Best PC games that last for hours

There’s no reason to let being stuck inside stop you from having entertaining and fulfilling experiences. On the contrary, being stuck inside hands you a precious resource that usually evades too many of us as we deal with the pressures of modern life. That resource is time and when you’re stuck inside there’s a very good chance you’ve got lots of it, which means there’s nothing stopping you from getting into all the single-player and multiplayer video games you’re always too busy for.

Video games can too often feel like a guilty pleasure when you’re living in a busy world. Not now though. Now you’re free to sink endless days and nights into all the fantastic worlds to explore and adventures to complete. When you’re stuck indoors video games are your best friends and today, we’re going to introduce you to some of the best video games that will help you out while you’re stuck at home.

Best long PC games for PC gamers

The best games are the perfect way to while away long hours. Games now are so big and expansive that being stuck inside doesn’t mean you can’t experience vivid, realistic, and long adventures. Any of the games below are perfect for gamers stuck inside. We’ve touched on some big games in the list, but we’re avoiding the big names like Skyrim , Dark Souls , Total War , Diablo , DOTA 2 , XCOM , and Final Fantasy .

Civilization V

When it comes to epic games that just keep going, the Civilization series has all others beat. Tasked with taking a fledgling society from the stone age all the way up to becoming a spacefaring civilization, there’s clearly a lot of playability here for you to get into. Civilization V really hit the sweet spot too, building on the games that came before it without adding too may fiddly new features that detract from the huge scale of the job at hand.

This game offers complete control over many different facets that create and shape the path a society and culture can take. What’s even more interesting about this massive strategy game is that you can win without even having to fight a single battle. Sure, there are scenario levels and campaigns you can play out that require some sort of military conquest, but the sandbox version of the game offers true freedom, allowing you to conquer the world through your cultural advancements or scientific discoveries. There’s a lot here to get into, and all of it is rewarding.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto was one of the first big open-world sandbox games that really caught the world’s imagination. When the 2D world turned 3D with Grand Theft Auto 3 , the series quickly became the most successful video game franchise of all time and still is today. Grand Theft Auto’s Rockstar stablemate Red Dead Redemption deserves plenty of plaudits in its own right though. The Old West based outlaw sim had a fantastic storyline and well-built world to explore. The recent sequel only built on this success further.

The Old West of the Old West of the Red Dead sequel is a little less wild than that of the first game as big cities have started springing up. The RPG-like gameplay dynamics are the same though, and what’s truly amazing about Red Dead Redemption 2 is just how beautiful everything is. In many ways, it feels more like an interactive movie than a game but when you scratch below the surface you find all the entertaining dynamics that Rockstar is famous for. The world is huge, the missions are expansive, and the game just draws you in. If you start this one, you’ll find it hard to stop.

Minecraft

Minecraft is another huge game that offers endless possibilities. The premise is simple. The world is full of useful elements and resources and you can go out and collect them and then use them to craft all manner of tools, weapons, buildings, and more. Worlds are procedurally generated so no two are alike and you can even create your own personal servers, which act as your own personal worlds for you and your friends to do with as you wish.

What’s also great about Minecraft is that because it is such a long- and well-established game, you’ll be able to find plenty of resources online to help you get yourself started. We recently ran a series of introduction features ourselves, covering everything from mining and crafting to more advanced themes such as Redstone dust , which is essentially electrical cable. Yep, you have so many possibilities with Minecraft that you can even get into mechanical and electrical engineering.

Planet Zoo

It might not be a platformer or an FPS with a complicated combat system but Planet Zoo is a fantastic game to play if you have a lot of time. It has an almost therapeutic nature to it. Not only is it about building and developing your wildlife exhibitions, there is an almost zen-like feeling that comes from creating what are essentially the ultimate gardens. If you’re an animal or nature lover, this truly is the game for you.

You basically start a Planet Zoo game with a huge open space and an incredible array of tools and features at your fingertips all designed to help you build the ultimate zoo. This certainly is an intimidating affair, but the game is well designed enough to walk you through it in a way that is both educational and addictive. You’re not just building your zoo for the visitors, you’re building it for the animals too, which is an incredibly satisfying feature when done properly.

Space Engineers

We’ve looked at zoos, infinite procedurally generated and resource dense worlds, the old West, and the rise and fall of civilizations and our final huge sandbox PC game is concentrating on space and all the work and effort that goes into building things in zero gravity. Space Engineers is a truly impressive new game that could easily eat up solid days and weeks of your time.

If you’re a sci-fi fan, this is the ultimate sandbox game for you as it allows you to explore space, build spaceships and space stations, mine planets and asteroids, and of course, fly around in a plethora of spacecraft and battle against galactic foes.

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