Do you want a great gaming experience but are short on time? These ten short games offer unforgettable stories, wild mechanics, and stunning worlds in bite-sized sessions. Whether you’re looking for action, puzzles, or an emotional punch, each one is perfect for finishing in one weekend!
Table of Contents
Hotline Miami
Hotline Miami throws you headfirst into a neon-soaked massacre. Set in an alternate 1989 Miami, you play as a nameless antihero who receives cryptic calls, each sending him on a new, ultra-violent mission. The premise sounds simple, but the game quickly spirals into a fever dream filled with masked killers, unreliable memories, and a haunting question: Why are you doing this?
The gameplay is fast, frantic, and unforgiving. One wrong move and you’re dead. Get it right, and you feel like a god. The synth-heavy soundtrack and psychedelic visuals enhance the wild experience. The main story takes around five hours to complete, while the extra content bumps that up to about seven and a half hours. Achieving 100% takes just over 15 hours, but the experience lingers far longer. Hotline Miami is something you remember, for better or worse.
Little Nightmares
Imagine waking up in a cold, damp metal room, holding nothing but a tiny lighter in your hand, and feeling the creeping sense that something is very wrong. That’s how Little Nightmares begins, and it only gets weirder from there. You play as Six, a small child navigating The Maw, a grotesque, oversized world filled with monstrous, adult-like creatures that want you gone—or worse.
What makes Little Nightmares special is its blend of clever platforming, stealth, and simple puzzles within an atmospheric world. You’ll squeeze through vents, scramble up drawers, and hold your breath in dark corners, trying to stay one step ahead of the horror lurking nearby. There’s no dialogue, but every room tells a story if you pay attention. With a main story lasting about 3.5 to 5 hours, it’s perfect for a weekend playthrough. It’s creepy without being overly gory and beautiful in a twisted way.
SUPERHOT
Have you ever wanted to feel like a gun-slinging, slow-motion action hero, with just enough time to dodge a bullet mid-air and then casually hurl a katana into someone’s face? SUPERHOT turns that fantasy into reality. In the game, time only moves when you do. This flips the first-person shooter formula on its head. Every movement becomes a decision. Do you dodge left, grab that gun mid-fall, or yeet a glass bottle at the guy sneaking up behind you? It’s part puzzle, part FPS.
The minimal art style—clean white rooms, bright red enemies, and crisp geometry—keeps things focused and stylish. You won’t miss flashy textures when you’re busy weaving between bullets like a VR Neo. You can complete the (very weird) main story in about 2.5 hours, or extend it to 5 hours if you want to explore. A perfect weekend binge before Monday comes around again.
Portal
There’s a reason gamers still talk about Portal more than a decade after its release. You’re handed a portal gun, tossed into the sterile, somewhat unsettling Aperture Science facility, and told to solve puzzles. Sounds simple—until the game begins to bend your perception of space and logic in the most brilliant ways. You’ll launch yourself through walls, redirecting cubes through wormholes, and scratching your head as a passive-aggressive AI named GLaDOS taunts you with cake promises (and threats).
What makes Portal unique isn’t just the portal mechanic (though it’s genius); it’s how seamlessly the game blends brain-teasing puzzles with sharp writing and dark humor. The world is sterile yet brimming with personality, and GLaDOS is undoubtedly one of the best-written villains in gaming. You can finish the main story in about three hours or extend it to five if you want to explore more. Completionists might get over ten hours out of it, but even a short playthrough is unforgettable. If you haven’t played Portal yet, this weekend is your chance. Just remember: the cake is a lie.
LIMBO
LIMBO immerses you in a haunting, black-and-white world as a nameless boy searching for his sister. You’ll jump across gaps and dodge traps, but it isn’t your typical platformer. LIMBO encourages you to slow down and think. The atmosphere is eerie, minimalistic, and filled with subtle dread. There is no dialogue or music, only the ambient creaks and distant echoes of a strange and dangerous world. It’s weird, beautiful, unsettling.
The puzzles are clever yet not frustrating, and the world flows so seamlessly that it’s easy to lose track of time (until a giant spider reminds you you’re not alone). Even if you search for all the hidden secrets, you’re looking at about 6.5 hours at most. It’s perfect for a weekend and absolutely worth your time.
