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Essays 07 December 2021, 11:37

author: Rafal Sankowski

The Best Short Games of 2021 - Finish Under 10 Hours

Not everyone can afford to spend dozens or hundreds of hours on a single game. So, we've selected the best 2021 games that are short and sweet. The upper limit was 10 hours.

Table of Contents

Death's Door

  1. Release date: July 20, 2021
  2. Developer: Acid Nerve
  3. Genre: action game
  4. Average time to complete according to Howlongtobeat.com: 8.5 hours

What is Death's Door?

We play a nameless raven – an employee of a raven corporation that collects the souls of the dead behind the title Door, which are, in turn, powered by these souls. Such is the eternal cycle. It quickly turns out that the soul contract that we receive at the beginning of the game becomes a bit more complicated, and the player is faced with the task of acquiring three giant souls, which – as you can easily guess – are carried by hosts of the same proportion.

The gameplay is mainly about exploration and combat. The isometric perspective and combat system are reminiscent of Hades. It's dynamic and rewarding, and success in skirmishes is largely based on skill, rather than stats.

What makes it worth it?

The world created by the creators of Acid Nerve was realized thanks to really talented people. The level designers have prepared an interesting maze of locations that hide many secrets and reward exploration and curiosity. It is a pity the game does not provide a map, because it's easy to get lost in the maze of rooms, doors and ladders.

The audio-video designers also deserve a praise, because with their joint effort, they managed to create a unique world that's both raw and captivating.

The elements that deserve recognition include excellent boss and minibosses battles, which are not only a feast for the eyes, but also extremely engaging challenges that don't allow for even a moment of respite.

Rafal Sankowski

Rafal Sankowski

He is into journalism; his texts appear both on GRYOnline.pl and in CD-Action magazine. In games, he values above all the universes that he can become a part of and believe in their authenticity. Approaches the world with a distance. When he's not playing, he walks through the forests, sleeps in a tent, listens to Jeremy Soule's music, and complains that they don't serve ramen in the forest.

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