An ambitious, inventive genre that traces its origins to the early days of text-based adventures like Zork and Microsoft Adventure, open-world gaming has become one of the most prevalent genres in all of gaming. Covering all sorts of genres and niches and giving birth to some of the most important games of this generation, open-world gaming usually allows for dozens—if not hundreds—of hours of playtime.
That's not always the case, however; be it a short story, small world size, or development oversight, certain open-world titles barely stretch beyond a few hours. Though length isn't necessarily indicative of quality, here are some super short open-world video games.
Updated on August 22nd, 2021 by Ritwik Mitra: When the topic of open-world games is brought up, most people think of games that take hundreds of hours to complete. After all, the very concept of open-world gaming has been attached to lengthy titles for the longest time; however that isn't necessarily the case. In fact, there are several games that adopt the open-world formula, but craft titles that serve as short and concise experiences. Keeping this in mind, here are some of the shortest open-world video games ever made.
15 A Short Hike
- Playable on: Nintendo Switch, PC
An indie game that puts players in the shoes of an anthropomorphic bird as they strive to get cellphone reception, A Short Hike is easily one of the more unique titles on this list. Any fan of indie titles owes it to themselves to try this title out.
The short open-world nature of this title allows for a ton of character present across each and every facet of this title. Of course, it helps that A Short Hike also features numerous calming moments that truly add the cherry on top of this short yet delightful experience.
14 Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Playable on: PS4, PS5
After the rampant success of Marvel's Spider-Man, it was only a given that a sequel would be released sooner than later. While Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales might not be a proper sequel, it's still a brilliant continuation of this title that fans should check out.
The game might be incredibly short, but Miles Morales features enough entertaining set-pieces to be worth the ride. The new powers that Miles boasts make gameplay all the more exciting as well.
13 Mafia 2
- Playable on: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC
The Mafia trilogy is easily one of the best story-driven, open-world trilogies of all time. While opinions may be mixed on Mafia 3, most people absolutely adore Mafia 1 and 2 for good reason.
The second game in the series is a brilliant title, even though the open world may seem somewhat barren at times. Without as much to do as in a typical open-world game, players can only go through the story and experience a short yet amazing adventure that will certainly keep them hooked.
12 Batman: Arkham City
- Playable on: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, PC
The Arkham series started off on a strong note with Batman: Arkham Asylum. This game toyed with the idea of an open-world formula, before its sequel ended up going all out with this concept.
Arkham City might not be one of the longest open-world titles around — especially if players are only going to go through the main story — but the game is still a blast regardless. There's a reason why most people still consider it to be the best chapter in the Arkham trilogy.
11 Dying Light
- Playable on: PS4, Xbox One, PC
With Dying Light 2 right around the corner, it's only a given that more and more people would want to get into the first game in the series. Players who choose to do so are making a great decision, since Dying Light is one of the most innovative open-world games around. This title combines parkour and zombie killing into one cohesive package.
The game might lose its steam in the latter half, but players who blast through the campaign will find themselves enjoying the title's strengths. As long as the game doesn't feel too grindy and repetitive, players will have an amazing time with Dying Light.
10 Homefront: The Revolution
- Playable on: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Taking place in Philadelphia following a North Korean invasion, Homefront: The Revolution tasks players with inciting a rebellion and taking the city's streets back from the invaders. Though it sounds exciting enough on paper, this 2016 open-world FPS was seriously hindered by technical issues. What's more, the gameplay was stilted and repetitive, and gamers were quick to move on.
Those who did stick around to see the credits roll were surprised by just how quickly things wrap up. Liberating the city's districts, which essentially requires a Far Cry-style assault on a military base, didn't take very long, and the whole affair could be sorted in ten to twelve hours.
9 The Amazing Spider-Man 2
- Playable on: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, Mobile, PC
No, we're not talking about Insomniac's excellent PS4-exclusive Spider-Man title — we're actually talking about 2014's horrible The Amazing Spider-Man 2, a game rushed onto store shelves to coincide with the release of the equally terrible movie of the same name.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 barely counts as an open-world game. Though players are technically free to explore a portion of New York City as the wall-crawler, missions are all linear and repetitive, and the whole thing wraps up somewhere after the six-hour mark, and that's taking into account some seriously boring padded sequences and the atrocious Peter Parker investigation segments.
