Summary
- RPGs don't have to be time-consuming; Deltarune Chapter 1, Cat Quest 3, Ittle Dew, and To The Moon can be beaten in hours.
- Deltarune Chapter 2 offers extended playtime, but still can be beaten in 4 hours.
- Undertale and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion can also be finished in around 4 hours, despite their depth and content.
If there's one video game genre that players tend to associate with a long and arduous journey, that's the RPG genre. It's usually true, yes, but that's not always the case. Whenever a person buys an RPG, they usually do so under the assumption that they'll get a lot of bang for their buck, but that doesn't necessarily mean all RPG fans want all RPGs to be extreme time-eaters.
RPGs can sometimes work just as well, even if they can be beaten in a few sittings, though that's not a very widely known fact. Let's look at some amazing RPGs, Japanese and American, that players will be able to beat in a few hours max.
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7 Deltarune Chapter 1
A Delicious Little Slice Of Undertale
Deltarune
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 86 /100 Critics Rec: 83%
- Released
- October 31, 2018
- ESRB
- Teen // Language, Suggestive Themes, Mild Blood, Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Toby Fox
- Publisher(s)
- Toby Fox
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- Time To Beat: No longer than 2 hours
The first chapter of Deltarune, Toby Fox's successor to Undertale, is the game that fans of short RPGs are looking for — whether they're already fans or newcomers. The story is sharp and funny, the gameplay is yet another cool play on already known systems, and the characters are as endearing as ever. Deltarune: Chapter 1, much like Undertale, is great because it can be beaten in a short amount of time, but it can also last a while longer for players interested in doing everything the game has to offer.
6 Cat Quest
Finally, A Game For Cat Lovers
Cat Quest III
- Released
- August 8, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Time To Beat: about 4 hours
Cat Quest 3 is the third game in the little-known series of little RPGs, Cat Quest. It's an open-world RPG, though its map is more focused on detail than on having an incredibly huge area to explore. It's perfect for cat lovers and perhaps even cats themselves, as it's not too consuming in terms of attention span side of things.
Cat Quest 3 will take no longer than 4 hours to beat. Gamers who enjoy it and are on the lookout for other short RPGs will be happy to learn about the previous two games in the series, which also fit into the category of short and sweet.
5 Ittle Dew
Ittle Big Adventure
Ittle Dew
- Released
- July 5, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E 10+ // Fantasy Violence, Comic Mischief, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco
- Genre(s)
- Adventure, Indie
- Time To Beat: No longer than 3 hours
While not a traditional JRPG, 2013's Ittle Dew features enough traditional RPG elements and is way too fun and short to ignore. Ittle Dew plays like a mix between the classic Zelda titles and an RPG, but with the twist that players step into the shoes not of a heroic lad like Link, but of a hilariously mean rascal. Ittle Dew is fun not just because of its hilarious writing, but also because of its cleverly interwoven gameplay elements. This is the one to play for anyone looking for a funny take on the Zelda formula.
4 To The Moon
As Short As It Is Sweet
To the Moon
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 86 /100 Critics Rec: 88%
- Released
- November 1, 2011
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Freebird Games
- Publisher(s)
- X.D. Network
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
- Time To Beat: about 4 hours
Without trying to spoil this fantastic title, To The Moon is about fulfilling a dying man's last wish, one naturally involving the natural satellite orbiting the Earth: the moon itself. To The Moon is likely the RPG that's lightest in RPG mechanics ever to exist, but it's still an RPG — one made in RPG Maker, no less — and it more than deserves a spot in any list of great games. This one is a great pick for anyone looking to get into RPGs, or players who enjoy games with touching storylines. Unlike most games on this list, most of To The Moon can be explored in just those 4 hours.
3 Deltarune: Chapter 2
Going Even Deeper
- Time to beat: around 4 hours
It might feel like cheating to include various chapters of what's supposedly the same game in one list, but there are always so many years in between Deltarune releases — and they always work so well on their own — that it needs to be done. Whereas Deltarune: Chapter 1 proved an excellent new introduction to Toby Fox's new adventure, Chapter 2 goes harder, and offers players a lot more to do. Still, it remains a very short game, especially for an RPG. Players can beat it in no longer than 4 hours.
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2 The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion
Most Remain Oblivious To How Short The Main Story Is
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
- Released
- April 22, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action, RPG, Open-World, Adventure
- Time To Beat: 4 hours (main quest only)
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion features a rather large map, even by the absurd standards of today, as well as a ton of quests for players to play through. Still, it's actually a much shorter game than any of its predecessors, main quest-wise.
The previous games in the series featured even larger maps (ludicrously larger, for the first two games in the series). Oblivion also introduces fast travel options that the player can access from anywhere, anytime, which significantly shortens the game — especially its main quest. Oblivion's main quest might take players up to 7 hours to beat should the Hero go on cosplaying as a brave knight on horseback at all times, but can be beaten in under 4 hours for players who use the dark magic of teleportation.
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1 Undertale
The Gold Standard For Short RPGs
Undertale
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 93 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- September 15, 2015
- ESRB
- E10+ for Everyone 10+: Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Simulated Gambling, Use of Tobacco
- Developer(s)
- Toby Fox
- Publisher(s)
- Toby Fox, 8-4
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- Time To Beat: about 4 hours
Though it's as indie as it gets and features the simplest graphics possible, Undertale is an incredible experience. Its Earthbound- inspired bullet-hell-infused gameplay is fantastic, and the story goes from hilarious to heartbreaking in a heartbeat. Players don't even need to waste more than a day with it to experience most of it. Though Undertale can be finished in just about 4 hours, the best part is that people will likely come back to it to find everything that lies under the surface, and they'll be glad they did.
Undertale completely changed everyone's concept of how deep the story of an indie title could be back in 2015. After Undertale, no one doubts any more that a "small indie title" can change their lives and the way they look at games. Better yet, it won't even take too long to do that.
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