In a day and age when it seems like nearly every major game release is a massive 30-50 hour endeavor, it’s nice to settle in with a shorter experience every once in a while. In fact,some of the best games of all time are shorter games, often making up for their short runtimes with a great deal of replay value and focused action that helps them avoid the pacing issues suffered by longer games.
Busy gamers sometimes only have a short amount of time to play games every week, and may want to focus on titles that they can actually beat within a reasonable timeframe. Some may want to playmassive RPGs that can last 100 hours or more, but others would rather tackle shorter games that can be completed in less than 10 hours.
Gamers looking for short games to play this weekend should consider giving these five titles a shot. They vary in length, but all can be completed in under 10 hours.
Blue Prince
Blue Princeis one of the best new game releases of 2025and one of the best puzzle games ever made. A brilliant combination of roguelike and first-person puzzler,Blue Princehas players mapping out a large mansion by choosing between three randomly selected blueprints. The goal is to get to the elusive Room 46 at the end of the mansion, a task that can technically be completed in under an hour with the right RNG luck. It’s likely that mostBlue Princeplayers will complete the game’s primary objective in under 10 hours, even if they are having bad luck with their draws, but if not, it shouldn’t take much longer than that. But what’s brilliant aboutBlue Princeis that even though the game can technically be completed without too much of a time commitment, those thatwantit to last 100 hours or more can certainly find plenty to do to stretch out the playtime.Blue Princeis currently available to play through both PS Plus Extra and Xbox Game Pass, which makes it even easier to recommend.
Despelote
The award-winningDespeloteis currently one of the highest-rated games of 2025, and it’s also one of the shortest. Coming in at under 2 hours long,Despeloteis an adventure gamewhere players explore Quito, Ecuador in 2002. Earning mostly positive reviews since its launch earlier this year,Despelotemay very well be the ultimate short game for gamers to try this weekend.
Fear the Spotlight
Many of the best horror games are on the shorter side, from Konami’s classicSilent Hillgames to nearly every main seriesResident Evil. Horror is paced better with a shorter runtime because otherwise it would risk wearing out its welcome and making players numb to the scares.Fear the Spotlightis a horror gamethat takes inspiration from the classics with its exploration and puzzle-solving mechanics, and it too sticks to a short runtime. Most horror fans can completeFear the Spotlightin under five hours, and they will likely want to play through it all in one sitting. The creepy game has players exploring a twisted version of a high school where they are stalked by a bizarre spotlight monster.Fear the Spotlightis a great pick for those looking for a short game to play this weekend, especially if they are horror fans.
Luto
Another game horror fans may want to check out this weekend isLuto. Launched just recently for PC, PS5, and Xbox,Lutois a scary first-person horror gamethat takes clear inspiration from Hideo Kojima’sPT. A narrative-driven psychological horror experience,Lutohas earned mostly positive reviews from critics and can be completed in 3-5 hours on average.
Mario Kart World
Those with a Nintendo Switch 2 have likely already played throughMario Kart World, but it’s the kind of game that’s definitely worth replaying.Mario Kart Worldhas a massive open worldfor players to explore, but the real fun in the game comes from its traditional Grand Prix mode.Mario Kart Worldplayers can go through all of the game’s Grand Prix races in less than five hours, and it’s a blast every single time.Mario Kart Worldplayers can also play through Grand Prix in co-op, making it the perfect short game to play through with friends this weekend. And those that want more out ofMario Kart Worldafter finishing the Grand Prix races certainly have plenty of options. Knockout Tour is a lot of fun and hard to put down, online races never get old, and while the open world may need a bit more direction, it’s still exciting to explore. Like the best short games,Mario Kart Worldcan technically be completed with very little time commitment, but there’s a whole lot more for those that want it.
