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5 in 5: Top Games You Can Finish in Five Hours or Less

5 in 5: Top Games You Can Finish in Five Hours or Less

When I was a boy I remember perusing the save contents of my PlayStation memory card and noting with astonishment that the play clock on my latest Final Fantasy VII file had almost hit 90 hours. “The best games are the longest games,” I thought. Fast forward a little bit and as a teenager, I saw that several days of my life had been spent playing World of Warcraft. “Will I regret this?” I wondered. About the time I was considering dropping out of a few classes at the University of Tennessee I realized that my Soul Calibur 4 play clock went well over a thousand hours. “I’m sick,” I realized, “I should really spend less time staring at a screen.” There are plenty of incredible games out there, new and old, that won’t drain countless hours out of your life. Here I’ve selected my 5 favorite games that you can finish in 5 hours or less.

Portal

Portal

I never liked puzzle games until I played Portal. What started out as a student project turned out to be one of the smartest and most innovative puzzle games ever produced. The premise is simple. You have a portal gun that shoots two portals: an entrance portal and an exit portal. Your goal is to satisfy (or is it escape from) an AI proctor that loves testing more than life itself (your life specifically). It’s mind-bending, it’s hilarious, it’ll make you feel like a freaking genius, and it’s absolutely a game you can finish in a single sitting. I guarantee if you play Portal you’ll be checking out its equally brilliant sequel. Don’t miss this one.

Shadow Complex

Shadow Complex

This guy was released on the Xbox Live Arcade back in 2009, and was recently re-released by Epic Games for the PC. This is basically a Super Metroid / Castlevania clone, and I mean that in the best possible way. For such a small game it packs a heavy punch with a huge map to explore. You’ll discover armor upgrades, new weapons and powers, and Easter eggs that’ll keep you coming back for more even after you’ve beaten the game multiple times. If you never played this on your 360 it really is worth checking out, and you can finish the main story in a couple of sittings.

Mega Man X

Mega Man X

If you haven’t beaten Mega Man X at least a dozen times, your childhood was not a happy one. This game was so cool. I remember holding a tape recorder up to my television to record the intro level music. It rocked so hard, and sometimes I’d play it in the car on my way to school if I needed a proper pumping up. The pacing and progression are perfect in this game; you start out as a weak, blue runt, collecting armor and upgrades to eventually become the ultimate mega badass. Mega Man X also featured some of the most iconic stages and boss battles on the SNES.

Journey

Journey

What can I say about Journey that hasn’t been said? This game is a masterpiece that ends way too soon. Journey toward a holy mountain as a nonviolent, cloaked, genderless, pointy-eared wanderer. You’ll drift from one spellbinding puzzle / vignette to the next, alone or with an anonymous companion, as you piece together a mystery that culminates in one of the most beautiful final sequences in any game I’ve ever played. Give thatgamecompany your money so they can create more experiences like this one.

WarioWare, Inc. Mega Microgames!

WarioWare, Inc. Mega Microgames!

While Final Fantasy Tactics is probably my favorite GBA game, the original WarioWare Inc. comes in at a very close second. The title says it all. This game is a collection bite sized (we’re talking like one bite) minigames designed by Wario and his eclectic crew. Each game gives you around 3-5 seconds to figure out what you’re supposed to do, and do it. The presentation and objectives are often hilarious, and the characters are all memorable and quirky. The main story is about an hour long, and is full of more wtf moments than you’ve likely experienced from all other games combined. I really can’t describe this one, just go watch a “let’s play.”

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