In times of confinement due to the coronavirus, we recommend a dozen high-quality titles that we can complete in less than four hours.
The video game industry has undergone many changes over the past seven years. We know that there will be —at least— one more generation of consoles, the one starring mainly PS5 and Xbox Series X as of Christmas 2020. Luckily for everyone, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and the PC have left us throughout of this cycle an endless number of extraordinary titles, those that we continue to think over the months and years. Some lengths, as we recommend here; other shorts. Today we talk about the seconds.
These are complex times. At the time of publication of this article, Spain is decreed in a state of alarm by the coronavirus, which forces both here and in other countries affected by this humanitarian crisis to be confined to our homes. Many hours ahead; perhaps more than desired, which should be enlivened in the best possible way. At FreeGameTips, apart from the selection of free video games for PS4, Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch, we are also looking for other ways of entertainment according to these dates.
In this article, we collect a selection of the best short video games that we can find and that can be perfectly completed in one afternoon. The kind that can be completed in less than four hours. The selection criteria are governed by four parameters: quality, availability on as many platforms as possible, which are analyzed in FreeGameTips and their duration.
As if it were a movie: concise but direct experiences
Journey
How good it feels to remember Journey. The mere fact of talking about it invites us to recall one of the best experiences of the independent sector of all time. For many masterpieces, the title that ThatGameCompany rose to has transcended over the years as one of those most emotional contemplative adventures and capable of making us feel without resorting to the word. It is a journey, as its name indicates, in which non-verbal language and passive interaction with other players make it difficult not to enjoy the journey. Because that is what Journey means, that we enjoy the journey, without thinking too much about what will come next. Get comfortable, turn off the light, put on the best headphones you have and enjoy.
- Where you can play it: PS3, PS4, PC (Epic Games Store) and iOS
- FreeGameTips Review, 8.2
- Estimated duration: 2 hours
Journey
What Remains of Edith Finch
What is left when we leave? The death is part of life. The interpretations given by literature, cinema or music of pain and loss are different from those that can be achieved through the video game. Edith Finch's story makes you appreciate the value of the perishable and, through the message she sends in this adventure, perhaps reflect on many things. A walking simulator developed by the Giant Sparrow team where we have Edith's book, a tree that is still a family tree still pending writing. Little by little we are learning the reason for the departure of some of our relatives. A clash of imagination and reality that we highly recommend. We all get a different interpretation of the title, which one did you get?
- Where you can play it: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC (Steam)
- FreeGameTips Review, 9
- Estimated duration: 2 and a half hours
Sayonara Wild Hearts
Sayonara Wild Hearts
Quite a recent surprise. In this house, we loved it. For different coincidences, we played it on a plane trip for Reviews: round trip. The color of Simogo's broken hearts, from Annapurna Interactive, was one of the main initial claims of Apple Arcade; However, in honor of the truth, we recommend playing it better on the console for the mere convenience of having a physical controller in your hands. It is a very special video game, almost more a music disc turned into a video game. Anguish, drama, hopelessness and recovery of it in a title where everything flows at great speed. We are not going to break the surprise, we only anticipate that the trip is a constant surprise.
- Where you can play it: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS and PC (Epic Games Store, Steam)
- FreeGameTips Review, 8
- Estimated duration: 2 hours
What Remains of Edith Finch
Inside
Playdead, not content with making history with Limbo, continued to insist on his search for definition, that of a very distinctive and personal style. This proposal is smart, well written and designed, an action adventure that even knows how to innovate – that's why we chose Inside over Limbo – with its puzzles and platform stages. Artistically it needs no introduction, but what we liked the most and continue to like is what it tells us so little. Talking through metaphors to make us think while we play beyond the puzzle that will come later. By its very nature, it is not too replayable, but in the few hours it lasts it leaves its mark. Everything makes sense at Inside, everything has a reason.
- Where you can play it: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS and PC (Epic Games Store, Steam)
- FreeGameTips Review, 9.5
- Estimated duration: less than 4 hours
Inside
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
It seems incredible that seven years have passed since Brothers sealed his name in the history of the independent scene. Starbreeze Studios, captained by the charismatic Josef Fares (also responsible for A Way Out, another highly recommended to play in company), took out of the hat an idea that —at least not in a media way— we had practically never seen: playing solo control two characters, each with a joystick, simultaneously. The best thing, for convenience, is that we play in a local cooperative, each with a controller; in any case, it is a tender adventure, of two brothers who set out in search of medicine that can revive their recently deceased father. Deal with death and learn the meaning of loss. A really good game.
