19 Best Short PlayStation 4 Games

There are so many different video game titles out there that require days to complete. From lengthy RPG titles to games as a service where new content is constantly being tossed out into the mix, finding a game to quickly go through might be a challenge. However, if you’re looking for some games you can complete quickly then check out our list below. We’ve compiled some of the most popular short video game titles on the PlayStation 4 platform.

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#19 The Order 1886

Ready at Dawn was behind The Order 1886 which launched back in 2015. This is an action-adventure title that has players taking the role of a knight who vows to protect the innocent from the world’s most hazardous threats. Along the journey, players would be facing several enemies such as werewolves and vampires. While Ready at dawn has since moved on with mainly working on VR gameplay, most passed over The Order 1886 initially because it was a brand new video game title that cost the player $60. The problem most had was the fact that at $60 they were getting a game that only had about seven hours of content. However, since this game is available at a steep discount now, it’s a game that players would likely get their money’s worth out of.

#18 Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!

There’s a chance you might have already played through Doki Doki Literature Club when it first arrived in the marketplace. This is a free video game title that plays out as a dating sim visual novel. However, the game featured some psychological twists that made the game a classic video game. Now the developers had decided to go back and deliver Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! This installment brings back the thrilling narrative but with a few extra features and side stories. There are now six new stories to go through along with the main campaign, over a hundred new unlockable images, new music tracks, along updating the visuals to bring in full 1080p HD. It’s a shorter game with some horrific moments, so we’ll refrain from saying anything else to spoil the narrative.

#17 Firewatch

Firewatch was a game that had a ton of interest online. Players were given a new walking simulator style of game which can also be considered a more modern adventure game. Rather than the old school point-and-click games, Firewatch puts players into a first-person perspective. Here in this game, we’re thrown into the 1980s where players are stepping into the role of a new fire lookout named Henry. Stuck alone in the national park, Henry maintains the area to ensure no potential fires are starting up. Meanwhile, Henry has a source of communication with a supervisor in a nearby station named Delilah.

During this journey, we’re getting a look at just what brought Henry into a job that’s so lonesome while also discovering that perhaps there’s someone out in the forest causing mischief. Similar to other games on this list, there is a choice-based system where Henry can respond to Delilah with specific talking points that will help progress through the narrative journey. While fans have enjoyed this game from the indie studio, Campo Santo, the developers were acquired by Valve so there’s no telling if we’ll see another installment to the IP.

#16 Little Nightmares

Within Little Nightmares, players will be taking on the role of a young girl named Six who had been kidnapped from her home and forced to work at a place known as The Maw. Massive hostile enemies ensure that everything is in order and no one attempts to leave their designated area. The game is quite a bit like Limbo if you’re familiar with that title. There’s a very hostile environment to go through so players will need to carefully examine the area and attempt to solve the puzzles or potentially avoid bringing in any attention to your protagonist.

Controls here are pretty simple as well to understand as you only have movement, jumping, and grabbing mechanics to deal with. This game also has a sequel readily available which is worth checking out after completing the first installment. Both are also short games to complete with the first installment taking under four hours for most players to complete the main storyline while the sequel comes in at just under six hours.

#15 Soma

Frictional Games might be known best for the Penumbra and Amnesia video game titles. This is a studio that knows how to deliver a first-person horror video game experience. Their latest release is another psychological horror title called Soma which puts players into an underwater remote research facility. Throughout the game, campaign players are trying to uncover the truth behind the facility that’s gone rogue with machines taking on more human characteristics.

If you’re familiar with Amnesia, Soma takes on a similar gameplay style in that players will be keen to take a stealthy approach when dealing with the enemy. It’s best to avoid danger when possible while searching for clues and solving puzzles. Currently, most players can get through the game campaign in just about ten hours.

#14 Call of Duty: Vanguard

Call of Duty: Vanguard is another great option to run with if you’re after an FPS. I’m, of course, referring to the campaign that is just a few hours long. Really, any of the Call of Duty games with a single-player campaign is a viable option if you’re after shorter campaign experiences. They are all over-the-top action-packed experiences with players generally getting tossed around massive set pieces. When it comes to Call of Duty: Vanguard, players are thrown back into the gritty World War Two era. Here we’re getting a few different protagonists to take control of. As you can expect, each will have its own different missions, perks, and frontlines as they battle off the Nazi regime. After going through the campaign, you’ll still have the multiplayer component to test your skills.

