The 20 Longest Single-Player Games of the Last Five Years, Ranked by Playtime
Some games end after one weekend. Others can occupy your evenings for half a year. The longest single-player games offer huge stories, deep systems, crafting, exploration, and replay value, with Caves of Qud reaching more than 500 hours for completionists.
This ranking uses average and completionist estimates from HowLongToBeat. “Length” can mean a focused campaign, a full clear of side content, an open-ended sandbox, or repeated attempts in a roguelike. That difference matters.
How the 20 Longest Single-Player Games Were Ranked
Average completion time shows how long most players take to finish the main experience. Completionist time estimates the hours needed to see most or all available content.
Those numbers can change sharply in games built around crafting, replayability, or free-form goals. Bannerlord, Valheim, Satisfactory, UFO 50, and Caves of Qud don’t have a standard ending in the usual sense. Multiplayer features don’t disqualify a game, either. Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition and Valheim still work as solo games.
Downloadable content is included only when useful for context. Elden Ring ranks by its base-game average of about 105 hours. Shadow of the Erdtree adds roughly 40 more hours, but it isn’t included in that ranking figure.
Long RPGs and Sandboxes Demand Dozens of Hours
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 and Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord
At number 20, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl averages about 65.5 hours, with completionist runs reaching 132 hours. Its slow pace, huge map, survival systems, and hard-to-follow story make rushing difficult. A typical playthrough can reach 100 hours or more.
At number 19, Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord averages 80 hours, while completionists spend about 170 hours. Different characters, builds, battles, and campaigns make its true length hard to measure. Choose S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 for slow exploration and Bannerlord for a game you can revisit with new goals.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and Metaphor: ReFantazio
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth ranks 18th at 85.5 hours. Its major side activities, including Dondoko Island and the Sujimon parody, are hard to ignore. Side stories, minigames, character scenes, and strange humor create much of its runtime.
Metaphor: ReFantazio follows at 88.5 hours. Its fantasy setting, social systems, and turn-based combat share much with Persona, though it moves faster than Persona 5 Royal, which can reach 100 hours. Pick Metaphor for a story-first RPG or Infinite Wealth for side content and minigames.
Expansive RPGs Push Playtime Toward 100 Hours
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Crimson Desert
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth ranks 16th with an average of 90 hours and a completionist estimate of 165 hours. It expands a relatively short section of the original Final Fantasy VII into a huge adventure filled with Queen’s Blood, Golden Saucer activities, regional minigames, and side stories. The scope is impressive, though clearing every activity can become tiring.
At number 15, Crimson Desert averages 93 hours and can reach 233 hours for completionists. Its large map includes bosses, dungeons, puzzles, and many extra systems, though some activities feel less exciting than others. Treat Rebirth as a game to play in stages, and approach Crimson Desert as a long-term project.
Octopath Traveler Zero and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
Octopath Traveler Zero takes about 98.5 hours on average and 108 hours to complete. Its town-building system and episodic story come from a heavily reworked mobile game, which combined years of updates into one large RPG.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 averages 102 hours, with completionist runs near 142 hours. Combat practice, potion brewing, crafting, and resource gathering slow the opening, but the historical setting and strong side quests reward patience. Both games work best when treated as long-form adventures instead of quick campaigns.
Systems-Heavy Adventures Make 100 Hours Feel Normal
Xenoblade Chronicles X and Valheim
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition ranks 12th at 102 hours, with up to 151 hours for completionists. Its length comes from missions, exploration, layered systems, and optional activities more than constant plot. The Definitive Edition adds story and side content, while its multiplayer features remain optional for solo players.
Valheim averages 105 hours for its available content, though the game is still growing. Survival, crafting, base building, resource gathering, and boss fights set the pace. Players who enjoy building can spend far longer than the average.
Elden Ring and Mass Effect Legendary Edition
The base game of Elden Ring averages 105 hours, a huge jump over most FromSoftware games, which often take around 30 hours. Optional dungeons, repeated bosses, hidden areas, build testing, and open-ended discovery fill the map. Some side content repeats, but there’s still plenty to find without clearing every dungeon.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition combines all three games for an average playtime of 109 hours, with estimates ranging from 61 to 138 hours. It works as one connected single-player story because characters, choices, and consequences carry across the trilogy. Play the games in order and include companion missions for the best result.
Massive Sandboxes Become Long-Term Hobbies
Tears of the Kingdom and Baldur’s Gate 3
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom averages 113 hours and can reach 248 hours for completionists. The sky, Underground, altered overworld, and Ultrahand building system add huge amounts of freedom. It can feel like an expanded second adventure, so taking a break after Breath of the Wild may help.
Baldur’s Gate 3 ranks seventh at 117 hours, with completionist runs reaching 180 hours. Dense maps, branching quests, hidden areas, reactive characters, and systemic choices create depth without enormous maps. A second run with the Dark Urge can feel very different from a standard campaign.
My Time at Sandrock and RoadCraft
My Time at Sandrock averages 125 hours for one story run. Crafting, harvesting, building, relationships, and a clear narrative give it more structure than many farming games. It suits players who want a Stardew Valley style game with more story and character interaction.
RoadCraft averages 139 hours. It expands the MudRunner and SnowRunner formula with road repairs, construction vehicles, and disaster recovery. The slow process of restoring damaged towns fits players who enjoy planning, logistics, and visible progress.
The Four Longest Games Demand Serious Time
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous and UFO 50
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous averages 140 hours and reaches 258 hours for completionists. Its many characters, dungeons, battles, mechanics, story branches, and endings make it one of the largest traditional computer RPGs available.
UFO 50 averages about 147 hours for players trying to uncover its full depth, with reported playtimes ranging from 53 to 260 hours. The collection contains 50 custom games, plus hidden links and an overarching mystery. Some entries are multiplayer-focused or lack a normal ending, which makes its total length hard to define.
Satisfactory and Caves of Qud
Satisfactory ranks second at 152 hours. Resource extraction, automation, production chains, logistics, and factory design gradually become more complex. The game has a beginning and an ending, but players can keep building and improving long after the main progression ends.
Caves of Qud takes about 85 hours for a standard run, yet its completionist estimate exceeds 500 hours. Procedural events, strange builds, repeated deaths, and complex roguelike systems create endless possibilities. It’s an acquired taste, but at around $30, it offers exceptional value for players who enjoy experimentation.
Choosing the Right Long Game for Your Time
For a focused story, start with Metaphor: ReFantazio, Mass Effect Legendary Edition, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, or Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. These games give you a clear campaign while still offering plenty of optional content.
For exploration and creative play, choose Elden Ring, Tears of the Kingdom, Baldur’s Gate 3, or Xenoblade Chronicles X. Their systems reward curiosity and experimentation more than rushing toward the ending.
For a repeatable hobby, Bannerlord, Valheim, Satisfactory, Caves of Qud, and UFO 50 offer the most staying power. Their hours depend on the goals you set, not only the content developers placed on a checklist.
Conclusion
Caves of Qud leads the longest single-player games list with more than 500 hours for completionists. Satisfactory, UFO 50, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, and RoadCraft also demand major time investments.
Length alone doesn’t make a game better. Some titles earn their hours through story, while others rely on crafting, exploration, simulation, or replayable systems. Compare average and completionist times before choosing your next long game, then pick the one that matches how you want to play.
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