Loving, a hectic, surreal, hilarious, and even moving narrative game experience that won’t outlast a cup of coffee. It’s a first-person narrative game – like a walking simulator played on fast-forward, punctuated with startling elisions and jump cuts. And car chases. And magical-realist hallucinations. And a wedding.
Chung’s genius is to realize that his very basic graphics engine – the characters are textures wrapped around basic blocks, like in Minecraft – is so fast that it enables film-like editing techniques, with instant smash cuts from one scene to the next. He employs these to brilliant comic and dramatic effect, including a sudden jump from the preparation of a heist to its aftermath that’s worthy of Tarantino. Someone should try using those fancy SSDs in modern consoles to do something similar. –Oli Welsh
Read More $2 at Steam
Slay the Princess
$18 $18
Where to play: Mac, Windows PC
Honestly, the less you know about horror visual novel Slay the Princess before you go in, the better. But if you need something: Your player character is instructed by an enigmatic narrator to kill a princess. If you don’t, says the mysterious narrator, the world will end. How you kill the princess (or not!) has a huge domino effect on what happens next. It’s a game that takes into account every little decision you make, no matter how seemingly trivial, and ultimately builds into an incredibly thought-provoking and poignant story – all done through the basic framework of walking through the woods on the way to kill a princess. Even though you can finish the game in just a few hours, it’ll sink its teeth deep into your psyche and reverberate for a very long time. –Petrana Radulovic
Read More $18 at Steam$18 at GOG
Sayonara Wild Hearts
$13 $13
Where to play: iOS, Mac, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows PC
Sayonara Wild Hearts isn’t just a visually inspired rhythm game. It’s also a kickass synth pop album (truly, every track’s a banger). And an exhilarating action spectacle (you fight giant wolves while riding a motorcycle with miniguns). And a deliriously surreal acid trip (provided you have a good sitter). But the main draw here is how Wild Hearts conveys a story without a single word: of the youthful yearning for lost love, of the scars one bears because of it, and of the newfound strength one can earn through unimaginable, unforeseen tumult. Heavy stuff for 90 minutes flat! –Ari Notis
Read More $13 at Steam$13 at Nintendo$13 at PlayStation Store
Which of these short games offers the most memorable experience for a weekend play
Among the short games ideal for a weekend play, Portal stands out as offering the most memorable experience. Its innovative portal mechanics combined with sharp writing, dark humor, and the iconic AI antagonist GLaDOS create a unique blend of brain-teasing puzzles and storytelling that has kept players talking for over a decade. The main story can be completed in about three hours, making it perfect for a weekend, and its clever design and narrative depth leave a lasting impression beyond its brief runtime.
Other notable mentions for memorable experiences include Hotline Miami for its intense, fast-paced action and haunting atmosphere, Little Nightmares for its eerie and atmospheric storytelling through environment and stealth, and Undertale for its emotional depth and unique combat system that reacts to player choices. However, for a compact, unforgettable weekend journey, Portal remains a top pick.
Which game’s story or gameplay left a lasting impression on you
One game whose story and gameplay left a lasting impression is The Last of Us by Naughty Dog. It is widely regarded as one of the most emotionally layered and masterfully paced single-player experiences ever made, focusing on the complex relationship between Joel and Ellie in a post-apocalyptic world. Ellie’s character, in particular, is considered one of the greatest in PlayStation history, and the narrative’s emotional depth has resonated deeply with players, even inspiring a successful HBO adaptation.
Other notable games with memorable stories include Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End for its blend of thrilling adventure and character growth, Firewatch for its suspenseful and intimate storytelling, and Mass Effect 2 for its rich character-driven sci-fi narrative that makes player choices impactful. Each of these games combines compelling storytelling with gameplay that enhances the emotional engagement, leaving a strong and lasting impression.
