We all know the feeling: you’ve been beavering away at your revision, burning the midnight oil, and just need a wee break. There’s a lot to do, you have neither the time nor the brain space to start an epic AAA game, but something is needed to scratch that itch. Fear not, here is a list of five wildly different short games under ten hours to take your mind off studying for just enough time!
1. Stray
You are an adorable stray cat who finds themselves inside a locked off, long forgotten city. Explore the ruins, get to know its quirky inhabitants and uncover the story of your drone companion, B-12.
This game is beautiful, charming and touching. The design is incredibly intricate and fun to explore, the story – while somewhat predictable – engaging enough to make you want to continue and there are achievements to be had like “Scratch something in every chapter”.
My only niggle as a PC player is that the controls are very console-oriented and there is a certain degree of railroading in where you can jump to. This is particularly frustrating as the design (and the enemies) are very reminiscent of Halflife and I always find myself eyeing up alternative routes. Still, Stray is a true delight and clocks in at around six and a half hours.
Available on PC, MacOs, Playstation 4 and 5, Xbox One and X/S, from £24.99
2. Later Alligator
If you have ever wanted to be a noir private investigator who is also an alligator, then Later Alligator is the game for you. This hilarious point-and-click adventure sees you, the nameless protagonist, protecting a highly anxious young alligator from his murderous mafia family – or so you think…
The game is packed with mini-games, barrels of enjoyable characters and has a truly stand-out soundtrack. There is also great replay value as you’ll need more than one playthrough to accomplish all you set out to do – for spoiler reasons.
I bought this on a whim because the trailer amused me and have no regrets. It comes in at about four and a half hours.
Available on Nintendo Switch and PC from £14.99
3. Braid
An oldie, but a goodie. This side-scrolling jump and run dazzles with clever interpretations of what the side-scrolling format can do, manipulating time and history in ever changing ways. The soundtrack is mesmerising and the watercolour art beautiful. There is a storyline, but it is very open to interpretation.
The game is suffused with a profound feeling of melancholy and fiendishly difficult in parts, but never unnecessarily so. It ranks highly on many lists of outstanding video games and with good reason. Give your brain a treat and spend six hours helping Tim manipulate time to get the princess.
Available on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Xbox One from £10.99
4. Hatoful Boyfriend
One of the shortest games on this list and the whackiest, this is a dating sim unlike any you’ve played before. You are the only human student at the very prestigious St. PigeoNation’s Institute and you’re determined to find love with one of your avian classmates.
The mechanics are classic visual novel, with a lot of text selection in conversations. The concept is completely bonkers and the characters are wonderful. I started this as a bit of a joke and was surprised to discover there is actual a bigger storyline to be had than the simple dating vagaries of young, hotblooded pigeons.
This is not the most intellectually challenging game, but it’s thoroughly enjoyable and you’ll find yourself replaying it because you’re just desperate to finally have a chance with Sakuya Le Bel. Parts of the storyline are oddly touching and before you know it, an evening has passed. A thorough playthrough will last around five hours.
Available on Mobile, PC, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita from £6.99
5. Firewatch
We finish this list on a high with this exceptionally well-crafted first-person mystery game. Firewatch is set in the Wyoming wilderness, where you are starting your position as a fire lookout on a remote tower. Your only interactions with another human are with another lookout miles away via radio. This suits you, as you took this job to get away from people. But things are not always as easy as they seem and soon you are investigating the countryside when your tower is ransacked.
This game is achingly beautiful, astonishingly well-written and superbly acted. At times it can feel a little too much like a walking simulator; these moments are never long and the game always draws you back in.
Firewatch manages to be funny, touching and scary within moments of each other, which is a rare feat for such a short game. It covers some very heavy themes in its story and isn’t exactly feelgood, but it’s undoubtedly a must-play. A playthrough takes about four and a half hours.
Available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One from £14.99
Featured Image Credit: Lindis Kipp