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The 25 Longest Role Playing Games

Published: February 28, 2024 by Ryan Bridges | Leave a comment

Role Playing Games (RPGs) are one of the most popular game genres and have been since the late ’80s. And as decades have passed RPGs have gone from being several hours to over a hundred. RPGs are perfect for escaping the chaos or monotony of everyday life. Players get to explore their own identity or make one up to do things they would never dare. But sometimes the experience ends too quickly so here are the 25 longest RPGS we could find. This list includes Japanese RPGs (JRPGs), cozy life simulators, MMORPGs, fantasy, and more.

Stardew Valley

Average Playtime: 90+ Hours
Completionist Playtime: 161 Hours

Starting off this list is a cozy farming sim that has taken the world by storm and isn’t going anywhere any time soon. Stardew Valley has a diverse cast of characters and a vibrant environment all hand drawn in a retro pixel-art style by one person, Eric Barone aka ConcernedApe. Eric Barone is truly a one-man marching band, creating the music, art, sound, and programming for this open-ended RPG.

While the concept for Stardew Valley is simple, run your grandpa’s farm and join the local community, there is always something to do. The game does not have a traditional ending and players can spend over a hundred hours trying to complete every aspect. And then even completing all of the content unlocks additional content. There is also the 1.6 Update coming March 2024 that will add even more, like new festivals, items, dialogue, and more.

Final Fantasy XII

Average Playtime: 92+ Hours
Completionist Playtime: 159 Hours

While some gamers may be surprised Final Fantasy XII is so low on the list, it does not compare to the franchise’s Massively Multiplayer Online RPGs (MMORPGs). But the game still makes the cut of one of the longest RPGs, coming at around 92 hours to complete the main storylines. And for the completionists out there, it can be done in 159 hours.

Final Fantasy XII takes place in the fictional land of Ivalice, where there is an endless war between two empires, Archadia and Rozarria. The small kingdom of Dalmasca is caught between the warring empires. When Dalmasca is captured by Archadia, it is up to Princess Ashe to forge the resistance and fight against tyranny.

Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past

Average Playtime: 93+ Hours
Completionist Playtime: 155 Hours

The seventh installment in the Dragon Quest series offers players over 93 hours of content, or 155 for completionists. This is one of the longest in the franchise and one of the longest in the RPG genre. This JRPG is a slow-burn but the story is worth the hours it takes.

Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past follows the Hero and his friends as they uncover the secrets surrounding the mysterious islands near Estard. For players who want to lose themselves in this fantasy realm, the game lets you pick your learn class abilities like Warrior, Fighter, Cleric, Mage, Bard, Dancer, Jester, Thief, Idol, Pirate, Ranger, Gladiator, Paladin, Summoner, God Hand/Champion, and Hero.

Dragon Age: Inquisition – Game of the Year Edition

Average Playtime: 95 Hours
Completionist Playtime: 149 Hours

While Dragon Age: Inquisition already takes over 87 hours to finish, The Game of the Year Edition adds all of the story and gameplay from the base game’s DLCs. Dragon Age: Inquisition – Game of the Year Edition takes 95 hours to finish the main storylines and 149 hours for completionists. While the game has eleven main questlines, it has hundreds of quests across a massive open world. The game follows the Inquisitor as they try to both settle civil unrest across the continent and seal the hole in the Veil to stop invasions from the Fade.

Dragon Age: Inquisition lets players choose their race and class. The races include humans, dwarves, elves, and the Qunari, making them finally playable. Class options include warrior, mage, and rogue. Each class has its specialized skill trees. For example, rogues can place their skills in the four main skill trees; Subterfuge, Sabotage, Archery, and Double Daggers; and the three specialization trees; Tempest, Assassin, and Artificer. The game also has eight potential romances, 6 of them have gender preferences and 2 of them have racial preferences.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

Average Playtime: 97 Hours
Completionist Playtime: 145 Hours

According to ign.com, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is a whopping 303% longer than the original Assassin’s Creed. And that doesn’t include the dozens of hours the DLCs add. This game takes 97 hours to finish, or 145 for completionists.