8 Assassin's Creed Rogue
- Playable on: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
Released on the same day as the hugely underwhelming Assassin's Creedy Unity, Rogue plays like a followup to 2013's Black Flag and feels like an addendum to 2012's Assassin's Creed 3. Though head and shoulders above some of the less inspired entries in the series, Rogue's world still felt a bit too empty and bland, and it's one of the shortest mainline AC experiences by far.
It should take new players somewhere around ten hours to complete their first playthrough, and series veterans could likely do it in half the time. This is primarily thanks to the lack of meaningful sidequests or extraneous content.
7 Just Cause 2
- Playable on: PS3, Xbox 360, PC
When it debuted in 2010, Just Cause 2 featured one of the largest open worlds of any video game, and it retains that title to this day. The scope of the island of Panau is amazing, and the feeling of being let loose in such a large sandbox remains as breathtaking as ever.
That said, the main storyline is easily one of the most forgettable aspects of Just Cause 2. A hasty player could tackle the game's seven missions in around ten or so hours. In reality, Just Cause 2 is best experienced by ignoring the story entirely and pursuing crazy, self-determined objectives.
6 Driv3r
- Playable on: PS2, Xbox, Game Boy Advance, PC
2004's Driv3r, the third release in an action-packed open-world driving series which originated on the PS1, was a barely-functioning mess which somehow garnered a cult appeal despite its many shortcomings. An obvious riff on the Grand Theft Auto formula, Driv3r felt like the Fisher-Price version of the chaotically-fun sandbox series.
Spread across three cities, Driv3r's clunky controls and ridiculous mission restrictions pad out what would otherwise be a very short game. Though new players will struggle—particularly with the game's later challenges—those who know what they're doing could cruise through in just a few hours. Even so, those less familiar with the game should still be able to finish it in around ten hours.
5 Saints Row: Gat Out Of Hell
- Playable on: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC
A spin-off of the over-the-top, open-world Saints Row games, Gat Out of Hell feels like a game designed by a group of devs who had a great idea for a game but couldn't construct any worthwhile gameplay elements.
Playing as a man sucked into hell through an Ouija board, Gat Out of Hell tasks players with taking down Satan himself with the aid of historical figures like Blackbeard, Vlad the Impaler, and even Jane Austin. It sounds like a blast on paper, but the story is incredibly short, and the game lacks the usual Saints Row charisma. The average player should be able to blast through this thing in four to five hours.
4 Fable
- Playable on: Xbox, Xbox 360, PC
The title that kicked off a series that could never match the hype, 2004's Fable was a landmark experience on consoles despite the various empty promises made by its developer. One of the first consolized titles to totally embrace the concept of a morality system, modern games owe quite a bit to Fable.
That said, though technically an open-world game, Fable is mired by small, linear environments that are broken up every thirty seconds by loading screens. The limitations of the time may have made this a necessity, but it's annoying nonetheless. What's more, a speedy player uninterested in side-content could probably make their way through the game in somewhere around ten hours.
3 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Playable on: Wii U, Nintendo Switch
What? How could The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, one of the most innovative and expansive open-world games of all time, also be one of the shortest?
While it usually takes new players fifty-some hours to complete on a first playthrough, Breath of the Wild is unique in that everything short of fighting Calamity Ganon is technically unnecessary. The game will allow players to charge Hyrule Castle as soon as they finish the tutorial, and there are a few legendary players out there who have actually managed this. Though it isn't the recommended way to play, Breath of the Wild could technically be beaten in just a few hours.
2 Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon
- Playable on: PS3, Xbox 360, PC
A spin-off of the genre-defining Far Cry franchise, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is one of the most beloved games in the series despite its wacky premise and short runtime. Set in the 80s-centric, neon-soaked dystopic future of 2007, Blood Dragon defied all AAA gaming conventions and felt like a wild, weird labor of love.
That said, though an awesome experience, it's not particularly long. In fact, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon could probably be finished in around four hours. Short but sweet, it's absolutely worth playing in 2019. Though there may be move visually-impressive, expansive open-world maps out there, there's nothing quite like this title.
1 Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes
- Playable on: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Essentially the prologue of Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom Pain — a monumental, lengthy open-world game — Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes might be one of the shortest open-world titles of all time, and anyone familiar with it likely knew that it would make an appearance on this list.
Essentially a single mission carved from the base Phantom Pain experience and sold at a ridiculous premium, Ground Zeroes has a ridiculous plot—even for Metal Gear standards—and can be completed in an hour. Though there are technically a few sidequests and unlockables, this feels more like a small slice of DLC rather than a stand-alone release.