Summary

Gaming has become more of a commitment these days. You might, more often than not, end up setting aside more than a couple of hours for a session for a major quest or two inBaldur’s Gate 3, to say nothing of how long even a random battle encounter could take, let aloneenhanced Honour Mode boss fights.

But not everyone can afford to sit down for hours at a time, which is why we’ve come up with a list of the best games to play daily that don’t require a lot of time commitment per session. From farm simulators to roguelikes and even role-playing games, there’s something for everyone with just a little bit of time on their hands.

A character standing in the middle of their farm holding a melon in Stardew Valley.

Stardew Valleyis the perfect farm simulator that allows you to dedicate as little or as much time as you want in a single session. Even spending 30 real-life minutes planting and watering crops can make a huge difference to your farm over time.

You can also explore the mines (getting through five levels will take around 30 minutes or quicker if your luck’s higher than usual that day) or simply focus on earning coins fromthe next harvestor fishing trip.

A character looking at a shooting star at night in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

The beauty ofAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsis that you don’t need to spend a long time on anything at all if you don’t want to.

Choose which dailies you want to focus on, fromcollecting star fragmentsto visiting neighbours with a gift in hand, depending on how much time you have. Since none of what you do is truly time-sensitive, you may play this game a little each day without losing out on anything. Just remember to keep the roaches away and don’t let your turnips go rotten!

A Survivor In A Small Starter Base with a bonfire and tent.

InDon’t Starve, building a well-protected base in a world filled with monsters requires time and consistent effort. Plus, because the map’s an endless, generative sandbox, there’s no limit to your exploration. you may even postpone endgame stuff if you just want to see how long you cansurvive in the deep, dark woods on your own.

Spend an hour every day collecting resources - or hunting down monsters for useful crafting materials. This (admittedly creepy) world is your oyster, so go forth and try not to starve!

A Valheim viking and troll in the forest.

This is perhaps one of the most dangerous open-world survival games of all. Still, despite its fearsome giants andwho-knows-what-elsein the woods and beyond,Valheimis a game that allows you to set your daily goals as ambitiously as you want.

You could, for example, want to increase your skill levels for the day instead of slaying another giant. Everything you do - even swimming in the river - trains a particular skill of yours, so every little bit counts!

Callie, a Squid Kid, and Marie from Splatoon 3.

If competitive PVP is more your speed, thenSplatoon 3is where it’s at. Match lengths vary depending on which competitive mode you pick, but they don’t take up a lot of time - Turf War, for example, lasts only three minutes.

It’s far less commitment than many other competitive PVP matches require, and all you have to do is make a mess of things, so the entry level is less complex.

Zagreus battling the Doomstone in Tartarus in Hades.

Hadesis a game you can play a little every day to move the needle of the main story progression.Explore a range of unique weaponsin the Underworld and change up your playstyle every run. Just expect to spend around half an hour every time you attempt an escape with Zagreus.

Autosave kicks in every time you enter a new chamber, so you don’t even have to worry about having to finish a run before you can end your gaming session for the day.

In Dreamscaper a character blasts a red beam at enemies on a desolate highway.

4Dreamscaper

Can’t get enough of roguelike games? Dreamscaper takes you through “dungeons” in the form of dreams and nightmares while the main character sleeps, and is filled with intuitive puzzles and fascinating boss fights.

In waking life, forge connections and use resources gained from your dreams to buy meaningful gifts for the townsfolk you encounter. The game’s replayability is built into its main story progression, so every little bit counts, making it one of the best games to play on a daily basis.

Characters toting guns in Borderlands 3.

Borderlands 3’s fast-paced and zany side quests make this one of the best RPG shooter games you can play daily.

The great thing about Borderlands is that there’s plenty to do aside from the main questlines, from zipping around the mapin search of treasureto helping NPCs out with errands big and small.

The Outer Worlds The Hope colony ship preparing to jump through space.

Frequent saving isn’t necessary either, since the game will always bring you back to where you left off when you return, even if you’re in the middle of a frozen wasteland.

Dive intoThe Outer Worldsand explore the vibrant but dangerous Halcyon System in the year 2355. Dabble in an array of missions and dismantle the capitalist system that’s overtaken the colony, or perpetuate it, depending on who you want your character to be.

A screenshot showing Spider-Man posing for a selfie in Marvel’s Spider-Man.

If you’re not playing The Outer Worlds at Supernova difficulty, manual saves are enabled no matter where you are, making this a low-commitment game you may always come back to every day.

As with all other Spider-Man games, there’s a lot you can do as New York’s friendly neighbourhood webslinger apart from tackling main story missions inMarvel’s Spider-Man.

Swing around the city and track down collectibles, farm resources for new Spidey suits, and engage with random baddies you encounter in alleyways and even on rooftops. Crime-fighting won’t take more than 10 to 15 minutes each time, while special Combat Challenges may take up to half an hour depending on how quickly you dispatch enemy waves.