Players control Eivor, a fictional Viking from Norway. You get to choose Eivor’s gender, making it easier to immerse yourself. Eivor must deal with historical polticial pressures and lead their people during the Viking expansions in the British Islles.

Elden Ring

Average Playtime: 100 Hours
Completionist Playtime: 133 Hours

Coming in at 100 hours is FromSoftware’s latest and longest RPG, Elden Ring. While the stats show completionists can 100% the game in 133 hours, don’t be surprised if you find yourself reaching the 200 hour mark and still going. Elden Ring is a massive, dense open world that is easy to get lost in or stuck on a boss. And on June 21, 2024 it is getting a DLC that comes with a whole new world to explore.

The player’s character is known as a Tarnished, individuals who lost the grace of the Erdtree and banished from the Lands Between. But now that the Elden Ring has broken, the Tarnished are beckoned back by lost grace. And it is up to you to repair the Elden Ring and become the Elden Lord.

Divinity: Original Sin II

Average Playtime: 100 Hours
Completionist Playtime: 152 Hours

Divinity: Original Sin II is a tactical RPG for players who love the tabletop formula of Dungeons and Dragons. And it can take you 100 hours to finish, 152 for completionists. With different strategies, a massive world, and multiple endings, this game shows why RPGs have the most replayability of any genre.

Divinity: Original Sin II is set in a medieval fantasy world known as Rivellon. Rivellon is currently plagued by the monstrous Voidwoken. The player character is a Sourcerer, an individual born with the ability to manipulate Source energy. But the use of the Source attracts the Voidwoken. Because of this, the Divine Order has decided all Sourcerers must be either killed or imprisoned.

In this RPG, players can either choose between six premade characters with their own classes and backstories or create a custom character. You get to choose their stats, race, gender, and background.

Rune Factory Frontier

Average Playtime: 103 Hours
Completionist Playtime: 120 Hours

Another cozy farming sim has made the list and this time it’s Rune Factory Frontier. But the farming is only half of the gameplay, the other half is dungeon crawling. This game can take players 103 hours to complete, or 120 to 100%.

In this direct sequel to Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon, the Harvest Moon spin-off, Raguna sets off to find Mist after she mysteriously left. He finds her in Trampoli, where she tells him he should stay. Mist is here because she hears someone calling out to her. Whale Island, the conscious island in the sky, needs Raguna to restore the runes inside of it or it will crash down onto the town. But Whale Island isn’t the only mystical being that needs saving and there are dark secrets left to uncover.

UnderRail

Average Playtime: 103 Hours
Completionist Playtime: 124 Hours

UnderRail is a post-apocalyptic RPG with turn-based combat and an item crafting system. It takes an average of 103 hours to finish but for gamers who play at a leisurely pace it can take closer to 160. And for players who are looking to complete everything, it takes an average of 124 hours or a maximum of 239 hours.

This game takes place in a future where Earth is not inhabitable and the remaining humans live in the UnderRail metro system. This game is full of faction politics, scarce resources, and the nature of time. For Fallout fans, this game should be next on your list.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Average Playtime: 103 Hours
Completionist Playtime: 173 Hours

Toss a coin for one of the longest and most talked about RPGs, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Before the Netflix series, this game was the most popular piece of media in The Witcher franchise. The main storylines of the game can take players around 103 hours or 173 if they complete everything. This game has an enormous open world, numerous side missions, and so many characters to interact with. And this doesn’t even begin to include the many hours of DLCs.

Players control Geralt of Rivia, a monster slayer known as a Witcher. Geralt must save his adoptive daughter from the Wild Hunt while also preventing the White Frost from destroying the world. While this RPG does not let you make your own character, it does have several skill trees to specialize in and eleven romance options.