Undertale
In just 6–10 hours, Undertale will make you laugh, cry, question your morals, and likely never hear the word “skeleton” the same way again. You play as a human child who falls into a world of monsters. Escaping is the goal, but how you do it is entirely up to you. Will you fight your way out, or spare every foe and make friends instead?
Undertale’s combat system is part turn-based RPG, part bullet hell, and completely unique. It lets you dodge attacks in real-time and talk your way out of battles, even boss fights. The game remembers everything you do. Choices stick. Resets don’t erase guilt. Characters react differently based on your past runs, and some will call you out. It’s hilarious, heartbreaking, and occasionally unhinged. Also, there are at least five dogs. Maybe more. Possibly a sixth? You’ll see.
South of Midnight
Clocking in at around 9.5 hours for the main story (11.5 if you take your time with side quests), South of Midnight is a perfect weekend experience that feels like stepping into a captivating Southern gothic novel. You play as Hazel, a Weaver—part spirit healer, part myth unraveler—on a journey through a surreal Deep South steeped in folklore, grief, and unexpected beauty. The story is incredible and perfectly complemented by the soundtrack. Each chapter features ambient music that crescendos into powerful gospel or blues tracks.
Visually, it’s stop-motion magic. Every rusted porch swing and every moss-covered bayou shack feels alive and intentional. The character design is impressively creative, making the game feel like walking through an art book. South of Midnight will break your heart and gently put the pieces back together. Play it when you want a short game with a lasting impact. Just maybe keep some tissues nearby.
Creatures of Ava
Got a free weekend and a soft spot for adorable, misunderstood creatures? Then be sure to check out Creatures of Ava. With a playtime of about 10-12 hours for the main story, it’s the perfect game to immerse yourself in from Friday night to Sunday afternoon. What makes Creatures of Ava is its focus on empathy. Instead of defeating enemy creatures, you heal them.
You’ll explore lush, interconnected ecosystems like the vibrant Nari jungle and the mysterious Mâruba swamp. A strange infection has twisted wild creatures, and you must use your native flute melodies to connect with them. The story unfolds through beautiful environments, meaningful creature interactions, and chill-but-challenging gameplay. It feels personal and warm. If you love 3D platformers and wholesome narratives and want to pet cute creatures, you can’t go wrong with this one.
Hyper Light Drifter
Clocking in at around 7 to 8 hours for the main story, Hyper Light Drifter offers a tight, focused experience filled with brutal combat and some of the most stunning pixel art you’ll ever see. You play as the Drifter, a solitary wanderer afflicted by a mysterious illness, exploring the remnants of a lost civilization in pursuit of forgotten technology and—perhaps—a cure.
The game conveys its story entirely without words. Everything—from the crumbling cities to the eerie giants slumped in snowy mountains—is pure environmental storytelling. You are free to interpret it however you wish, which makes exploration feel personal and meaningful. Combat is slick and punishing. You will dash, slash, and shoot through hordes of enemies, upgrading your skills and gear as you progress. The game is atmospheric and challenging, and the dreamy synth soundtrack and lovingly hand-animated art make it a true gem.
Stray
In Stray, you play as an ordinary orange tabby cat with a backpack and a mission: to escape a crumbling cybercity and reunite with your family. Somehow, the game is one of the most emotionally compelling experiences out there. It drops you into a neon-soaked dystopia filled with curious robots, creepy creatures, and secrets waiting to be uncovered.
You’ll leap across rooftops, sneak through dark alleys, nap in cozy corners, and meow at security cameras just to make them nod back at you. The game takes around 5 to 6.5 hours to complete (closer to 10 if you’re hunting every last collectible), making it perfect for a weekend escape. Despite its short runtime, Stray delivers stunning visuals, an incredible atmosphere, and a surprisingly deep story with just enough puzzle-solving to keep your brain happy. It’s cozy, clever, and absolutely deserves a spot on your weekend gaming list.
Make these short games even more fun with PLITCH!
Want to make your weekend gaming even more fun? Fire up PLITCH and supercharge these short gems! PLITCH is an easy-to-use software that lets you customize your single-player experience with cheats and training codes
Whether you want unlimited ammo in Hotline Miami, fast bullets in SUPERHOT, or place portals on any wall in Portal, PLITCH gives you complete control over how you play. Go invincible, speed up exploration, or experiment with new ways to play!
Check out this blog and our YouTube channel to learn more about PLITCH and our mods.
Happy Gaming!
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