October 15, 2026

How Long Games Take to Beat

This hub tracks how long games actually take to finish, broken down by playstyle: rushing the main story, playing through the story with a healthy share of side content, and chasing every trophy or collectible. Each figure is an average drawn from many playthroughs rather than one person's run, so you can judge what a 20-hour game means for your own evenings before you buy it.

What you'll find here

Main story averages

The typical time to roll credits when you stick to required missions and skip optional content.

Main plus extras

How long the game runs if you take on most side quests, optional areas and secondary systems without hunting for 100 percent.

Completionist times

The full commitment, covering every achievement, collectible and hidden ending, which can double or triple the story length in open-world titles.

Genre and platform comparisons

Side-by-side looks at how run times shift between a linear shooter, a JRPG and a roguelike, and why the same game can take longer on one platform than another.