Best one-hour games

Elden Ring is an action RPG developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, released in February 2022. Directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, with world-building contributions from novelist George R. R. Martin, the game features an expansive open world called the Lands Between. Players assume the role of a customisable character known as the Tarnished, who must explore this world, battle formidable enemies, and seek to restore the Elden Ring to become the Elden Lord. The game builds on the challenging gameplay mechanics familiar from the Dark Souls series but introduces a more open-ended structure with vast exploration, dynamic weather, and a day-night cycle. It offers deep lore, complex characters, and an interconnected world filled with secrets, dungeons, and powerful bosses.

The Shadow of the Erdtree is a fully-fledged expansion that features an all-new story set in the Land of Shadow. It adds a whole new map with 70 new weapons, ten new shields, 39 new Talismans, 14 new sorceries, 28 new incantations, 20 new Spirit Ashes, 25 New Ashes of War, 30 new armour sets, and new consumables and craftables.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is the sequel to Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes and a prequel to the original Metal Gear. The game has a complex story with long cut-scene sequences, but there are fewer and they are shorter compared to earlier Metal Gear Solid titles. Most of the gameplay mechanics introduced in Ground Zeroes are carried over: it is still an action game and stealth oriented but replaces the linear corridor design from most earlier titles with large open world environments that offer the player unrestricted freedom for the approach. The world has now a real-time day and night cycle and various weather effects that influence enemy behaviour, visibility and sound. Sabotaging or destroying certain structures can also influence other parts of the map.

Resident Evil 4 is a remake of the 2005 original Resident Evil 4 reimagined for 2023 to bring state-of-the-art survival horror. Resident Evil 4 preserves the essence of the original game, while introducing modernized gameplay, a reimagined storyline, and vividly detailed graphics to make this the latest survival horror game where life and death, terror and catharsis intersect.

Satisfactory is an FPS open-world factory building sim. You play as an engineer on an alien planet tasked to complete ‘Project Assembly’ - a massive machine for a mysterious purpose. Conquer nature, build multi-story factories, and automate to satisfaction!

Persona 5, a turn-based JRPG with visual novel elements, follows a high school student with a criminal record for a crime he didn't commit. Soon he meets several characters who share similar fates to him, and discovers a metaphysical realm which allows him and his friends to channel their pent-up frustrations into becoming a group of vigilantes reveling in aesthetics and rebellion while fighting corruption.

Caves of Qud is a science fantasy roguelike epic steeped in retro-futurism, deep simulation, and swathes of sentient plants. The game weaves a handwritten narrative through rich physical, social, and historical simulations. The result is a hybrid handcrafted & procedurally-generated world where you can do just about anything. Assemble your character from over 70 mutations and defects, and 24 castes and kits - it’s all the character diversity you could want. Explore procedurally-generated regions with some familiar locations - each world is nearly 1 million maps large.

An enhanced version of Persona 5 with some new characters and a third semester added to the game. Released Internationally in 2020.

From the creative minds of the Persona series – Metaphor: ReFantazio marks ATLUS’ first ever, full-scale fantasy RPG, brought to you by director Katsura Hashino, character designer Shigenori Soejima, and composer Shoji Meguro. Write your destiny and rise above fear as you step into a fantasy world unlike anything you’ve seen before. Fraught with unsettling mystery, the kingdom stands on a precipice. Now, you must embark on a journey, overcoming obstacles and forging bonds with friends.

Alan Wake 2 marks Remedy Entertainment’s first foray into the survival horror genre. Ritualistic murders in a small town. A writer trapped in a nightmare. An FBI agent looking for answers. Two realities. Two hero characters. One horror story that wants them dead.

Resident Evil 2 is a remake of 1998's Resident Evil 2. The game was not developed with the intent of improving the original, but rather a reimagining of the original story with redesigned maps, characters and story elements. Gameplay mechanics are more similar to Resident Evil 7: Biohazard though with the use of an over-the-shoulder camera.

Welcome to a new world! Take on the role of a hunter and slay ferocious monsters in a living, breathing ecosystem where you can use the landscape and its diverse inhabitants to get the upper hand. Hunt alone or in co-op with up to three other players, and use materials collected from fallen foes to craft new gear and take on even bigger, badder beasts!

Here, order is maintained by the Church of Seiros, which hosts the prestigious Officer’s Academy within its headquarters. You are invited to teach one of its three mighty houses, each comprised of students brimming with personality and represented by a royal from one of three territories. As their professor, you must lead your students in their academic lives and in turn-based, tactical RPG battles wrought with strategic, new twists to overcome. Which house, and which path, will you choose?

