Video game fatigue is real. Sooner or later, those five hundred hours in open-world games tend to catch up. Once it does, that’s exactly when you want to experience titles that are short and sweet. Games that have entire narratives wrapped up in under 10 hours, so they don’t occupy your life for the next three months.
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From slaying bandits as a Samurai to playing as a ninja cyborg in the future, this list features many single-player games below the 10-hour mark. This includes awesome gems you can beat on weekends or in an entire night if you’re up for it.
South of Midnight
- Playtime: 9 hours
If you’re looking for something short and sweet, it doesn’t get any better than South of Midnight. Set in a fantasy iteration of the American Deep South, mythical creatures are emerging for reasons unknown. You’ll have to unravel the mysteries of the world and, at the same time, fight creatures that aren’t so friendly.
There’s a distinct moody vibe to South of Midnight. The atmosphere is gloomy and gothic, while the inclusion of stop motion animation makes the visuals pop. Puzzle solving, beat ‘em up style combat, and a hearty narrative form the core of the experience. South of Midnight is exceptional, and regardless of how short it is, it’s a must-play for fans of adventure games.
Ghostrunner 2
- Playtime: 8 hours
Movement is the name of the game in Ghostrunner 2. Gameplay is extremely fast-paced as you have to quickly jump and dash between platforms, dodging enemy attacks in the process. While you are doing that, you must also simultaneously plan your route to take them out. Since enemies attack you nonstop, you always need to be moving and wall-running. If you get attacked even once during enemy encounters, you die and have to redo that specific area from the start. Ghostrunner 2 is like the frustrating new version of Soulslikes in that regard.
The 8-hour story mode of Ghostrunner 2 has a mission-based design system. Levels have interconnected areas, each with different sets of challenges, enemies, and bosses. Everything is happening in a cyberpunk dystopia, so the visuals are nothing short of eye candy, too. New features and weapons are unlocked over time. There are even parts where you’ll drive a bike and fight enemies. It just doesn’t get more nutty than that.
Rollerdrome
- Playtime: 5 hours
You roller-skate around courts, perform flashy tricks, earn ammunition as a result, and then empty your entire clip on enemies. Rollerdrome is Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater on drugs. Playing Rollerdrome is like taking dopamine hits on repeat.
The fast-paced gameplay keeps you hooked, and the modest variety of weapons keeps things fresh. On top of that, the stylized cel-shaded graphics never want to make you look away. Rollerdrome’s twelve main stages can be completed in about five hours. Despite the short playtime, Rollerdrome is hands down one of the best single-player games you can beat in under 10 hours. However, there’s tons of replay value in it as well. So even if you want to keep playing, there’s so much more it has to offer.
Trek To Yomi
- Playtime: 5 hours
Given its short playtime of five hours, the black and white side-scroller Trek To Yomi wastes not even a single minute in getting you settled in. One minute, you’re learning the basics of combat in a beautiful Japanese city, the next minute, everything around you is on fire. At a young age, the protagonist witnesses his master getting murdered. This sets up the story for years later when he becomes a Samurai and finds a lead on the culprit.
Trek To Yomi is a gritty tale. It doesn’t shy away from showing you the horrors of war. Its various aesthetic backdrops will evoke different feelings within you. But once you look past its beauty, you’ll find there’s just as much of a satisfying combat system present. Blocking, parrying, and attacking are the basics of a Samurai’s trade. Directional inputs lead to chaining combos, and from there, the action gets only better. The phrase “2D Ghost of Tsushima” would best describe Trek To Yomi. It isn’t open-world nor as mechanically dense as the former. However, when it comes to satisfaction in combat and a rich narrative, Trek To Yomi proves it’s on par.
Atomfall
- Playtime: 9 hours
A nuclear plant disaster sets the stage for Atomfall’s rich setting. As the amnesiac protagonist, you need to get to the bottom of what’s happening. Why are aliens here? Why are the humans acting all crazy, and how can you fix everything?
Along the way, you explore a beautiful semi-open world, find new weapons, and discover new quests. The combat system is unique in that you need to manage your character’s heart rate. A higher heart rate will make you slow and your vision blurry, so taking other approaches like stealth is always an option. There is total freedom in exploration and player choice about who to kill and who not to kill matters. If you are up to the task, the entirety of Atomfall can also be beaten without spilling any blood. All that in Atomfall’s brief 9-hour playtime makes it an easy recommendation for the best short single-player games.
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