Longest Game Ever: Exploring Titles With Endless Gameplay

Hey guys, ever wondered what the absolute longest game in the world is? It's a question that pops up a lot among gamers, and the answer isn't always straightforward. What we consider the "longest game" can depend on a few things: the time it takes to complete the main story, finishing all side quests, or even the potential for endless gameplay. Let's dive into some of the contenders for the title of the longest video game ever and see what makes them so incredibly time-consuming.

Games with Immense Main Story Length

When we talk about the longest game, some titles stand out due to their incredibly lengthy main storylines. These are games where just following the primary questline can take you dozens, if not hundreds, of hours. For example, the legendary game The Elder Scrolls series, especially The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, is renowned for its expansive world and a main quest that can easily consume over 30 hours. But that's just scratching the surface, really. What makes Skyrim and similar games so long is the sheer number of side quests and activities available. You could spend countless hours exploring dungeons, completing faction quests, and crafting items, turning a relatively short main story into an endless adventure. Another example is the Fallout series, particularly Fallout 4. Its main quest, while engaging, is just a small part of what the game offers. The vast open world is filled with settlements to manage, enemies to fight, and stories to uncover. Players can easily sink hundreds of hours into these games without ever feeling like they've seen everything. Then there are strategy games like Civilization VI, where a single game can last for days in real-time, depending on the settings and your play style. Each turn presents new decisions, new challenges, and new opportunities for expansion, making it a game that can truly last as long as you want it to. These games demonstrate that a long main story is just one aspect of what makes a game long; the depth and breadth of the gameplay experience also play a crucial role.

Games With the Most Side Content

Alright, let's switch gears and talk about games that are absolutely overflowing with side content. These are the games where the main story is just the tip of the iceberg, and the real meat of the experience lies in exploring every nook and cranny of the game world. Think about The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, for example. Sure, the main quest is a fantastic, sprawling tale of monsters and intrigue. But what really sets The Witcher 3 apart is its incredible array of side quests, contracts, and points of interest. Each side quest feels like a mini-story in itself, complete with well-developed characters, interesting choices, and meaningful consequences. You could easily spend 100 hours or more just doing side quests, and you'd still have plenty to discover. Then there's the Assassin's Creed series, particularly games like Assassin's Creed Odyssey and Assassin's Creed Valhalla. These games are known for their massive open worlds, filled with collectibles, challenges, and optional activities. While the main story is engaging, many players find themselves getting sidetracked by the sheer volume of things to do. From raiding monasteries to hunting legendary animals, there's always something to keep you busy. And let's not forget about games like Red Dead Redemption 2. While the main story is a masterpiece, the world of Red Dead Redemption 2 feels incredibly alive and immersive. You can spend hours just hunting, fishing, or exploring the wilderness, and you'll still find new things to discover. The attention to detail is staggering, and the sheer amount of content is mind-boggling. These games show that the length of a game isn't just about the main story; it's about the depth and breadth of the entire game world and the opportunities it offers for exploration and discovery.

MMOs and Games With Infinite Replayability

Now, let's get into the real heavy hitters: MMOs (Massively Multiplayer Online games) and games with near-infinite replayability. These are the games that can potentially last forever, as long as the servers are up and people are still playing. Take World of Warcraft, for instance. This game has been around for over 15 years, and people are still playing it. With countless expansions, raids, dungeons, and quests, World of Warcraft offers a never-ending stream of content. You can spend years leveling up characters, collecting gear, and mastering different classes, and you'll still find new things to do. Similarly, games like EVE Online offer a level of freedom and complexity that is unmatched by most other games. EVE Online is a sandbox MMO where players can do anything from mining asteroids to building empires to engaging in massive space battles. The game is constantly evolving, and there's always something new to learn and explore. And then there are games like Minecraft, which offer a completely different kind of replayability. Minecraft is a sandbox game where you can build anything you can imagine. There's no real end to the game; you can just keep building and exploring forever. The game is also incredibly moddable, which means that there's always new content being created by the community. These games demonstrate that the longest games aren't necessarily the ones with the longest stories or the most side content; they're the ones that offer a never-ending stream of possibilities and challenges.

Games That Take Real-World Time

Okay, so we've talked about games that take a long time to complete in terms of gameplay hours, but what about games that take a long time to complete in real-world time? These are games where progress is deliberately slow, and you have to wait days, weeks, or even months to see results. One example is Animal Crossing: New Horizons. This game is designed to be played a little bit each day, and progress is tied to the real-world calendar. You can only do certain things on certain days, and you have to wait for events to happen in real-time. This means that it can take months or even years to fully experience everything that the game has to offer. Then there are games like Progress Quest, which is a parody of RPGs. In Progress Quest, you create a character and then just watch as the game plays itself. Your character automatically levels up, finds gear, and completes quests, all without any input from you. The game can theoretically go on forever, as your character continues to grow stronger and stronger. And let's not forget about games like Cookie Clicker, which is a simple but addictive game where you click on a cookie to earn more cookies. As you earn more cookies, you can buy upgrades that allow you to earn even more cookies. The game can go on indefinitely, and many players have spent months or even years trying to reach the highest levels of cookie production. These games show that the longest games aren't always the ones with the most content; they're the ones that deliberately stretch out the gameplay experience over a long period of time.

Conclusion

So, what is the longest game in the world? As we've seen, it really depends on how you define "long." Is it the game with the longest main story, the most side content, or the most replayability? Or is it the game that takes the longest time to complete in real-world time? Ultimately, there's no single answer. But one thing is for sure: there are plenty of games out there that can keep you entertained for hundreds, if not thousands, of hours. Whether you're into epic RPGs, sprawling open-world adventures, or never-ending MMOs, there's a game out there for everyone. So go out there and find your own personal longest game – you might be surprised at how much time you end up spending in its world!