Phantom Liberty is a spy-thriller expansion for the open-world action RPG Cyberpunk 2077. The narrative centers on the aftermath of the President of the New United States of America's orbital shuttle being shot down over Dogtown, one of Night City’s most dangerous districts. Players control V, a mercenary tasked with navigating a complex web of espionage and political intrigue. The expansion introduces Dogtown, a heavily militarized, autonomous zone ruled by a strict and authoritarian leader. With support from NUSA sleeper agent Solomon Reed (voiced by Idris Elba) and returning character Johnny Silverhand (voiced by Keanu Reeves), players engage in a story involving shifting alliances and covert operations. Designed for next-generation hardware, Phantom Liberty features new gameplay mechanics, side activities, and a main storyline centered on themes of power, trust, and survival.

Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut Includes: - Full game. - Iki Island expansion: New story, mini-games, enemy types and more. - Legends online co-op mode. - Digital mini art book by Dark Horse. - Director’s commentary: The creative team sits down with a renowned Japanese historian to look at the world of Ghost of Tsushima and how it compares to the real-life events that inspired it. - One Technique Point. - Charm of Hachiman’s Favour. - Hero of Tsushima Skin Set: Golden Mask, Sword Kit, Horse, Saddle.

Blood and Wine is the second major expansion to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. The players will accompany Geralt of Rivia to the region of Toussaint, one of the few places in the Witcher universe which has remained largely untouched by the war. The calm, laid-back atmosphere holds a dark and bloody secret that only the White Wolf can uncover; the expansion features new items for players to collect on their adventure and introduces previously unknown characters.

DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined is a modern remake of DRAGON QUEST VII, which originally launched on PlayStation in 2000. In this new reimagined version of the game, the core concept of the original title remains, but the battle mechanics, graphics and story have all been updated and improved, providing players with a more streamlined and focused experience. In particular, the graphics in the game were completely overhauled from the original, using real-life doll figures for the characters and monsters that were scanned into the game to create stunning hand-crafted visuals. This definitive version of the game is perfect for fans who want to revisit the beloved story or newcomers who are diving into the world for the first time.

A single-player action RPG set in a high-fantasy world where warring nations and powerful summoned Eikons shape political intrigue and personal vengeance. Players control Clive, a former shield bearer whose life is upended by tragedy. Engage in fast-paced, tactical real-time combat that blends heavy weapons, Eikon-driven abilities, and cinematic set pieces. Deeply narrative-driven, the game emphasizes character development, expansive locales to explore, and dramatic boss encounters while offering layered combat customization through combos, parries, and skill upgrades.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Hearts of Stone is the first major expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, released in October 2015. It adds a new storyline set in the existing game world, where Geralt is hired to deal with Olgierd von Everec, a nobleman with a mysterious and cursed past. The expansion introduces new characters, quests, enemies, and the Runewords system, which enhances gear with powerful effects. It emphasises narrative depth and moral choices, consistent with the tone of the main game.

Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration includes the critically acclaimed Rise of the Tomb Raider. With over 50 hours of gameplay and all-new content created to celebrate 20 years of the iconic Lara Croft. In the critically acclaimed Tomb Raider, Lara Croft was forged into a true survivor, but she glimpsed a deeper, secret world.

The sci-fi survival-horror classic Dead Space returns, completely rebuilt from the ground up to offer a deeper, more immersive experience. This remake brings jaw-dropping visual fidelity, suspenseful atmospheric audio, and improvements to gameplay while staying faithful to the original game’s thrilling vision.

Resident Evil Requiem is the ninth entry in the Resident Evil series. Experience terrifying survival horror with FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft, and dive into pulse-pounding action with legendary agent Leon S. Kennedy. Both of their journeys and unique gameplay styles intertwine into a heart-stopping, emotional experience that will chill you to your core.

Disco Elysium: The Final Cut is an enhanced edition of the original role-playing game developed and published by ZA/UM. It retains the core gameplay and narrative while adding full voice acting, new quests, additional endings, and other narrative revisions.

A 2D metroidvania with an emphasis on close combat and exploration in which the player enters the once-prosperous now-bleak insect kingdom of Hallownest, travels through its various districts, meets friendly inhabitants, fights hostile ones and uncovers the kingdom's history while improving their combat abilities and movement arsenal by fighting bosses and accessing out-of-the-way areas.