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With more and more open world games coming to the fray, it seems like picking out a title is a time-consuming issue. Each game is uniquely stacked with at least 20-30 hours of content. Unfortunately, this makes it harder for people to finish juggling other things in their lives.
This article takes a look at the best of the shorter games that came out this year. These games can be finished within ten hours, and are less of a time investment compared to the other bigger titles.
Top 5 short games released in 2021
The list, courtesy of howlongtobeat.com, comprises of games from different genres. Thus, the list is not ranked, but is rather a compilation of the best games that players can experience in under ten hours.
5 games of 2021 that require less than ten hours to be completed
- Resident Evil Village
- 12 Minutes
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits
- Death's Door
- Life is Strange
1) Resident Evil Village
Developer - Capcom.
Platforms - Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox One and X|S.
Released on - May 7, 2021.
Average time - 9.5 hours.
Resident Evil Village is a direct sequel to Resident Evi 7: Biohazard. Unlike previous games in the series, Resident Evil Village focussed more on an action-oriented gameplay style.
Players follow the story of Ethan Winters, who, while looking for his kidnapped daughter, finds himself in a village full of mutant creatures. The main story for Resident Evil Village can be completed in about nine and a half hours.
The game has amassed quite a number of positive reviews, especially for its gameplay and setting. It also won the Ultimate Game of the Year award at this year's Golden Joystick Awards.
2) 12 Minutes
Developer - Luis Antonio.
Platforms - Microsoft Windows, Xbox One & Series X|S, PlayStation 4 & 5.
Released on - August 19, 2021.
Average time - 4 hours.
12 Minutes is a tense masterful game with impeccable voice actors. It does an excellent job of using its time-loop mechanics and top-down perspective in narrating the story. The player controls the husband who sees his wife be accused of murdering her father.
With each loop, the player has to peel the clues out to figure out what happened in the past. The main story takes around four hours to finish. Even in a completionist run, 12 Minutes does not take more than seven and a half hours.
3) Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Developer - Ember Lab.
Platforms - Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 & 5.
Released on - September 21, 2021.
Average time - 9.5 hours.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits won the 'Best Indie Game' award at the recently concluded The Game Awards 2021. The game follows Kena, a spirit guide, who, with her magical powers, leads deceased people into the spirit world.
Kena: Bridge of Spirts deals with the pain of death and grief with empathic warmth. The levels are cleverly designed with colorful combat and intriguing puzzles. The main story for Kena takes around nine and a half hours to complete.
4) Death's Door
Developer - Devolver Digital.
Platforms - Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox One and X|S.
Released on - July 20, 2021.
Average time - 8.5 hours.
Death's Door is a beautiful indie game in which the player plays as a crow. However, the crow is, in fact, a reaper collecting souls for the Reaping Commission Headquarters. A soul is stolen, and to apprehend the thief, the player goes into a "realm untouched by death, creatures grow far past their expiry and overflow with greed and power."
The Zelda-like game has a fast-paced combat with colorful foes and intricately designed levels. It would take the player around eight and a half hours to complete the main story of Death's Door.
5) Life is Strange: True Colors
Developer - Deck Nine.
Platforms - Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox One and X|S, Nintendo Switch.
Released on - September 10, 2021.
Average time - 10 hours.
The third main installment in the Life is Strange series follows Alex Chen, who has the empathic power of feeling the emotions of others. This is an innovative mechanic, especially in a world riddled with a pandemic.
Critics have praised the game for its story and the characters. Life is Strange: True Colors won 'Best Storytelling' at Golden Joystick Awards 2021 and 'Games for Impact' at The Game Awards 2021.
Honorable Mentions - Little Nightmares 2 and Chicory: A Colorful Tale are also games that can be completed in less than ten hours. Both games have innovative mechanics working through distinct esthetics and will delight any player who picks them up.
