Not every great video game requires a massive time investment. While sprawling open-world titles and 100-hour RPGs dominate headlines, many players still crave something more focused, a complete, meaningful experience they can start and finish in just a few days. Short games often deliver tightly crafted stories, innovative mechanics, and emotional impact without unnecessary filler. Whether you’re busy with work or school, looking for a weekend escape, or simply prefer concise storytelling, these games prove that length doesn’t determine quality. Here are 10 short video games that players commonly finish in a single weekend.

1. Firewatch

Firewatch is a first-person narrative adventure set in the Wyoming wilderness. You play as Henry, a man who takes a summer job as a fire lookout after a personal tragedy. Isolated in a tower deep in the forest, his only human connection is Delilah, his supervisor, who communicates with him via radio. What begins as a quiet job slowly turns into a gripping mystery involving strange events in the forest. The game focuses heavily on dialogue choices and character development rather than traditional action gameplay. Its emotional storytelling, natural voice performances, and striking art direction make it feel intimate and immersive. 

2. Gone Home

Gone Home is a first-person exploration game set in a quiet suburban house in the mid-1990s. You play as Katie Greenbriar, a young woman who returns home from a year abroad to find the house empty and her family missing. With no combat or traditional action mechanics, the entire experience revolves around exploring rooms, examining objects, and uncovering clues about what happened. As players search through drawers, closets, and hidden compartments, they piece together a deeply personal story about family, identity, and growing up. The narrative unfolds naturally through journal entries, notes, and environmental details, creating an intimate and emotional atmosphere.

3. Inside 

Inside is a dark puzzle-platformer that follows a young boy navigating a dystopian world filled with surveillance, experiments, and eerie mind-controlled figures. The game tells its story entirely without dialogue, using atmosphere and environmental design to convey meaning. Each puzzle flows naturally into the next, maintaining a steady pace that keeps players moving forward. The tension builds gradually, culminating in one of the most talked-about endings in indie gaming. Because of its focused design and relatively short runtime, many players complete Inside in a single evening.

4. What Remains of Edith Finch (2017)

This narrative-driven exploration game centers on Edith Finch, the last surviving member of a family believed to be cursed. Returning to her childhood home, Edith uncovers stories about her relatives, each presented as a unique playable vignette. Every family member’s story features different gameplay mechanics and artistic styles, from comic-book sequences to surreal, dreamlike scenarios. These short but powerful chapters create an emotional mosaic about life, death, and memory. Because each segment is concise and impactful, players frequently finish the entire game in one sitting. 

5. Stray 

In Stray, players control a stray cat navigating a futuristic cyberpunk city inhabited by robots. Separated from its family, the cat must solve environmental puzzles and uncover the mysteries of this underground world. The gameplay blends light platforming, exploration, and small puzzle-solving elements. What makes the game especially memorable is the attention to detail in the cat’s animations and interactions, from knocking objects off shelves to curling up for naps. Its manageable length allows most players to finish it comfortably over a weekend, making it both accessible and emotionally satisfying.

6. A Short Hike

True to its title, A Short Hike is a relaxing indie adventure about climbing a mountain in a small open-world park. You play as Claire, a bird who hikes to reach the summit for better cell phone reception. The charm lies in its freedom. Players can explore at their own pace, glide through the air, fish, race other characters, and complete optional side quests. The pixel-art-inspired visuals and cheerful soundtrack create a cozy atmosphere that encourages exploration without pressure. Many players complete the main objective in just a few hours, making it an ideal feel-good weekend game.

7. Portal 

Portal is a first-person puzzle game that introduced the now-iconic portal gun, allowing players to create linked portals to solve physics-based challenges. Set within the sterile testing chambers of Aperture Science, players are guided and often mocked by the AI known as GLaDOS. Each test chamber builds logically on the last, gradually increasing in complexity without overstaying its welcome. The clever writing and dark humor elevate what could have been a simple puzzle game into a cultural phenomenon. Its concise campaign ensures that many players finish it in a single weekend while still quoting its memorable lines years later.

8. Little Nightmares 

Little Nightmares is a suspenseful puzzle-platformer that follows a small girl named Six as she attempts to escape a disturbing vessel known as The Maw. The world is filled with grotesque, oversized inhabitants that heighten the sense of vulnerability. The game emphasizes atmosphere over dialogue, relying on lighting, sound design, and environmental storytelling to create tension. Its pacing is steady and cinematic, making it easy to play through in a few sessions. Players often complete it over a horror-themed weekend, drawn in by its eerie visual style and unsettling tone.

9. Titanfall 2

Although Titanfall 2 is famous for its multiplayer, its single-player campaign is widely praised as one of the best short shooter campaigns ever made. Players control a rifleman who partners with a Titan mech named BT-7274. The campaign introduces inventive gameplay mechanics, including a standout level that allows players to shift between timelines instantly. Rather than padding its length, the story moves quickly and maintains consistent excitement. Many players complete the campaign over a single weekend and finish wishing it lasted just a little longer, a testament to its quality.

10. The Stanley Parable

The Stanley Parable is a first-person narrative game that explores the illusion of choice in video games. You play as Stanley, an office worker whose mundane life becomes increasingly strange after his coworkers mysteriously disappear. The game’s witty narrator comments on and reacts to your decisions, leading to numerous branching endings. While one playthrough is short, the real enjoyment comes from replaying it to discover alternate paths. Its clever writing and experimental design allow most players to experience several endings within a single weekend.