I like PC gaming, but I like doing a lot of other things too, and I find, as I age, I have less time to invest in the really serious games. For example, I recently picked up Skyrim again… Played for about 30 hours, then didn’t play it for a few months, and now don’t really remember where I left off. The idea of starting up again seems daunting.
So I thought it might be helpful to compile a list of games that don’t require any sort of mental continuity to play, that you can abandon for months and come back later to find you can easily pick up where you left off. Or games with a shorter total time investment and a more casual feel.
Since we’re coming up on holiday break, the timing should be perfect.
I’ve found the best games to play if you don’t have a lot of time and don’t really care about the story are puzzle games. My personal favorites are the Portal games. Generally speaking it takes 30 minutes to get through a level and while the overall story is interesting it’s not vital to remember.
Besiege
Don’t Starve/Together
Fez
Fingered!
Five Nights at Freddy’s series
Flatout series
FTL
Gunpoint
Hotline Miami 1 & 2
Invisible Inc.
Limbo
Papers, Please
Party Hard
Peggle 1 & 2
Poker Night at the Inventory 1 & 2
Punch Club
Puzzle Dimension
Skydrift
Stealth Bastard Deluxe
Superhot 1 & 2
Toki Tori 1 & 2
In general:
Most racing games
Most sports games
A lot of FPS’s are pick-up-and-play
Pretty much any game in which the player largely creates their own narrative. The Sims series and the Elite series, for example. I play Elite: Dangerous in a private group that tolerates no PvP at all; I’ve gone several weeks without playing and can get right back in when I feel like it. Just need to make sure there are no active missions when signing out.
Skyrim, Fallout 4, No Man’s Sky, Dragon Age: Inquisition… There are a bunch of “epic” games I feel too tired to start up again, and presumably “finish” (if the game has an ending).
I get guilty and wonder what’s wrong with me. At least I’m not alone!
There is actually a huge multiplayer version that is kind of fun. You can watch other players clearing areas and perhaps fight with them. There is one particular lass in France who likes to make artwork.
I love Portal. Sr. Weasel and are currently working our way through Portal 2.
Unfortunately, these are my three least favorite kinds of games. Well, I could get into racing games on the console, but it’s hard to imagine racing on the PC…
Generally, I stick to RPGs, puzzle games, and resource-management/simulator games. Though I will say one of the coolest games I ever played was Bioshock: Infinite.
I recently downloaded a new copy of Sims 3 along with a bunch of expansions. I used to own the game and really enjoyed it. EA has destroyed it with pop-up ads and constantly pushing microtransactions to the point that it’s unplayable.
I haven’t heard of *Elite *before. Sounds interesting.
Adventure games tend to be short, if you’re into that sort of thing. Especially the more modern ones that don’t try to stretch out the game by making them really difficult.
In this context, an adventure game is a more story-based game that pushes exploration and puzzle solving. Quite often, you don’t control a character directly, but click on items on the screen to interact with the world. Usually you have objects you can interact with, as well as those you can take to use elsewhere. It used to be a huge genre, but it’s dwindled down.
The dumbed down version of these are called “Hidden Object games.” This previously meant you’d go to a room full of junk and have to pick out items, but the genre has expanded to include simplified versions of the adventure game genre. They can be fun, if a bit mindless.
Then there is, for lack of a better term, the Teltale game, whose more current titles take the Adventure game part and make them more like interactive movies, reducing puzzle solving, and generally getting rid of any item manipulation or inventory.
Apologies if you already knew what an adventure game was. I bring it up because people seem to often use the term today for any game that makes them feel like they went on an adventure.
Bloons TD 5. Best tower defense game ever and the best in the series, IMO. A game takes anywhere from 3-10 minutes, I’d say. No real continuity at all; each map is its own “puzzle”. Tons of replay value. By far my favorite non-RPG/non-MMO game of the past decade has been the Bloons games. 10/10
ETA: I just checked and since this game came to Steam, I’ve logged 181 hours playing it, FWIW.
Once it’s released, Subnautica might be good. If you know what to expect and where to go, there’s only a few hours of plot/story to it. If you don’t, who the hell cares? You’re wandering around an ocean planet, exploring your surroundings and finding parts/plans/food while dodging things that want to eat you. I say wait for the release, because there’s still a ton of optimization to be done, as the game is still in early access. I’ve held off for about 8 months now, just because I’m waiting for it to be complete to see the entire story unfold. The little added bits of plot every couple weeks were driving me nuts. I’m just not a patient person.
I didn’t see anyone mention Prison Architect. Neat game, levels package nicely in an hour or so, and it walks you right through what needs done without babying you. Great way to let the inmates run the prison from the safety of your own home.
I was very fond of Pharaoh - AKA, Sim City, Ancient Egypt Edition. Takes about … maybe an hour or so for a level, each level you get new units and new achievements. Saveable at any spot. Got just enough neat looking historical stuff to hit my eye candy quota. Really old graphics though, if you care about such things.
Anything from Supergiant Games should fit the bill. Bastion and Transistor are both tight, well-crafted, satisfying, and memorable games. Steam says I played 16 hours on each, on two run-throughs (first plus a second slightly more completionist New Game Plus mode). Pyre is also pretty intriguing, though been a grown-ass man I’ve only played a couple hours so far.
Came in to say Bastion. Transistor grabbed me less, but it’s pretty good too. The only thing I don’t like is that they seem obsessed with New Game + and are allergic to backtracking.
