The gaming industry’s continuous rise in prominence has resulted in more money being pumped into upcoming releases, consequently making games longer and more in-depth than ever before.Open-world gameshave become particularly popular, as many gamers enjoy how much freedom they provide, as well as their value-for-money length. Although long, open-world games are extremely popular right now, there are many gamers who prefer thelinear, structured experiencethat shorter games provide.
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The 10 entries on this list are all adventure games (including action-adventure, puzzle-adventure, etc.) that won’t take long to beat but provide a well-constructed and meticulously designed sub-7-hour experience.
10Day of the Tentacle
When people think of LucasArts today, their mind usually goes straight toStar WarsandIndiana Jones.However, back in the 90s, the company was also well known to gamers for their point-and-click graphic adventures. The games were popular with PC players thanks to their humorous dialogue, engrossing game-worlds, andingenious puzzles.
Day of the Tentacleis one of the most critically acclaimed graphic adventures of all time, especially due to how it found a great difficulty balance with its puzzles, something that many point and click games struggled with at the time.
9A Short Hike
Befitting of its name,A Short Hikeis one of the shortest games on this list, as it will only take around1-2 hours to complete the main story. The indie adventure was a creation of Adam Robinson-Yu and won the prestigiousSeumas McNally Grand Prize at the Independent Games Festival Awards in 2020.
The Nintendo Switch and PC game requires players to collect golden feathers that will help them complete their main goal of reaching the map’s peak.A Short Hikealso containsmultiple side questsand activities to keep players busy, such as treasure hunting and fishing.
8Full Throttle
The second and final graphic adventure to appear on this list,Full Throttlewas another creation of LucasArts. AlthoughFull Throttlekept the humorous dialogue of previous games, it had a more serious tone, with players taking control of a motorcycle gang leader named Ben.
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Full Throttle, as well as the aforementionedDay of the Tentacle,are two of numerous LucasArts graphic adventures that have been remastered in recent years. Both remastered games are currently available on Microsoft’s Game Pass service.
7God of War: Chains of Olympus
God of War: Chains of Olympuswas the fourth game in the franchise to be released when including the oft-forgotten mobile gameGod of War: Betrayal.The game hit stores in 2008 exclusively on the PlayStation Portable and instantly became one of the handheld consoles' most critically acclaimed titles.
Chains of Olympusdidn’t try to reinvent the wheel and kept the same simple yet engrossing hack and slash gameplay that had been so successful for the first twoGod of Warreleases.
6Journey
In a year when first-person shooters, action-horror games, and RPGs were dominating the market,Journeyreleased to provide a far more artistic and meditative experience than what was available at the time.
Along with the beautiful art design, the game was also highly praised for its atmospheric and memorable music. The game’s music was orchestrated by Austin Wintory, who has also worked onAbzû,Assassin’s Creed Syndicate,andFlow.
5Mirror’s Edge
When the trailer for Electronic Arts’Mirror’s Edgewasfirst released, gamers were immediately encapsulated by its impressive, bright art style and fast-moving, free-running gameplay. The trailer is one of the most popular for a new IP ever to be released on YouTube, andit now has over 8 million views.
Mirror’s Edgemay not have become the instant classic that some were expecting, but the game is stillan excellent 6-hour adventurethat gives players a true sense of speed. The sense of speed is especially apparent with how the first-person perspective is more realistic and engrossing than in most games, making players feel like they’re truly in the protagonist’s shoes.
4The Stanley Parable
2011’sThe Stanley Parableis an interactive drama that narratively takes inspiration from vintage text adventures with its branching paths that rely on a narrator guiding the player’s way. The story initially starts in the mundane place of a dull office, though the game can soon take drastic turns as players either follow or disobey what the narrator (Kevan Brighting) is saying.
The Stanely Parablewas one of the key games behind the rise of “Let’s Play” YouTube channels, as people flooded to the site to learn the strangest paths possible as well as the YouTuber’s reactions to them.
3Devil May Cry
The originalDevil May Crywas initially released exclusively on the PlayStation 2 in 2001, before coming to numerous other consoles over a decade later. Interestingly, the game was originally going to be a part of Capcom’s iconic horror seriesResident Evil,as the company was looking to change its direction following criticisms overResident Evil Zero’slack of innovation. Capcom decided to make the game into a new IP instead and developed what becameResident Evil 4fortheREfranchise.
RELATED:Every Devil May Cry Game, Ranked According To Metacritic
TheDevil May Cryfranchise is today recognized as one of the best in the hack and slash genre’s history, with the aforementionedGod of Warbeing one of its few competitors.
2What Remains Of Edith Finch
What Remains Of Edith Finchis a first-person exploration game, more commonly known as a “walking simulator.” As the name suggests, the game requires players to investigate Edith Finch’s past, along with other members of the Finch family.
What Remains Of Edith Finchwas highly praised by both fans and critics, exemplified by its huge Metascores between 88 and 92 across its four releases. Moreover, the game performed well at gaming award shows, with accoladesincluding a BAFTA for Best Game.
1Inside
Insideis a puzzle-platform adventure developed by Playdead. The game is the successor to Playdead’s critically acclaimedLimbo,which also could have featured on this list. Much like its predecessor,Insidehas a less-is-more approach to its gameplay, music, and art design, giving the games their own unique charm.
Insideis one of the most critically acclaimed titles on this list, exemplified by its whopping 93 Metascore on Xbox One. IGN were particularly impressed by the game, giving ita perfect 10/10 scoreand listing it in the number85 spot on their 100 greatest games of all-time list.
NEXT:The Legend of Zelda: Every Game, Ranked By How Long They Take To Beat
