Top 5 video games you can finish in one day

Gamers often sit down for a session and chip away at video games that may take dozens of hours to complete.

Some of the best games ever made provide nearly 100 hours of content in their stories, including side objectives. On the contrary, however, some iconic games can be finished very quickly.

There are 24 hours in a day, and countless games can be finished in that time frame. There are even video games with such short stories that multiple could be completed in one day if a gamer truly grinded them out.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the opinion of the writer.

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Five best video games that can be completed in one day

5) Until Dawn

Until Dawn took choice-based storytelling to a brand new level upon its release, every decision the player makes affects the outcome of the horror game that sees a group of teens abandoned in the woods. It has a ton of replay value.

Still, with that amount of decision-making, one full playthrough only takes about eight hours if the main story is the focus. Even with veering from the main parts of the game, extra content only bumps that up to about ten or eleven hours.

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4) Shovel Knight

Shovel Knight is a modern version of those retro, pixelated, side-scrolling video games. The platformer sees players take on the role of the Shovel Knight with his trusty shovel, using it to clear puzzles and defeat bosses.

It has become a bit of a cult classic since its release in 2014. Speedrunners had an absolute blast with it. Those who don't want to rush their playthrough will still get it done quickly, taking around 10 hours to beat.

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3) BioShock

Surprisingly, both Bioshock 1 and 2 only take around 10-13 hours to complete. These video games were groundbreaking science fiction titles, and the entire franchise is beloved.

The first of the series launched in 2007 and set the standard for sci-fi releases. From the underwater city of Rapture to the complex background of its characters, BioShock is a beautiful game that can be beaten in a day.

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2) Portal

Everyone knows of Portal. If they don't, they need to buy it and play it immediately. It is one of those video games that has influenced the entire industry. Look at Splitgate and its portal usage as just one example.

The iconic title, created by Valve, delivered a puzzle-based thriller that has players returning even to this day. It only takes about three hours to beat, with a nine-hour window if its side objectives are a focus.

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1) Mirror's Edge

Mirror's Edge was a first-person shooter that changed the game. Players could run through its entirety without ever using a gun or simply going all out with the available weapons.

The parkour-based game takes 12 hours to beat with every objective finished, but a short six hours for just the main story. The world is fantastic, the mechanics are incredible, and it has influenced titles like Dying Light and Titanfall.