Super Robot Wars 30

Average Playtime: 104 Hours
Completionist Playtime: 166 Hours

Super Robot Wars 30 is a tactical battle RPG with characters and mechs from a variety of mecha anime. The game set a Guinness World Record for “most intellectual property licenses used in a RPG video game series”. Characters and robots in the game from from animes like Mobile Suit Gundam, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion III – Glorification, and Majestic Prince.

The game can take players 104 hours to complete the main and side stories or 166 hours to 100% everything.

Baldur’s Gate 3

Average Playtime: 107 Hours
Completionist Playtime: 153 Hours

And here we have the game that took 2023 by storm, Baldur’s Gate 3. While this turn-based RPG is the third in the series, it is by far the most popular. It won six awards at The Game Awards 2023, including Best RPG and the highly coveted Game of the Year. While stats show the average playtime is 107 hours, that only feels like a fraction of the time many of us played. And even though a completionist can finish this game in around 153 hours, that stat does not include the years you will spend in character creation. This game is jampacked with content. It has over 174 hours of cinematics alone. That’s 7 days worth of just cutscenes. It is double the length of every Game of Thrones season put together.

The game also has some of the most replayability you will ever find in an RPG. The game currently features 11 races, 31 subraces, 12 classes, 46 subclasses, and 10 unique romance options. It also has one of the most impressive and diverse character creator menus in the gaming industry. And while it may seem the game has two obvious endings, with the amount of decisions you make in the game it actually has 17,000. This is the perfect game for not only RPG gamers but anyone who has played or wants to play Dungeons and Dragons.

Fallout 76

Average Playtime: 107 Hours
Completionist Playtime: 308 Hours

Next up we have Fallout 76, an action RPG from the post-apocalyptic Fallout series. This sci-fi title was Bethesda Game Studios’ first multiplayer game. Tackle the dilapidated open world solo or team up with up to three friends. It can be finished in 107 hours unless you are looking to complete everything. Then you are looking at 308 hours.

Fallout 76 is a prequel to the previous game and is set in the year 2102. The player is a resident of Vault 76 and must venture out into the chaotic world and recolonize it. They must also uncover what killed the inhabitants. The open world of Fallout 76 is four times the size of Fallout 4, showing why Fallout 76 is so much longer. The game has multiple modes for different experiences. There is an Adventure Mode, Survival Mode, Battle Royale, Public Worlds, Private Worlds, and Custom Worlds.

Xenoblade Chronicles X

Average Playtime: 108 Hours
Completionist Playtime: 270 Hours

Xenoblade Chronicles X is a sci-fi action RPG that lets players explore the open world of Mira. Players get to explore and complete quests across five continents. That already explains why this RPG is 108 hours long for many players.

In this story, an alien battle destroyed Earth. The player character escape on a ship and joins the BLADE unit to defend the remaining human survivors. Players get to customize their character and choose their gender, facial features, build and voice.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Average Playtime: 109 Hours
Completionist Playtime: 231 Hours

Here is what many of you have probably been waiting for, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. One of the best-selling games of all time, having sold over 60 million copies since its release. This action RPG can take players 109 hours to beat or 231 for completionists. That is, if you don’t get last in this dense open world.

Players get to customize their gender, race, appearance, primary attributes, and stats. And for players who miss owning a house and getting married in Stardew Valley, that can be done in this grim and dark fantasy. There are 65 different romance options to choose from.

Path of Exile

Average Playtime: 114 Hours
Completionist Playtime: 719 Hours

For players who are looking to immerse themselves in a dark fantasy world like Diablo but don’t want to spend money, check out Path of Exile. And with the developer’s stance on microtransactions, most of the game itself remains free while the microtransactions are mostly cosmetic. Path of Exile will take you about 114 hours to beat. But if you are looking to complete every side quest, it can be done in 719 hours.

