# What is the average time to complete a video game?

> Most games take about 10–20 hours to finish the main story; open-world RPGs often take 40–100+ hours, and 100% completion can double that.

There is no single average, but most games take about **10–20 hours** to finish the main story. Short linear or indie games can take 2–8 hours, while big open-world games and RPGs often take **40–100+ hours**. Doing everything — side quests, collectibles, achievements — can double or triple that time.

## Typical lengths by genre

- **Indie and narrative games:** 2–10 hours.
- **Linear action-adventure games:** 10–20 hours.
- **Open-world action games:** 30–60 hours for the story plus major side content.
- **RPGs:** 40–100+ hours; large ones can go much longer.
- **Multiplayer and live-service games:** no real end — players often spend hundreds of hours.

## What changes your playtime

1. **Play style:** rushing the story vs. exploring every corner.
2. **Difficulty:** harder settings mean more retries.
3. **Completionism:** 100% runs add the most time.
4. **Experience:** players familiar with the genre finish faster.

## How to check a specific game

**HowLongToBeat** collects player-reported times split into Main Story, Main + Extras and Completionist, which is the easiest way to estimate how long a game will take you.

## FAQ

**Is 300 hours on a game a lot?**
For a single-player game, yes. For multiplayer games, strategy games or big RPGs that people replay, it's common.

**What are the longest games to complete?**
Massive RPGs and live-service games can take hundreds or thousands of hours for full completion, but those are exceptions.

**What is the shortest game ever?**
Some experimental and joke games last only seconds or minutes; for commercial games, a short campaign is usually 2–4 hours.

**Why do some games take so long to beat?**
Open worlds, side content and grinding systems are designed to keep players engaged, which stretches total playtime.

**How many hours is considered a long game?**
Anything over about 40 hours for the main story is usually considered long; JRPGs and open-world RPGs often go far beyond that.

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https://gamevoyages.com/what-is-the-average-time-to-complete-a-game/ · Game Voyage · Checked 2026-10-30