#13 Oxenfree

Oxenfree was an indie hit that follows a young teenage girl named Alex who heads to an abandoned local island with some friends for a party gathering. However, what was meant to be a party turned into a horror trip as Alex quickly discovers there is some supernatural element living on this island. Instead of a night full of partying, drinking, and hanging with friends, Alex is left gathering everyone up while finding a way off this island.

One of the reasons fans took to this game was because of its mature story as well where we dive into a variety of tough topics. Furthermore, the game is a choice-based title so depending on the choices you make along the way will determine the ending you’ll receive. Gameplay can be described as an adventure title with players going through the game solving puzzles and exploring the areas.

#12 The Walking Dead

Telltale Games was such an iconic video game development studio for adventure story-driven enthusiasts. The developers found their groove with episodic style releases and their popularity allowed the team to work on a variety of licensed IPs. Arguably their biggest release was The Walking Dead, a series that followed a new cast of characters while mainly revolving around Clementine. Players start the game out as a criminal heading to prison for murder when the zombie apocalypse strikes giving our protagonist, Lee, another chance at life. That’s when players stumble upon a scared little girl named Clementine who is all alone in a world that’s quickly taken control of by mindless zombies. It’s here that players are going through an episodic journey of finding a haven with Clementine but the world apocalypse shows just how brutal humanity can be when they are left with little support.

Gameplay mechanics are pretty easy to understand as you’re mainly wandering around exploring the area, talking with characters, going through QTEs, and making decisions that will play a major role in the narrative journey. Much like Life is Strange, this game can be broken up into small sections thanks to the episodes although the entire season can be completed on a weekend. That’s of course just referring to the first installment as there are several seasons to this series with a thrilling co conclusion. Trust us, if you’re a fan of The Walking Dead and haven’t played this series yet then do yourself a favor and pick up the first season as soon as possible.

#11 Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

Within Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons players are following two brothers who must go on a grand adventure through several hostilities to bring back special water. The water is believed to heal their dying father though the journey itself will prove to be difficult to overcome for these siblings. With that said, this is a beautiful title with puzzle-filled gameplay and boss fights. This game also allows local cooperative gameplay where players can solve the puzzles and explore the different locations together. With that said, it’s not a lengthy game at all with most players able to complete this game in just about three hours.

#10 Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice received some massive attention as it came from a small indie studio called Ninja Theory but looked incredibly detailed much like a AAA title. The video game follows a Celtic warrior named Senua as she travels through Hell in hopes of rescuing her lover’s soul. However, Senua is also cursed by seeing psychotic manifestations because of her mental illnesses.

Senua suffers from hallucinations, delusions, anxiety, and depression. Because of these illnesses, our protagonist must embark on a very personal journey. Since this game was released, Ninja Theory was swiped up by Microsoft and they are currently working on a new installment for players although, at the time of writing this description, we’re not sure just when the sequel will release. Players that are up for the first installment will find that the game will take just under eight hours to complete.

#9 Transistor  

In Transistor, players step into the role of Red, a lounge singer that had her voice stolen, but now wielding a large sword-like weapon known as Transistor, she embarks on a journey to figure out what exactly is going on with her stolen voice and the chaos that has hit the world. Of course, we won’t go any deeper than that as this game forces players to figure out the narrative as they progress through the title.

Similar to Supergiant Game’s previous video game release Bastion, the visuals look like a hand-drawn world but with combat being slightly tinkered with. This is still very much an action RPG, where players can make upgrades to their character whether it be aimed towards delivering powerful attacks or defensive measures to keep Red a bit safer in a fight. Those that are short on time will find that this game will only take you about six hours to complete.

#8 Sifu

Sifu is a martial arts brawler game. Here, players take the role of a young man who finds that assassins murdered his entire family. Now our young protagonist ventures out to find all the assassins responsible and take them out. However, it’s an uphill battle as you’ll be taking on incredibly skilled martial artists along the way. Fortunately, our protagonist has a special medallion that allows him to revive after being killed off. There is a slight catch as each time our hero dies, he’s resurrected but aged several years. Eventually, players will reach a senior age where the medallion breaks, essentially giving him the last run before having to restart. This is a shorter game to complete for the campaign. You’ll only need about five hours to complete the narrative journey. According to How Long To Beat, even if you were trying to complete the entire game and unlock everything available, it will still only take about thirteen hours.

#7 Limbo

Limbo was a quick iconic video game title when it launched. Players were dropped in a bleak world as a child that’s forced to go through a series of hazardous environments. This is one of those games where you can sit back in just pure awe, the art style alone is completely capitulating. For lack of better words, Limbo is beautiful yet horrifying. Having no real sense of what’s going on, the game leaves you stranded in a down-right creepy surrounding with not a single cut-scene or dialog box to be found.

