Short game recommendations

[loopy]

Can people recommend me some short bite-sized games?

As a general rule, its a game anyone can beat in an afternoon. While playing it casually for the first time (blind).
Excluding the time it takes to 100% the game; so getting every collectible/beating every challenge and highscore bonus. So just the main part/story.

I know of a few good ones, like DLC Quest, Say No! More, Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion, Kururin Squash!, Superliminal, The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog, A Short Hike and Pony Island

But feel free to suggest anything you deem short enough and a good game. People can just use HowLongToBeat.com to see if it fits their own definition of short.

Just to give an example:

 

[RageBurner]

If system is no restriction, I think Half Minute Hero is a brilliant quick play game.

 

[loopy]

Any platform, and any year (retro or modern)

 

[UnDubious]

The last one I beat was SMT: Synchronicity Prologue, a quality, officially free metroidvania you can beat in 2-3 hours IIRC. Definitely recommended.

Hyper Iria on the SNES is pretty cool, it's a short sci-fi action-adventure related to the Iria/Zeiram franchise. Maybe two hours long.

Dungeon Explorer is an early Atlus game on the Turbografx-16, basically a Gauntlet/RPG hybrid with a dark gritty feel that's about 4 hours long. Pretty cool game.

 

[E0N]

Portal
To the Moon (and its sequels)
Mouthwashing

 

[Kremiso]

if shumps are also accepted then X-Out Resurfaced (what i'm playing atm);
an imo great tribute to the Amiga version, the full longplay is less than 30 mins

Spoiler: X-Out Resurfaced longplay

 

[emotionalskyscraper]

Noitu Love and its sequel take like 2 hours to beat. They're some old PC indie games made by the same creator of Iconoclasts.

 

[DeadVoivod]

Bruce Lee on the C64 (I probably will never stop to mention this game in every post ).

 

[Frickinfrik]

WarioWare! Any one will do. (except Snapped. And Game & Wario doesn’t count).

 

[legsrjust4show]

Kero Blaster

Made by the same person behind Cave Story. Extremely short little action game that's on like every platform I'm pretty sure, including smartphones.

It's really fun and worth buying four times over like I've ended up doing.

 

[Aziamuth]

If system is no restriction, I think Half Minute Hero is a brilliant quick play game.View attachment 45727View attachment 45728

The Spanish translation of the first one is one of the funniest I've ever seen

Post automatically merged: Mar 21, 2025

20 Small Mazes can be beaten in less than an hour depending on how smart you are

 

[DunkeyKong]

Probably almost any shoot em up really, but try Invader on the GBA. The spritework are quite amazing

 

[DeadVoivod]

Probably almost any shoot em up really, but try Invader on the GBA. The spritework are quite amazing

That is indeed very nice sprite art!

 

[RageBurner]

Probably almost any shoot em up really, but try Invader on the GBA. The spritework are quite amazing

Pew, pew!
Shmups are always solid picks for a quick session.

 

[Advil Lavs]

My favourite short games are probably Portal 1, Super Mario Land 2 and Duckmension

 

[Nanashikuhaku]

Try Iconoclasts. One of the best metroidvanian games made before 2020. The gameplay and story is amazing even today (for me).

 

[Cu-Neo]

MGS V: Ground Zeroes, The street of rage trilogy and Turtles in time

 

[RustySK]

FlyKnight might be interesting to you - it's like a miniature King's Field with simplified mechanics. A playthrough should only take like 3 hours or so. Really cheap, too!

Post automatically merged: Mar 21, 2025

Lunistice would be another one - it's a breezy little 3D platformer with a good amount of blue hedgehog DNA that plays almost like a time trial game. This one should take like 2 or 3 hours.

Oh! Last one - the Toree games are also really fun, bite-sized platformers. Those are even shorter, like an hour or less a piece. Anything made by Siactro might fit the bill, really.

 

[TotzOnGaming]

Shmups and Run n' Guns are my usual goto for short games.

 

[Orclease]

PSP Mini title - Monsters (Probably) Stole My Princess

Kind of like Doodle jump, you hop up platforms beating up various monsters trying to find who stole your stolen princess.

 

[Ikagura]

Many non-RPGs from the 8-16 bits era were basically like that since they were inspired by arcades.

Gunstar Heroes, Shinobi III, the Classic Sonic games (maybe except 3&K as it's a bit longer), Mario games aside from 3 and World...

As for indies I could recommend VVVVVV and World of Goo for short experiences.

 

[NeonKnights]

Rental, free to play cute survival horror indie game.
This game made me dust off my ps1 and replay
Silent Hill 1 on Next Fear mode. Now I've a save in Nowhere.

 

[loopy]

I remembered this one:
Takorita Meets Fries