As developers continue to push the limits of technology and create more immersive experiences, we’re seeing an increase in both the size and scope of emerging games
Next-generation hardware like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X aim to bridge the gap between console and PC gaming while introducing players to even longer RPGs, survival sandboxes, and simulation games
Today we’re going to rank the longest video games in history, from least to most hours needed to complete the main story based on HowLongToBeat’s player polls
For this list, we’ve chosen to remove games that rely almost entirely on multiplayer to extend their playtime
Whether you enjoy games with an exciting story, addictive gameplay, or a combination of the two, these titles are sure to keep you busy for hours on end
Be sure to check back as we continue to update this list in the future with new games
Fire Emblem: Three Houses Average duration: 48 hours
The latest entry in Nintendo’s long-running strategy RPG takes players on a lengthy adventure that sees you become a professor at a prestigious academy located in the heart of Fódlan, a massive continent made up of three rival nations
After pledging allegiance to one of three factions (the Black Eagles, Blue Lions, or Golden Stag), you’ll begin training students in the field while managing their daily schedule, giving you plenty of opportunities to hone your skills combat and create a strong team
All of these features contribute greatly to the game’s expected runtime of over 48 hours, depending on how you play
It also means that Three Houses stands above its predecessors, including Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, which held the title of longest entry in the series
Red Dead Redemption 2 Average duration: 48 hours
Red Dead Redemption 2 is a serious attempt at balancing a compelling narrative with open-world gameplay while ticking all the boxes you’d expect from a Rockstar game
It fulfills its duty as a satisfying closure to the original game, while giving players a fascinating world to inhabit
When you also factor in the scope of the game world and the length of the main story, it’s easy to see why Red Dead 2 requires nearly 50 hours of your time and patience
Monster Hunter: World Average duration: 50 hours
It’s almost laughable to suggest that Monster Hunter: World can be beaten at all, let alone in 50 hours, but it technically can be if you’re just in it for the story and not the endgame
While some parts can still feel clunky and confusing at times, Monster Hunter: World does an excellent job of making you feel like you’re constantly improving
Whether it’s taking down a tougher version of a monster you’ve already fought or crafting more powerful gear, progression is measurable and visually represented
But if you’re looking to get the best weapons and armor, you’ll need to invest hundreds of hours
The Iceborne expansion adds an all-new campaign, a slew of never-before-seen monsters, and an increased master rank rating
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Average duration: 50 hours
Assuming you stick to the beaten path as much as possible before you decide you’ve seen and done enough and are ready to call it quits, you can restore Hyrule to its former glory in 50 hours or less
While you can easily spend hundreds of hours wandering around Hyrule’s massive environments, most of it is avoidable, meaning only the most curious players will encounter the game’s biggest secrets
Stardew Valley Average duration: 50 hours
There may not be an official ending to Stardew Valley, but some players have argued that the game is pretty much over once you’ve fully restored the community center and maxed out your grandpa’s farm
If you’re a dedicated player, most of all of this can be accomplished in about 50 hours, assuming this isn’t your first rodeo
New players will need much more time to familiarize themselves with the game mechanics, find their own routines, and meet the quirky citizens of Stardew Valley
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Average duration: 52 hours
While The Witcher 3’s main quest line can be completed in about 50 hours, most players will need much longer to wander the bustling cities, war-torn swamps, dense forests, and sprawling caves that form the well-known open world like The Continent
Its uniquely designed locations and otherworldly beasts are further complemented by a well-written cast of characters and a gripping narrative centered on Geralt of Rivia, a monster hunter for hire who seeks to find his adopted daughter and put an end to to a force of evil known as wild game
If you’re a fan of RPGs and big open worlds, The Witcher series is a great choice that’s sure to keep you hooked for hours
Darkest Dungeon Average duration: 58 hours
Few games manage to combine Lovecraftian horror with dungeon exploration as masterfully as Darkest Dungeon, a turn-based RPG that tasks players with recruiting and training a team of heroes as they traverse hellish environments full of physical and psychological dangers
Featuring gothic hand-drawn raven feather imagery, the game features a haunting world filled with enough supernatural horrors to keep you busy for a long time
Each of the 16+ character classes included is equipped with special abilities and flaws that can be combined in exciting ways and often lead to devastating results for party members and enemies alike
Challenging turn-based battles are made more intense by features like perma-death and an affliction system that assigns characters psychological disadvantages like paranoia, masochism, fear, and irrationality
Average duration of the Octopath traveler: 60 hours
Octopath Traveler is a turn-based RPG from Square Enix that stands out for its unique HD-2D aesthetic
In a nod to retro games, the characters are rendered by 2D sprites which are then combined with highly detailed environments with special lighting and particle effects
Complementing the different aspect of the game is a lengthy 60-hour campaign spread across eight playable characters who come from very different walks of life
