HowLongToBeat: Find Out How Long Games Take

Ever started a new game, looked at the campaign length, and wondered whether you’re committing to 10 hours or 100? That’s where HowLongToBeat becomes useful. Instead of relying on a publisher’s vague description or guessing from the game’s genre, the service gives players estimated completion times based on reported playthroughs.

This matters more than it might seem. If you only have a few hours each week to play, knowing whether a game is a short weekend experience or a months-long project can change what you buy. It can also help when you’re deciding what to play next, planning a backlog, or comparing two games that cost roughly the same but offer very different amounts of content.

The important thing, however, is understanding what the numbers actually mean. A completion-time estimate isn’t a promise that you will finish a game in exactly that number of hours. Your difficulty setting, playstyle, exploration habits, side quests, and even how often you get stuck can change the result considerably.

This guide explains how HowLongToBeat works, how to interpret its categories, and how to use its estimates intelligently.

What Is HowLongToBeat?

HowLongToBeat is a gaming database focused primarily on game completion times.

Rather than simply telling you whether a game is long or short, it breaks completion into different types of playthroughs.

This distinction is important because “finishing a game” can mean very different things.

For example, one player may rush through a story while another spends hours exploring optional areas, completing side missions, collecting items, or replaying difficult sections.

A single number would hide those differences.

HowLongToBeat attempts to provide a more useful picture by separating different completion goals.

What Do the Completion Categories Mean?

The categories are one of the most useful parts of the service.

Depending on the game and available community data, you’ll commonly encounter categories such as:

• Main Story
• Main + Sides
• Completionist
• All Styles

Main Story

This generally represents the time required to complete the primary storyline.

It’s the number to look at if you mainly care about the campaign and don’t want to spend significant time on optional content.

For example, if you’re deciding whether you can finish a game before starting another major release, this is usually your first reference point.

Main + Sides

This represents a more relaxed playthrough.

You’ll complete the main story while also spending time on optional missions and activities.

For many players, this is probably the most realistic category because most people don’t deliberately rush through a game but also don’t attempt to complete every single collectible.

Completionist

This is aimed at players who want to see and accomplish almost everything.

That can include:

• Side quests
• Collectibles
• Optional missions
• Challenges
• Unlockables
• Extra activities
• Achievement-related objectives

Completionist times can be dramatically higher than the main-story estimate.

That’s not necessarily a sign that the game has unusually long content. It may simply mean that optional activities add a substantial amount of time.

Why HowLongToBeat Estimates Vary

A completion-time estimate is influenced by human behavior.

Two people can play the same game and finish it several hours apart without either person doing anything incorrectly.

Consider an open-world RPG.

Player A:

• Follows the main objective.
• Fast-travels frequently.
• Skips optional dialogue.
• Doesn’t explore every location.
• Rarely gets stuck.

Player B:

• Explores every town.
• Reads documents.
• Completes side quests.
• Experiments with different builds.
• Searches for hidden locations.

They are playing the same game, but their completion times could be radically different.

That’s why HowLongToBeat should be treated as a planning tool rather than a stopwatch.

How Accurate Is HowLongToBeat?

It’s useful, but no completion-time database can predict your personal playtime perfectly.

The biggest reason is simple: players are different.

Your time may be affected by:

• Difficulty
• Gaming experience
• Exploration
• Reading speed
• Puzzle-solving ability
• Combat skill
• Backtracking
• Optional content
• Reloading saves
• Grinding
• AFK time
• Whether you use guides

A highly experienced player may finish a game substantially faster than the average estimate.

A first-time player could take much longer.

Neither result necessarily means the database is wrong.

The Best Way to Read a Game’s Time Estimate

Don’t look at one number and immediately decide whether the game is worth buying.

Instead, compare the categories.

Imagine a game has estimates roughly like:

Playstyle	Estimated Time
Main Story	12 hours
Main + Sides	20 hours
Completionist	35 hours

That tells you something much more useful than simply saying “the game is 35 hours long.”

If you only care about the story, you might have a 12-hour experience.

If you explore naturally, you may get around 20 hours.

If you want everything, you could spend 35 hours or more.

