Occasionally, a game arrives on the market that keeps gamers busy for years. In some instances, people might spend thousands of hours on one game. We checked a popular forum to determine how many hours players have clocked on their favorite games. The number of hours listed below belongs to a single individual and represents the highest number we found on the forum. Do you have any of these fans beat?
1. Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn – 11,500 Hours
This list starts strong with someone claiming their time in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn has hit 11,000 hours. Final Fantasy XIV initially had a rock start until Square Enix stepped in, fixed it, and relaunched the game. Players can customize their characters and decide whether to compete with other players or play the game more as a single-player experience. Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn features guilds to join that go on raids to acquire loot and much more.
2. Path of Exile – 3,000 Hours
This free-to-play action role-playing game takes place in a dark fantasy world. The government of the island nation of Oriah exiles anyone that might cause a problem to Wraeclast. This location, home to ancient gods, sets the players on their journey. Players can choose from seven character classes and then start their trip to fight their way back to Oriah. The game features an overhead perspective, with players going through caves and dungeons, completing quests, and fighting monsters.
3. World of Warcraft – 16,000 Hours
A massively multiplayer online role-playing game, World of Warcraft sits near the top of the pile. World of Warcraft has enjoyed tremendous popularity since its release back in 2004. The player count has waned over the years, but World of Warcraft still has a player base in the millions. World of Warcraft allows the player to create their own character and then explore a vast open world in either third-person or first-person view. The game features a persistent online world where players can create their own adventure or follow the game’s story.
4. Ark: Survival Evolved – 10,000 Hours
Ark: Survival Evolved occupies the action-adventure survival genre. The setting takes place in an open-world environment with a dynamic day and night cycle. To survive the harsh world, the player must scavenge for items. Other activities dot the land that the player can complete, along with feeding and taming some dinosaurs. Ark: Survival Evolved features 194 creatures to interact with, either as an ally or an adversary.
5. Battlefield 4 – 604 Hours
A first-person shooter, Battlefield 4 offers large-scale warfare. The game features both a single-player campaign and a multiplayer suite. The multiplayer contains three factions: the United States, Russia, and China. Players compete in matches with up to 64 players at one time. Battlefield 4’s destructible environments add a new layer of challenge, so there isn’t a good place to hide. If a camper has set up camp inside a building and causes problems for your team, remove that building. Gameplay takes place on the ground or through the air, adding another layer of strategy to the overall match.
6. Fortnite – 5, 624 Hours
Fortnite, the biggest battle royale game around, has millions of dedicated players. One of these players has clocked in well over 5,000 hours. Fortnite’s objective revolves around being the last man standing in a match with 100 people. If a player gets into trouble during a game, he can quickly build a structure for protection, adding a new layer of strategy. If someone chooses to play the No Build mode, Fortnite plays like any other shooter. The hook here revolves around a circle that continually shrinks, forcing players into encounters until one person remains standing.
7. Minecraft – 1,747 Hours
In Minecraft, the player becomes responsible for their own fun. The game drops the player into a world where the player creates the experience. The player can dig and try to mine resources. After that, use the newly found resources to build a structure. If the building isn’t of any interest, the player can explore the world. Minecraft also features a multiplayer component where people can visit their friends’ worlds to help with their projects or just run around to see their progress.
8. Runescape – 8,000 Hours
A massively multiplayer online role-playing game, Runescape first showed up in 2001. It takes place in the world of Gielinor, a medieval fantasy realm. The game’s transportation can be on foot, on a charter ship, or using magical spells. In Runescape, players set their own goals. Some options include going on quests, mining for resources, and fighting monsters. Anyone can play for free; however, paying members get additional access to skills and other items.
9. Final Fantasy XI – 20,000 Hours
Square Enix took a massive risk when making Final Fantasy XI into a massively multiplayer online role-playing game. In hindsight, Square Enix did the right thing. Still, at the time, it seemed like a crazy move going away from the single-player experiences that made Final Fantasy such a big franchise. Final Fantasy XI takes place in Vana’diel. Players create their own skills and participate in several different objectives. There are jobs, skills to earn, and rewards to unlock. By completing missions, players can advance their rank, giving them access to new material throughout the game.
10. Destiny 2 – 4,500 Hours
A free-to-play first-person online shooter, Destiny 2 has captured the attention of millions of players. While people can play the base version for free, expansions get released on a semi-regular basis that players need to buy. Destiny 2 features both competitive multiplayer and a more solo experience for those who prefer that.
Players can join others in raids and other activities going on in the world. Gamers can upgrade their character and improve their weapons by earning experience points through completing various objectives.
11. Borderlands 3 – 1,500 Hours
Borderlands 3 features open-world gameplay and has four different classes to choose from. Players can go through Borderlands 3 alone or with up to three friends in co-op action. The campaign features the main story quests but has several optional side quests to complete. As the player gains experience by completing these quests, new abilities become available.
12. Defense of the Ancients 2 – 10,000 Hours
A multiplayer online battle arena, Defense of the Ancients 2 has become a very popular online game. Two teams of five compete against each other to destroy a large structure held by the opposition while simultaneously trying to protect their own. The game features real-time strategy controls and utilizes a three-dimensional isometric perspective.