As you meet each adventurer, you’ll find yourself exploring the magical and dangerous lands of Orsterra, a vast continent filled with diversity
Octopath Traveler features an engaging turn-based combat system that sees characters with special class-based abilities and talents
Divinity: Original Sin Average duration: 68 hours
Beating its successor’s runtime by around 10 hours, Divinity: Original Sin is the kind of traditional fantasy RPG we hope to get lost in during a long winter break or summer vacation
The game clocks in at 68 hours for modest games and sees you play as two Fountain Hunters, members of an organization that seeks to save the world and get rid of a dangerous form of magic known as the Fountain
During your journey, you’ll encounter a diverse cast of party members who will lend their unique skills to you in tactical turn-based battles
In addition to offering hours upon hours of readable lore and fully voiced dialogue, Divinity: Original Sin features a co-op mode that lets you experience the entire game with a second player
Xenoblade Chronicles X Average duration: 70 hours
One of the best RPGs to be unlucky enough to be stuck on Nintendo’s Wii U console, Xenoblade Chronicles X has you play as an original character who joins BLADE, an organization fighting to ensure humanity’s survival after the destruction of the Earth
Xenoblade Chronicles X’s campaign unfolds over the course of 14 chapters, including prologue and epilogue sections, plus a slew of side quests that can easily stretch your playtime beyond the suggested runtime of 70 hours
Total War: Three Kingdoms Average duration: 80 hours
It seems like the Total War series has been dominating the RTS PC scene for as long as we can remember
The game is set during the Three Kingdoms period in China from 220 to 280 AD and you play as one of eleven rival factions tasked with defeating the remaining factions to become the new ruler of China
Improvements to the game’s UI and enemy AI behavior make completing an estimated 80-hour campaign far less daunting than you’d expect
If you’re an RTS fan, you’ll likely feel right at home managing your units and resources on the battlefield as you grow your influence across the land
Animal Crossing: New Leaf Average duration: 84 hours
It may not be the newest entry in Nintendo’s social sim, but Animal Crossing: New Leaf holds the title as the longest running game in the series
Although there is no official ending, completing all the significant milestones and events in the game will take you around 80 hours or more depending on your commitment
For some players, beating the game means getting the “perfect city” status, getting all the badges, maxing out the catalog, getting all the gold tools, and completely upgrading your house
However, we like to keep things more open and suggest that the game ends when you feel satisfied with your city and everything looks exactly as you imagined it
Kerbal Space Program Average duration: 100 hours
While sandbox-style games are notorious for not having a traditional ending or proper way to “beat” the game, everyone has their own personal cap to wrap things up
For the average person playing the space flight simulator Kerbal Space Program, this time would be after about 100 hours
By then, they’ll probably have visited all the planets, created a variety of ridiculous looking spaceships, and filled out all the tech trees
Maybe beating the game means visiting every planet in one shot or retrieving a surface sample from Eve, or maybe it’s as simple as putting down the controller once you feel like you’re getting bored
Persona 5 Royal Average duration: 106 hours
The result is a deeply engrossing RPG that will keep you hooked from start to finish, by which time you’ll have probably spent about 106 hours going to high school, clearing dungeons, and shopping for the perfect gift to give your crush
Average duration of Minecraft: 120 hours
While it’s possible to speed through Minecraft’s main adventure in less than five minutes, the average player will need a lot more preparation before facing Ender Dragon and Wither, the game’s two final bosses
Note that this includes finding an exhaustive amount of crafting materials and using them to unlock new tools and tech trees, which will give you access to the best gear in the game
Along the way, you’ll ultimately find yourself fighting hostile mobs, getting lost in caves at least once, and probably getting sidetracked while trying to build the perfect house
When you start to feel like you’ve seen and done everything there is to do in Minecraft, chances are you’re more than ready to enter the Final Dimension and watch the credits roll before heading back home for more adventures
ARK: Survival Evolved Average duration: 120 hours
Studio Wildcard’s survival sandbox ARK is best known for its multiplayer component, which can keep players busy for hundreds of hours
However, ARK: Survival Evolved also features a single-player mode where you can explore the game’s open world without fear of enemy raids
When combined with other milestones like reaching the highest crafting level and acquiring every tame creature in the game, you’ll end up spending roughly 120 hours experiencing most of what ARK has to offer
Farming Simulator 19 Average duration: 190 hours
You may have noticed that there is a clear correlation between farming and long video games
The game makes a couple of notable changes to the long-running franchise, including completely overhauling the game’s graphics engine and expanding its list of included vehicles and farm machines based on leading real-world brands like John Deere and JCB
By the end, you’ll feel like a professional farmer ready to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor or dive even deeper by adding a wide selection of mods made by the community
Longing Average duration: 9600 hours
Your options are to explore a vast underground cave full of collectibles to decorate your home, read a wide variety of classic literature from an in-game library, or simply return once the 400 days are up
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