Five Games Under Five Hours You Should Play
I've only been playing video games regularly for the past 5 or 6 years (if you don't count my hundreds of hours in Pokemon White and Nintendogs) and I find that committing to a long game can feel like such a drag. Why should I start playing The Witcher 3, a game that will take hundreds of hours to finish, when I could just play Animal Crossing again? Through this thought process, I've come across many short games that are up to 5 hours long that I love and I wanted to share them. These are in no particular order.
1. THE GARDENS BETWEEN
You play as two neighbours unravelling their memories through cool time manipulation mechanics. The graphics are absolutely beautiful and just adds to the overall tone of the game. For anyone who likes a bit of a puzzle and heartwarming human relationships. [3 hours - Switch, PS4, Steam, Xbox One]
2. A SHORT HIKE
Play as a dubious penguin trying to climb a mountain for phone signal. Complete tasks for other people on the mountain to reach the peak and explore the beautiful sights. This 3D pixel art style is not one seen often in gaming right now and it's a refreshing change. While only a very short game I expect I will revisit just to explore the island again. [1 hour - Steam]
3. PIKUNIKU
You play as a ??? in a capitalist world hellbent on destroying an island to build a new industrial town. Your job is to save them all. A wonderful and silly adventure where you play watermelon basketball and run away from attacking toast. Happy little game! [3 hours - Switch, Xbox One, Steam]
4. FLORENCE
Despite being the shortest on this list, this game is by far my favourite. Florence is about a former artist struggling to regain her creativity while stuck in a dead-end job. It's beautifully illustrated, animated, and scored and as a creative, I totally understand the feeling of not being motivated to do what you love. If you don't play anything else on this list, play Florence! [less than 1 hour - iOS, Android, Steam, Switch]
5. JOURNEY
Many people have likely heard or played this game before but it is scheduled to release for the first time on PC so many people will soon be playing it for the first time. Journey is exactly what it says it is. You play a fairly unknown character as they climb up to the peak of a mountain. Somehow without a word of dialogue and with the music and visuals alone, you feel the emotions of the character. An absolutely fantastic game [2 hours - PS4]
Most of these games have been sat in my game library waiting to be played for so long and finally playing them and finding out I'd had this great game sitting there was somewhat annoying. So I encourage everyone to play that game you bought 6 years ago in a Steam sale that is still in your library dying to be played because it might be better than you think.
