Sorry if this sounds shallow, but I do care about how long a game is before buying it

Gaming IndustrySorry if this sounds shallow, but I do care about how long a game is before buying itWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Odd Meter)

The titular protagonist of adventure game Indika, surrounded by jeering nuns.

When you frequent gaming circles on social media, there are certain topics that poke the “discourse bear.” You’ve probably been exposed to the carousel of phrases that inspire developers, journalists, influencers, and fans to chime in every few months with Thoughts (review scores, easy mode,yellow paint). Usually I find these pow wows safe to ignore as folks repeat the same reasonable points at each other, but I admit there’s one recurring topic that always rubs me the wrong way: game length, and how much we’re supposed to (not) care about it.

The topic goes back further than social media, but the first time I remember everyone having an opinion on price and length was Gone Home in 2013—a time when indie games had started to command a lot of respect in the industry, but before we’d gotten used to the idea of paying $20+ for story-heavy games that only last a couple of hours. A few years later, The Order 1886 sparked a fewheadlinesdefending its six-hour campaign at $60. Last year,our reviewof Ratchet & Clank: A Rift Apartcaught some heatfor highlighting its short runtime and premium price as a negative.

Holding game devs to a strict dollar/hour ratio is obviously not a sensible idea. That’s a recipe for mediocre videogames, and arguably the line of thinking that’s led to a generation of padded-out open world games that would’ve benefited from smaller maps and fewer crafting systems. It’s understandable that the most plugged-in videogame enjoyers emphasize artistry and meaning and think less about extracting value from a product.

It’s not like I check every game’s HowLongtoBeat page before clicking buy, but when I put all my favorite genres in a lineup—immersive sims, stealth games, multiplayer FPSes, co-op shooters, open world action RPGs—clearly I appreciate a ravenous hours-eater. As good as they may be, I struggle more to justify picking up short adventure games with positive buzz likeThe Invincible($30) orIndika($25), and I’m tired of feeling sheepish about it.

(Image credit: LocalThunk)

A hand of cards in Balatro.

The good kind of value

As much as I prefer to celebrate sexier accomplishments like The Invincible’s gorgeous planet or Indika’s blending of 2D and 3D horror, if I’m honest with myself, how much time I get out of a game is part of my calculus for how “good” it is. I think it is for a lot of people, whether we think about it in those terms or want to admit it.

Complaining that a game costs too much for its length is gauche, yet no one complains when a cheap game is praised for being a great value.

Complaining that a game costs too much for its length is gauche, yet no one complains when a cheap game is praised for being a great value. Every conversation about Vampire Survivors I’ve ever witnessed has, at some point, touched on how wild it is that the standout indie hit of 2022 was only $5. That goodwill has carried into positive reviews of its multiple expansions that commend Poncle for packing so much more game into $2.50 packages.

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

This year people are saying similar things about Helldivers 2, a $40 co-op shooter that’s refreshing simply for having a lot of meat on the bone at launch, and Balatro, the poker roguelite that consumed my entire month of June. Balatro is genius for a hundred reasons, but I remember reaching a new level of appreciation for it after hitting the 12 hour mark, discovering there were still dozens of Joker cards to unlock, and thinking, “All of thisfor $15?” Terraria has now offered13 years of free updates for just $10.

Maybe my reluctance to pony up the dough for short games is really just an expression of preference for games made up of systems and rules, which can be entertaining forever, over ones that rely on writing, dialogue, and cutscenes enjoyed over an afternoon or two.

(Image credit: Starward Industries)

The Invincible

It’s a testament to PC gaming’s unmatched diversity that these entirely different approaches to videogames are in competition. The digital store where I bought Teardown, a one-of-a-kind puzzle sandbox game that I’ve had 70 hours of fun in, is the same store where I bought Immortality, a one-of-a-kind 6-hour mystery game, for the same price. I don’t regret picking up either, but as someone who’s eager to stretch my videogame budget as far possible, only one of those purchases felt like a steal.

Occasionally, a narrative game is so exceptional that hour count is the last thing on my mind: I picked up Disco Elysium for $40 on the back of buzz and now it’s in an exclusive club of games I’ve replayed three times.

More about gaming industrySplash Damage says layoffs are likely as the Transformers game it announced in 2022 is cancelledNvidia CEO Jensen Huang joins the rush to kiss Trump’s ring: ‘I’d be delighted to go see him and congratulate him’LatestHarrowing report alleges years of horrific abuse at Brandoville Studios, an Indonesian support studio that worked on Assassin’s Creed Shadows and The Last of Us RemakeSee more latest►

More about gaming industry

Splash Damage says layoffs are likely as the Transformers game it announced in 2022 is cancelledNvidia CEO Jensen Huang joins the rush to kiss Trump’s ring: ‘I’d be delighted to go see him and congratulate him’

Transformers: Reactivate teaser trailer still - four people looking at the viewer, who is Bumblebee

Splash Damage says layoffs are likely as the Transformers game it announced in 2022 is cancelled

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang joins the rush to kiss Trump’s ring: ‘I’d be delighted to go see him and congratulate him’

LatestHarrowing report alleges years of horrific abuse at Brandoville Studios, an Indonesian support studio that worked on Assassin’s Creed Shadows and The Last of Us RemakeSee more latest►

Latest

Harrowing report alleges years of horrific abuse at Brandoville Studios, an Indonesian support studio that worked on Assassin’s Creed Shadows and The Last of Us Remake

The dual protagonists of Assassins Creed Shadows stand silhouetted against a setting sun.

Harrowing report alleges years of horrific abuse at Brandoville Studios, an Indonesian support studio that worked on Assassin’s Creed Shadows and The Last of Us Remake

See more latest►

Most Popular

These are the 14 biggest upcoming RPGs of 2025—get ready for another amazing year for the genre

Five new Steam games you probably missed (January 6, 2025)

I’ve seen enough: No more forcing singleplayer studios to make mediocre live service games

6 games that could be bigger hits than you’re expecting in 2025

What are your 2025 gaming resolutions?

The FBI put a $5 million bounty on the ‘Cryptoqueen’ last year but still hasn’t found her, so take your pick: Russia, South Africa, or murdered on a yacht in 2018

The Witcher season 4: Everything we know about Hemsworth’s debut on The Continent

8 bold gaming predictions for 2025

The PC game releases we’re most excited about in January

Twitter is dead, X is a cesspit, let’s make 2025 the year of the message board

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

A bunch of the best Steam Deck accessories on a blue background.

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

Thank Goodness You’re Here review

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback

3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

4Ikea Utespelare desk review

Ikea Utespelare desk review

5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

The good kind of value#

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals#

The good kind of value

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals