Top 6 Games That Let You Have A Quick, Satisfying 20-Minute Session

Sometimes, I can’t be making time to course through the likes of Red Dead Redemption 2, or The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, when my day job is coming up quick. For instances like those — which quite frankly occur almost every day — I need a game that I can rely on to swiftly sate my hunger for gaming, so I’m not craving a good time for the rest of the day ahead. 

If you find yourself in the same boat here and there, you must be missing out on these games that I’m going to talk about ahead. Of course, half the battle is laid out in-game, but the rest of it is when you have to get up and leave after 20 minutes or so. I’ll leave that challenge to you. 

Heading For Work? Quick! Get A Good Session In With These First

Feel free to contribute to the list down in the comments ahead if you’ve got your own line of “comfort games” that don’t take a day for you to get somewhere. Oh, and just so you acknowledge this, the forthcoming entries are definitive and do not reflect anything objective.

1. Balatro 

A recent addition to some of the finest games 2024 has produced, Balatro is as unique a deckbuilder as it gets honestly, featuring an implementation of roguelike mechanics, and combos that go way beyond the usual school of thought when these types of games are usually concerned. It costs less than $10 on Steam and is probably going to be one of the best purchases you’ll be making this year. 

eXputer reviewed the game and rated it 4.5/5.0, with author Moiz Banoori remarking, “The constantly challenging nature of Balatro makes it an unforgettable experience and a delight for Poker enthusiasts.”

• Get it on Steam.

2. Vampire Survivors 

When a person like Phil Spencer, the head of Microsoft’s gaming division Xbox, has poured 200 hours into Vampire Survivors, one could be inclined to know what this title is actually about. It’s a rogue-like with addictive gameplay, and one that presents you with so many choices down the line, that it becomes hard to get up and dash. 

But seriously though, a 20-minute run should be more than enough to fill you up with some pure gaming fun. It came out on October 20, 2022, when it finally left early access and became a fairly finished title.  

• Get it on Steam.

3. 20 Minutes Till Dawn

Labeled a survival rogue-lite by nature, 20 Minutes Till Dawn is quite literally the perfect game to accommodate those who are on the go. Each session in-game lasts 20 minutes (touche) where your objective is to survive waves and waves of incoming creatures that want nothing but your heart and soul.

The gameplay mechanics are nice and tight, and the only way I can accurately describe this game is, “Every time, it’s the same, but different.” 

• Check it out on Steam.

4. Rocket League 

Rocket League started life as a paid game but later transitioned into a free-to-play title, available exclusively on the Epic Games Store on PC, and on consoles via their pertinent storefronts. Although it sports a fair learning curve, Rocket League becomes super enjoyable as soon as you get the hang of things.

And since each match is around 5 minutes long, you can get multiple sessions in without having to leave abruptly. 

5. Dorfromantik

Not sure if you’ve heard of this one, but Dorfromantik is the epitome of relaxing video games in my opinion. Whenever you need a quick 20-minute breather or feel the need to try out something different than usual, this board game has your back covered. The main objective of the title is to place tiles and create subsequent landscapes.

Tiny little details embedded here and there make the experience even more stand-out.  

• Get it on Steam.

6. Outer Wilds

Outer Wilds comes across as one of those genuine creations of art that just show you how much the developer poured their passion into it. Each session lasts 22 minutes, to be precise, so this one will cater to your needs just fine. And the less you read about this game, the better—it spoils the magic of what is otherwise one of the best games I’ve played in recent memory.

• Get it on Steam.  

7. The Finals

Embark Studios went ahead and did something unique with the first-person shooter genre in the name of The Finals. Back when this title was released, it shot up heavily among the ranks of the big dogs online, all thanks to its arena- and game show-based setting, creative in-game elements such as the death animation, and fun-filled destructible environments. 

Matches in The Finals are typically around 10 minutes, so you can quickly hop in and out of a session without having to commit to it for too long. Check out eXputer’s review of the shooter, where we rated the effort by Embark 4/5 for all that it brings to the table. 

• Try on Steam.