10 Video Games to Beat Over the Weekend

Sometimes it is pretty hard to find time for long video games. Particularly if you have other responsibilities, like work or education, it is still great entertainment to enjoy narratives, explore worlds, and solve puzzles.

As a college student, you probably do not have much time to devote to online strategies or RPGs. Students are known for having zero free time because of academic overload and often having part-time jobs. Although all the written assignments are important, it is also essential to take breaks and give your brain a rest. It helps to prevent academic burnout, which is pretty standard nowadays.

Even the best of students can struggle with academic papers when there are too many of them, or they are not particularly confident in their writing skills. But there is help out there to overcome these problems. Professional academic writing platforms like WritePaper offer quality help for students struggling with any written assignment. “Can I ask experts to WritePaper anytime?” – Yes, you can! They offer advice, proofreading, editing, and writing services even in the shortest of deadlines. It is a safe way to keep up with college, learn from professionals, and get some free time to do things you love.

Luckily, there are many short but fun video games one can finish over the weekend. Here are the top picks in different genres and styles given in no particular order.

1. Celeste

The plot of this one seems pretty straightforward. A girl is climbing Celeste Mountain; the legend says the one who can do it will be free of any internal turmoil. This indie game has beautiful visuals, smooth controls, and a therapeutic atmosphere. A character can jump, climb, and perform mid-air movements as well. And there are various mechanics of each level.

One can beat it in 8-12 hours.

2. What Remains of Edith Finch

This one is on the detective and spooky side. The players explore a huge house belonging to the protagonist’s family to uncover many hidden mysteries. One finds out the family history with all its twists and turns, as well as what happened to each particular member before their death.

The game feels like a puzzle and is quite entertaining.

3. Resident Evil 3

It is a remake of the classic Resident Evil 3: Nemesis from 1999. It is much shorter than other games of this franchise, making it comfortable to finish over a couple of days.

You get to play as Jill Valentine and enjoy a linear narrative. There is no going back and forth; it almost feels like a movie sometimes. And the main story will take about 6 hours to finish.

4. Life is Strange

If you enjoy great storytelling, this one is for you. It also has a unique genre – magical realism.

The plot revolves around Max, a young adult going back to her hometown to study photography. Soon Max finds out that she can turn back time, which gives her new opportunities. 

She sometimes uses it for small and subtle things like remembering a person’s name. Or for something more important – prevent a friend from dying in an accident. Besides that, something much deeper is going on in this town she’ll have to unfold.

Another critical factor is that gamers’ choices impact the storyline.

5. The Wolf Among Us

It is an excellent pick for those who love noir detectives and mysteries. The game has only one season based on the Fables comics. It is set in New York, where all the characters from fairytales live. You are playing for the Big Bad Wolf, a sheriff investigating a murder.

It is pretty close to the original comics, which makes the plot extremely interesting. And there are fantastic fight scenes as well.

6. Shovel Knight

Those who want something less story-centered might enjoy this 2D sidescroller in all the traditions of the genre. Aesthetically it is pretty close to the original 8bit games. The plot is simple, there are two knights, one is captured – and the other is going to save him.

It is a highly-praised game with several awards, so definitely worth checking out.

7. Night in the Woods

This one is a sweet and humorous video game where you play as a cat that drops out of college and goes to the hometown. But the things are not as they were before.  It has a great plot and well-written characters with lots of dark humor. There is a mystery to solve and topics to explore.

8. The Dark Pictures: House of Ashes

It is an interactive horror in the same genre as Until Dawn. The style and pace are pretty similar to the other releases in Dark Pictures Anthology. But there are also some unique mechanics and features to enjoy.

A group of people can either survive the plot or die based on the choices one makes during playing. Overall, it takes about 6 hours to complete.  If it is not enough, one can always try other choices to see alternative endings.

9. Twelve Minutes

You either will love this one or hate it; there is no in-between. This is a divisive game that people have very different opinions about, especially when it comes to how it ends.  You are playing for a protagonist stuck in a 12-minute time loophole. During this period, you need to find clues, shortcuts, and solutions to various conflicts.

If you fail to do everything in 12 minutes, your wife will die, and you’ll have to start over again with new 12 minutes. Generally, one can finish it in 2-4 hours.

10. Her Story

It is another unique indie title to check out. You need to solve a murder based on live footage of interrogations and various files. You get to watch interrogations of a woman whose husband is dead. Based on that and presented evidence, one finds out what has happened to him.

In a way, it feels more like an interactive movie, but it is incredibly captivating. And those who have always wanted to try to be a detective or into true crime will love this one.

Honorable Mentions

There are many other notable titles that one can beat over the weekend, such as:

• Soma;
• Gone Home;
• Resident Evil Village;
• Uncharted: The Lost Legacy;
• Inside;
• Everybody Gone to the Rapture;
• Kena: Bridge of Spirits;
• Until Dawn;
• Telltales Walking Dead season 1;
• Undertale;
• Shadow of the Colossus;
• ICO;
• Psychonauts 2;
• The Medium;
• Firewatch;
• Sonic Mania;
• Oxenfree;
• Kathy Rain;
• A Hat in Time;
• Hidden Agenda;
• Grow Home.

Summary

Gaming is an extremely enjoyable way to spend free time. And it doesn’t have to require a long-term commitment. There are plenty of relatively short titles to complete in several hours or a couple of days. They are still entertaining, fun, scary, and original.

Whether you are into interactive stories, sidescrollers, or mysteries, there are many options to choose from. Just prepare snacks and get to exploring the new fantastic worlds.