Playing as a small boy, you’re left to quickly escape from the wretched place from where you’ve awakened. As you can probably guess this title can be rather gruesome at points and you can expect a ton of deaths. Most players will be able to get through the main storyline in under four hours which is incredibly short and rewarding with all the platforming traps and beasts to avoid along the way.

#6 Doom

Doom is such an iconic and classic FPS game and it paved the way for so many other classic video game titles to come out after. It wasn’t long ago at this point that there was the reboot release of Doom which gave players a new FPS title that once again throws players into the role of Doom Slayer who is forced into defeating a demonic invasion when a facility taps into hell for resources. Things quickly go awry and it’s left Doom Slayer in an uphill battle with so many demons flooding out and seeking to reach Earth for destruction.

It’s just as brutal and gore-filled as you would have expected a new age Doom game to be. The game comes in at under twelve hours to complete but if you find the gameplay fun and want an even more challenging experience then I would suggest checking out its sequel, Doom Eternal which will take players a few more hours to complete than the standard Doom reboot.

#5 Life is Strange

The Life is Strange franchise was a big hit and it put Dontnod Entertainment on the map. This studio worked with Square Enix to bring out a supernatural episodic journey. Within the game, players are following a young female student named Max who arrives back in her hometown to attend a prestigious school. However, she soon discovers that she wields the ability to rewind time along with knowledge of a massive storm that will be destroying the town in a few days. With the help of her old childhood, the duo begins on a journey to figure out how to prevent the storm while also digging up some dark secrets that the town has kept hidden.

It’s an episodic journey as mentioned so it’s easy to go through this game in short segments. Each episode will give players a few hours of content before finally ending on a cliffhanger for the next episode. With that said, the entire season will only take players about fourteen hours to complete. Furthermore, there is a second season readily available as well along with a prequel to the first season called Life is Strange Before The Storm which are worth checking out.

#4 Gone Home

With the video game Gone Home players take the role of a young college student that returns home on break. While the expectations were a fun gathering with family and friends again our protagonist returns home to find no one around. This is where the story journey begins as players will need to investigate the home in hopes of figuring out just where everyone has gone. While Gone Home appears to be quite an atmospheric horror title that’s simply not the case as this is a very relaxing mystery for players to solve.

You’ll roam the open house and piece together the different clues. The game will have you going through various rooms, picking up scraps of paper, and piecing together a narrative of the events that transpired before you arrived. This is one of the shorter video games on the list as well since it will take about two hours to complete the narrative.

#3 Bastion

Within Bastion players are tossed into a world that has simply been destroyed. Taking on the role of a hero known as The Kid, players embark on an epic action RPG journey featuring some complex levels filled with unique enemies and hazardous world elements. While the storyline might not grab everyone, it’s a bite-size-style RPG that may appeal to players. Players will have a wide variety of weapons, visually pleasing aesthetic, and to top it off, the smooth vocals of a narrator help drive the game forward. The more you play the more you’ll unlock new weapons or customization options and it becomes a battle on when to stop playing. Of course, it’s not a game that will keep playing going through the campaign endlessly anyway. Most have completed this game in about six hours.

#2 Little Nightmares II

Little Nightmares II is the follow-up to the highly popular puzzle-platform horror adventure, Little Nightmares. The game is just like the first installment. You’re controlling a small child in a terrifying and unsettling world. With everything looking to bring your demise, the whole gameplay is all about escape. Being a puzzle platformer, you have to figure out how to get around obstacles and hazards. Meanwhile, you’re typically avoiding the line of sight from hostile enemies that lurk around the area. With only taking most players about five hours to go through, this is a game you can get through quickly. Although, you might want to go back and enjoy the first game if you haven’t done so already.

#1 Inside

Inside is the successor to Playdead’s Limbo. It’s a game that once again puts players into the role of a young child in a weird unusual dystopia. With humans essentially brainwashed, our protagonist is forced to escape from this weird facility location the narrative takes part in. However, players will have to endure a ton of deaths along the way with so many hostilities not only from the humans in control of the facility but environmental hazards to even rabid animals such as hunting dogs. It’s a game that received a ton of praise as the story is told through the gameplay rather than any kind of cutscenes or narration. As a result, this has sparked so many different theories about the storyline and gameplay along the way. It’s quite easy to get lost in the conspiracy theories behind this game’s journey when you finish the campaign.