- Where you can play it: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam), PS3, Xbox 360 and iOS and Android mobile devices
- FreeGameTips Review, 9
- Estimated duration: 3 hours
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
Firewatch
If Valve took Campo Santo in 2018, it's for a reason. When the genre of walking simulators is mentioned, Firewatch is a must. He liked it a lot, and it is logical. It is a particularly special adventure, an adventure with certain overtones of Journey, but much more adult and based on a story that, in a way, could have been based on a true story. It's almost an interactive movie where we play a ranger in a late 1980s summer. Misfortunes, one after another, and problems that we will have to solve in this unforgettable place. You, your radio and that voice that you hear on the other side of the device: Delilah.
- Where you can play it: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC (Steam)
- FreeGameTips Review, 8.3
- Estimated duration: less than 4 hours
Firewatch
SUPERHOT
Superhot is pure imagination and the realization that a first person shooter video game does not have to be pure and simple action. The premise is clear: nothing moves until you do it; from there, swallow hard. If we continue to remember this work, it is precisely because of the operation of its mechanics, which seem pure mathematics due to its surprising precision. It is simple, surely many people do not like it from the start, but its variety of modes and, above all, the accompanying narrative, encourages us to continue moving forward to discover that it is a real box of surprises. Also, you can play with virtual reality devices; Those who have played it with a VR helmet assure that it is very worthwhile.
- Where you can play it: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC (Steam and Epic Games Store); also compatible with PS VR and Oculus in virtual reality
- FreeGameTips Review, 8.8
- Estimated duration: 3 hours
SUPERHOT
Gone Home
The original work of The Fullbright Company (authors of Tacoma) has ended up coming out on all systems, and we're glad. The game, an interactive novel that takes us to Portland in 1995 after a trip through Europe, presents us with a setting where our family has left without saying anything to us. Another great success of Annapurna Interactive, which is good at editing talents, with one more bet that was a new step forward in independent narrative approaches in its day (2013). If you liked To The Moon (which could be perfectly on the list), Gone Home has something special, besides a presentation and perfectly written first few minutes of play. A recommendation: try to play it without knowing anything beforehand.
- Where you can play it: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC and iOS terminals
- FreeGameTips Review, 8
- Estimated duration: 3 hours
Gone Home
Portal
It is surely the oldest game on the list, dating back to 2007. Its peculiarity is that in 2027 it will continue to be just as special and essential in any collection. The original package from Valve's The Orange Box presented a first-person puzzle adventure so innovative and well-executed (as well as replayable) that we never tire of recommending it. To highlight, regardless of its approach, the setting and the possibilities offered by the main weapon are a display of good work; a dynamic that was perfected with the second part, but that makes us recommend the original game first to understand where that essential video game appointment comes from. Another one at Valve.
- Where you can play it: Xbox 360, PC (Steam and Epic Games Store), PS3 and Xbox One through backwards compatibility
- FreeGameTips Review, 8
- Estimated duration: 3 hours
Portal
Little Nightmares
Three years ago, Tarsier Studios and Bandai Namco Entertainment signed an extremely moving video game where we accompanied Six in his escape from the Maw, a huge world where everything seems to be going against us. It is a video game that does not invent anything, that does not do something that we have already seen previously in the independent scene, but its care and care for detail, production values and constant tension perfectly match the puzzles, the sound design or the constant punishments to which we are subjected. It is short, it all depends mainly on the skill we have, but its cinematic heritage and current availability make us recommend it without a doubt.
- Where you can play it: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC
- FreeGameTips Review, 8.5
- Estimated duration: 3 and a half hours
Little Nightmares
A Short Hike
Let us cheat and add one more game to the list even if it can only be played on PC: A Short Hike. In its short hour, this title – which Bruce Straley recommended to us in December during an interview – is pure tenderness and relaxation. With hints of Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley in its setting, we put ourselves in the shoes of a bird that has to go on a small journey, which is none other than climbing a mountain (we do not tell you the reason). Along the way, small challenges and missions that go through solidarity, fishing and flying. It is price, it is short and you will not forget it. Soon, Reviews on FreeGameTips.
- Where you can play it: PC (Steam and Epic Games Store)
- Estimated duration: 1 hour
A Short Hike
All hour estimates are based on the average consulted on the How Long to Beat portal, where thousands of players contribute how long it took to complete each game; from there comes a weighted average.