The spread between categories can also tell you something about the game’s structure.

A Useful Insight: The Gap Matters

One underappreciated way to use completion-time data is to examine the difference between the main story and completionist estimates.

A small gap can suggest that most of the game’s content is concentrated in the main campaign.

A huge gap may indicate that optional content dominates the total experience.

For example:

Game A

• Main Story: 15 hours
• Completionist: 20 hours

Game B

• Main Story: 15 hours
• Completionist: 60 hours

Both games are “15-hour games” if you’re talking only about their stories.

But they offer very different experiences for players who enjoy exploration and completion.

That’s a much better purchasing signal than the main-story number alone.

HowLongToBeat for Backlog Management

One of the most practical uses is managing a large game backlog.

Many players don’t have a shortage of games.

They have the opposite problem.

They have too many.

If you own 40 games and keep starting new ones, completion-time estimates can help you organize them realistically.

Try a Simple System

Divide your backlog into:

Short

• Under 10 hours

Medium

• 10–30 hours

Long

• 30–60 hours

Huge

• 60+ hours

These aren’t official categories; they’re simply useful planning ranges.

When you have a busy week, choose a short game.

When you have more free time, start something longer.

This prevents the common problem of starting a 100-hour RPG when you already know you won’t have time for it.

HowLongToBeat and Game Pass

Completion-time estimates can also be useful when deciding what to play from a subscription library.

Suppose you have limited time before a game leaves a service.

Knowing that the main campaign is relatively short can make it a better choice than beginning a massive RPG that you probably won’t finish.

You can also compare games by hours you realistically expect to play, rather than theoretical maximum content.

That’s an important distinction.

More content isn’t automatically better if you don’t have enough time to experience it.

HowLongToBeat for Achievement Hunters

Achievement and trophy hunters can use completion estimates differently.

If you’re trying to earn everything, the completionist estimate is often more relevant than the main-story figure.

However, completion time doesn’t necessarily equal achievement difficulty.

A game might take 30 hours to complete but contain one extremely difficult achievement.

Another game might take 70 hours but have relatively straightforward achievements.

So completion time should be combined with information about:

• Achievement difficulty
• Missable objectives
• Online requirements
• Multiple playthroughs
• Collectibles
• Difficulty-specific achievements

This is another reason not to treat the completionist number as a guaranteed trophy-hunting duration.

How Genre Changes Completion Time

Genre is another important factor.

Linear Action Games

These usually have a narrower range between different player times.

A story-driven game with 10–15 hours of content generally doesn’t allow dramatically different routes.

Open-World Games

These can vary enormously.

One player may spend 25 hours on the campaign while another spends 80 hours exploring.

RPGs

RPG completion times are particularly difficult to interpret because optional content can become almost as important as the main story.

Character builds, grinding, exploration, dialogue, crafting, and side quests can all increase playtime.

Strategy Games

Strategy titles can be even harder to measure.

A campaign might technically take 20 hours, but restarting scenarios, experimenting with strategies, or playing additional modes can push the actual time much higher.

Don’t Confuse Content Length With Value

A longer game isn’t automatically a better purchase.

Imagine two games cost the same.

Game A takes 80 hours but contains repetitive activities you don’t enjoy.

Game B takes 15 hours and delivers a tightly designed campaign you genuinely enjoy.

If you finish Game B feeling satisfied, its shorter length doesn’t make it inferior.

This is particularly important when using HowLongToBeat.

Hours are a measurement, not a quality score.

A Practical Buying Method

Before buying a game, check three things:

1. Main Story Time

Ask yourself:

“Would I be satisfied if I only played the campaign?”

If yes, the main-story estimate is your most important number.

2. Main + Sides

This tells you how long a more natural playthrough might take.

It’s often the best middle ground for casual players.

3. Completionist Time

Look at this if you’re someone who wants to explore everything.

Don’t automatically assume you need to finish every side activity.

Common Mistakes When Using Completion Estimates

Mistake 1: Treating the Number as Exact

An estimate of 25 hours doesn’t mean your save file will hit 25:00.

Think in ranges.

