The Best Short Open-World Games You Can Finish Over A Weekend

By their very nature, open-world games are generally deep, engaging, and can take quite some time to complete. Whether it is a sprawling RPG with hundreds of side quests, an action-adventure game with a long story arc, or a sandbox survival game that takes days for the player to establish themselves, these games all take a long time to master, let alone to reach the credits.

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However, with a little digging, it is possible to find some games that take an open-world approach to map design, but don’t take multiple days to complete. In some cases, these open-world games can be finished in a weekend, over just a few short gaming sessions.

8

The Pathless

Explore An Open World With An Eagle Companion

Systems

Released

November 12, 2020

ESRB

E10+ For Everyone 10+ due to Fantasy Violence

The Pathless places the player into the role of a hunter, with their eagle companion at their side. The pair then embarks on an adventure to lift a curse from the mysterious island that makes up the map. The game uses a clever movement system, requiring the player to keep shooting talismans to maintain their forward momentum.

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This is a short campaign as far as open-world games go, and, in the main story can be completed in less than 10 hours by most players, with the most skilled finishing it within 6 hours from start to finish.

7

Eastshade

Paint Your Way To The End

Released

February 13, 2019

ESRB

E10+ For Everyone 10+ // Mild Language, Use of Alcohol

Eastshade is a unique game in many respects, not least of all for the fact that it involves no combat at all. Instead of combat, the player is tasked with producing paintings, which are used to complete quests. They will explore the open-world map mainly to find good locations to paint.

As a result, this is a pretty relaxing game, with plenty of side quests to keep the player amused. It doesn’t take long at all to complete Eastshade, with players reporting that it can be finished within 6 hours, and 8 hours at the most.

6

A Short Hike

Take A Walk Up A Mountain

Released

April 5, 2019

ESRB

E For Everyone

A Short Hike is also a short game, as it can be completed in as little as 2 hours, although 4 hours is more likely. Filling the shoes of a small bird named Claire, the player is free to explore Hawk Peak Provincial Park in any way they wish. This includes walking, climbing, and even gliding around.

The goal is to eventually reach the top of the mountain, but along the way, the player will meet a whole host of odd and often cute characters, many of which will ask them to complete short quests.

5

Sable

Embark On A Coming-Of-Age Journey

Released

September 23, 2021

Sable uses an art style that is very obviously inspired by Moebius. This is an open-world exploration game following the adventures of a young girl named Sable. With its non-linear style, the game follows Sable on her coming-of-age journey as she explores the expansive desert map.

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There is no combat in Sable, and this is one of the reasons why it is such a short game. Players can expect to finish the whole game with 6 to 10 hours of gameplay. There is quite a lot of puzzle-solving to get through, so the better the player is at solving brain teasers, the quicker they will finish the game.

4

Shadow Of The Colossus

Finish The Sixteen Fights

Systems

Released

February 6, 2018

ESRB

T For Teen due to Blood, Violence

First of all, it needs to be said that this list entry covers the remake edition of Shadow Of The Colossus, not the original one. Playing as Wander means exploring the huge, grim, and desolate open-world map as a lone warrior. The task is to defeat 16 bosses, or colossi as the game calls them.

Puzzle solving is a huge part of this game, which is the primary way players will take down these colossi. There is no combat outside of the boss fights. Players can expect to complete Shadow Of The Colossus in around 6 to 8 hours, so it is easily completed over a couple of short weekend playing sessions.

3

The Front

Defeat A Series Of Bosses

Systems

Released

October 11, 2023

ESRB

T For Teen Due To Blood, Violence

The Front began as a competitive, open-world conquest and map control game, very much like Rust or similar titles. However, a few months after launch, a new single-player game mode was patched in, called Adventure Mode.

In Adventure Mode, the player needs to defeat a series of bosses, alongside establishing themselves through sandbox-style survival gameplay. This is the longest game to complete on this list, and will take around 20 hours for players who have experience with the online, PvP game mode as well.

2

The Forest

Solve The Mystery Of A Dangerous Island

Systems

Released

April 30, 2018

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ Due To Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity

The Forest is an open-world survival game with an underlying plot. The premise is that the player is the sole survivor of a plane crash, and they are stranded on a small island inhabited by cannibals and strangely mutated creatures.

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Unfortunately, the player must locate their son, Timmy, who cannot be found on the plane. This begins a quest to patch together clues such as map fragments to find out what happened to Timmy, and also learn the secrets of the island. The Forest can be completed in a couple of decent-length playing sessions, and should take around 15 hours.

1

Outer Wilds

Time-Looping Space Adventure

Released

May 28, 2019

ESRB

E10+ For Everyone 10+ due to Fantasy Violence, Alcohol Reference

In Outer Wilds, the player is an intrepid space explorer. However, they find themselves stuck in a time loop lasting 22 minutes, with the local sun exploding after this timer expires, resetting the loop. They need to solve the riddle of an ancient civilization to break free of this time loop.

The game has some great narrative moments and a well-designed open-ended universe for the player to explore. Surprisingly, for such a deeply engaging game, Outer WIlds can be completed in as little as 8 hours, but with 10 hours to completion being more common.

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