13. Monster Hunter: World – 1,100 Hours
Capcom hit it out of the park in 2018 with the release of Monster Hunter: World. An action role-playing game from a third-person perspective, Monster Hunter: World takes gamers to the New World, a land full of monsters and not much else. Your character works for the Research Commission, and it has become your job to hunt down different monsters and either kill them or capture them. A player can do this solo or with three other friends thanks to the four-player online cooperative mode.
14. Guild Wars – 4,000 Hours
A massively multiplayer online role-playing game, Guild Wars rose to prominence due to not charging players a monthly fee to access the game. While other games in this genre require time and financial commitment, gamers only need to pay for Guild Wars once. When playing the game, players can utilize either first-person or third-person gameplay.
15. The Binding of Isaac – 2,000 Hours
A bit different than the other games on this list, The Binding of Isaac features roguelike gameplay. Procedurally generated dungeons mean the player never knows what to expect. The camera angle in The Binding of Isaac features the top-down perspective, similar to how The Legend of Zelda looks on the original Nintendo system.
16. Civilization VI – 4,200 Hours
A turn-based strategy game, Civilization VI brings a lot of modern features to a classic franchise. One or more players can compete against computer-controlled opponents to grow their civilization from having no presence to being all over the world. Several victory conditions exist that the player can meet to achieve this goal. Players become responsible for every aspect of their civilization’s growth, from culture to developing technology, instituting a government structure, and more. The game takes players through different periods to witness the development of your creation.
17. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive – 4,200 Hours
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive features objective-based action from a first-person perspective. Two teams compete in different game modes to complete various objectives. These can range from defusing a bomb, rescuing a hostage, securing a location, and more. There are nine different game modes to play, including Casual, Competitive, Deathmatch, Arms Race, and more. Five categories of weapons help to give the game some nice variety. Each gun has a unique recoil pattern, so it takes time to determine which works best for the situation.
18. Grand Theft Auto V – 1,400 Hours
One of the biggest video games ever, Grand Theft Auto V features a compelling single-player narrative and a persistent online world with GTA Online. The single-player campaign tells the story of three men going through their lives, and the player can play as either man at any point. The online world of GTA Online features endless possibilities, whether your character wants to be a drug runner, a nightclub owner, a skydiver, or anything else that pops into your imagination.
19. Warframe – 5,000 Hours
Warframe mixes a few different genres. It combines stealth games, shooters, and a game with RPG mechanics. The player assumes the role of an ancient warrior who has woken up from centuries of sleep. A war rages on between different factions. Warframe features open-world gameplay combined with some procedurally-generated levels. Some gameplay elements include parkour, melee, and role-playing. Warframe also supports competitive player vs. player action and player vs. environment.
20. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare – 2,000 Hours
The biggest first-person shooter franchise in the world, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, takes place between 2051 and 2061. The campaign focuses on Jack Mitchell. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare also features Kevin Spacey, who plays the CEO of Atlas Corporation during the campaign. The multiplayer suite offers several modes, including Team Deathmatch, Domination, Search and Destroy, and more.
21. Red Dead Redemption 2 – 1,000 Hours
Set in a fictionalized version of the United States in 1899, Red Dead Redemption 2 features some of the most immersive gameplay available today. The campaign features the story of Arthur Morgan, an outlaw. The game takes the player through life as he faces the trials and tribulations caused by the lifestyle he leads. Something always seems to be around the corner, whether someone needs help with a broken down wagon, a strange group meeting in the woods, the authorities transporting someone to the local jail, and more.
22. Elden Ring – 750 Hours
Similar to games like Dark Souls, Elden Ring belongs to the action role-playing genre. Also, like the Dark Souls franchise, Elden Ring has a reputation for being incredibly difficult. Set in an open world, the players must do whatever it takes to survive against enemies that can wipe them out at a moment’s notice. The combat revolves around either melee or ranged attacks.
23. Rimworld – 900 Hours
In the distant future, humans will appear all over the universe. The objective of Rimworld revolves around ensuring the survival of your colony. There will be many challenges from the outside world and inside the colony. Like with most games, events get more challenging as the player progresses in the story. Rimworld features three preconfigured AI storytellers, and with procedurally generated in-game events, players never quite know what to expect.
24. Eve Online – 35,000 Hours
Eve Online takes place in space and occupies the persistent world of the massively multiplayer online role-playing game genre. Eve Online features 7,800 star systems that players can visit. Players create their own characters, with up to three characters allowed per account. The player must also pick between four different races during the creation process. One thing that separates this game from similar titles revolves around numerous copies of the game (servers) running simultaneously.
25. No Man’s Sky – 5,600 Hours
No Man’s Sky went through a rocky launch but has become a title some gamers have played for years. It revolves around exploration and survival as the player needs to build bases, engage in combat, and establish a trade system. Each planet in the game gets procedurally generated, meaning every planet has its own ecosystem and associated challenges. Since its launch, the game has received significant updates, including vehicles, cross-platform play, different management options, and even a virtual reality version.
Source: (Reddit).