Mistake 2: Assuming Completionist Is the “Real” Length

It’s only the real length if your goal is to complete almost everything.

For another player, it may be irrelevant.

Mistake 3: Comparing Games Only by Hours

A 50-hour game isn’t necessarily better value than a 15-hour game.

Quality, pacing, replayability, and personal enjoyment matter.

Mistake 4: Ignoring Your Own Playstyle

If you explore everything in every game, the main-story estimate will probably underestimate your experience.

If you rush campaigns, completionist numbers will overestimate it.

Three Less-Obvious Ways to Use HowLongToBeat

Use It to Avoid Starting the Wrong Game

Sometimes the best game for you isn’t the game you want most.

If you’re already halfway through three long RPGs, starting another 100-hour adventure may create backlog fatigue.

A short game can give you the satisfaction of actually finishing something.

Compare Time Against Your Available Schedule

Instead of asking, “How long is this game?”

Ask:

“How many weeks will this game take me?”

If you play five hours per week, a 40-hour game represents roughly eight weeks of playtime.

That makes the estimate much more meaningful.

Look for Unusually Large Completion Gaps

A large difference between main-story and completionist estimates can reveal where the game’s optional content lives.

That can help you decide whether the game matches your preferences before spending money.

How to Estimate Your Own Playtime

You can make a rough personal estimate using the site’s numbers.

Start with the completion category that best represents you.

Then consider whether you normally play faster or slower than average.

For example, if you typically explore heavily, expect your playtime to lean toward the higher side of the relevant range.

If you regularly use guides and rarely get stuck, your time may be lower.

Don’t try to calculate the result to the minute.

A realistic range is more useful.

Is HowLongToBeat Worth Using?

Yes, particularly if you care about managing your gaming time.

It’s useful for:

• Choosing your next game
• Planning a backlog
• Comparing campaigns
• Deciding what to play during limited free time
• Estimating completion goals
• Planning achievement runs
• Understanding how much optional content a game offers

Its biggest limitation is also its biggest strength: the data reflects real player experiences rather than a rigid developer-controlled timer.

That means variation is unavoidable.

FAQ

What is HowLongToBeat used for?

HowLongToBeat helps players estimate how long it may take to finish a game. It separates different playstyles, such as completing the main story, doing additional side content, or pursuing a completionist run. This makes it useful for planning purchases and managing a game backlog.

Is HowLongToBeat accurate?

HowLongToBeat provides useful estimates, but it cannot predict exactly how long you will take. Your skill level, difficulty setting, exploration habits, and approach to optional content can change your playtime significantly. It’s better to use the numbers as a range than as a strict deadline.

What does Main + Sides mean on HowLongToBeat?

Main + Sides generally represents completing the primary story while also spending meaningful time on optional content. It sits between a focused campaign run and a completionist playthrough. For many players, this is a useful estimate of a natural first playthrough.

What does Completionist mean on HowLongToBeat?

Completionist refers to a playthrough focused on completing most or all of the game’s available content. Depending on the title, that may involve side quests, collectibles, challenges, optional activities, and other objectives. It can take considerably longer than simply finishing the main story.

Can HowLongToBeat help me choose games?

Yes. You can compare estimated playtimes with the amount of gaming time you actually have available. Someone with only a few hours each week may prefer shorter games, while a player with more free time may be comfortable starting a large RPG. The estimates are most useful when combined with your own playstyle.

Conclusion

HowLongToBeat is most useful when you stop treating it as a simple answer to the question, “How many hours is this game?”

The more valuable question is:

“How long is this game likely to take someone who plays like me?”

Use the main-story estimate when you’re focused on the campaign, Main + Sides when you want a more relaxed experience, and the completionist figure when you’re determined to see everything.

Also pay attention to the gap between those numbers. It can reveal whether a game is primarily a focused adventure or an experience packed with optional content.

Most importantly, don’t use playtime as a substitute for quality. A 15-hour game that respects your time can be a better experience than an 80-hour game filled with activities you don’t enjoy.

The best completion-time estimate isn’t the one that tells you exactly when you’ll finish. It’s the one that helps you choose a game you’ll actually have the time—and motivation—to play.