Players wake up on the shores of Wraeclast, a cursed land where exiles and prisoners are sent. They must now survive the wilderness and its dangerous inhabitants while discovering the dark secrets of the Eternal Empire. In Path of Exile, you can choose between seven classes, Duelist, Marauder, Ranger, Scion, Shadow, Templar, and Witch. Each class comes with its own skill tree, quest rewards, stats, appearance, and voice.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Tears of the Kingdom gameplay — ©Gameplay screenshot

Average Playtime: 115 Hours
Completionist Playtime: 237 Hours

Next up we have the latest from The Legend of Zelda series, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. This game won two awards before it even came out, Most Wanted Game and Most Anticipated Game. It takes 115 hours to beat or 237 hours to 100%. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has more main story missions than the previous games and two new areas.

Immerse yourself in the beautiful open world setting of Hyrule. Control Link as he searches for Princess Zelda and stops Ganon from destroying the kingdom. If you thought The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was long, Tears of the Kingdom adds new abilities, areas, recipes, enemies, characters, and so much more. While this game has the open-world of the previous game, it also introduces a sky full of floating islands and a cavern beneath Hyrule called the Depths.

Persona 5 Royal

Average Playtime: 123 Hours
Completionist Playtime: 143 Hours

Next up is the best-selling game in the Persona franchise, Persona 5 Royal. This game can take 123 hours to finish or 143 to fully complete. Players will spend a lot of time leveling their characters and following the story. This edition is also longer than the original because it adds new characters, battles, a secret hideout, a jazz club, and more.

In modern Tokyo, the protagonist transfers high school after being falsely accused of a crime. Make friends with other kids who have been betrayed by evil adults and save the world. If you played the original Persona 5, the first two semesters of the game will be almost the exact same. The biggest change is the addition of a third semester. This is where most of the new content will come in to play.

Pathfinder: Kingmaker

Average Playtime: 127 Hours
Completionist Playtime: 199 Hours

For TTRPG fans, this next one is for you. Pathfinder: Kingmaker is an isometric RPG based on Pathfinder. The gameplay is similar to Neverwinter Nights and Baldur’s Gate. Pathfinder: Kingmaker can take about 127 hours to complete. There are many decisions to be made. And while you spend your time adventuring, you also have to manage your own kingdom.

After bringing order to the Stolen Lands, the protagonist has been given the title of Baron. The new Baron’s lands are full of wilderness and monsters. Players can choose between 9 different races, 14 races, their appearance, feats, and stats. There are also 5 prestige classes that can be chosen after prerequisites are met. The game has a 6- part adventure path and hundreds of events players need to handle.

Harvest Moon: Back To Nature

Average Playtime: 127 Hours
Completionist Playtime: 203 Hours

If you needed another long farming sim, Harvest Moon: Back To Nature is a perfect experience. The gameplay is simpler than other titles like Stardew Valley and Sun Haven that have dungeon crawling aspect. But it is still full of content and players need to complete three in-game years to complete the story. This can take some players 12 hours, or 203 if they want to experience everything.

Like Stardew Valley, the protagonist inherits their grandfather’s farm and spends years tending to it and joining the local community. But in Harvest Moon: Back To Nature, you have to restore the farm to its original state within three year or else you have to leave.

But for players who have the girl version of the game, Bokujō Monogatari Harvest Moon for Girl, the farm is gifted to you by the villagers as a way to start your new life after washing ashore. You don’t have to restore the farm to a specific quality. The game is a success if you marry a bachelor.

Kenshi

Average Playtime: 149 Hours
Completionist Playtime: 273 Hours

Kenshi is a post-apocalyptic RPG by Lo-Fi games. While the average playtime is 149 hours or 273 to fully complete, the game can be played infinitely. Kenshi is an open world sandbox where players can act freely. The game has no linear narrative and the focus is solely on surviving.

This game gives players freedom to be whatever they want, whether it is a thief, farmer, warlord, and more. But survival will not be easy. Players start the game with no stats which makes the beginning of the game the hardest. The skills that can be leveled up are athletic, combat, science, thievery, trade, range, and weapons. Your skills are leveled up by your actions. For example, your thievery skill may increase when you steam items. Players can eventually recruit allies from different factions and species and then build their own town.

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite

Average Playtime: 195 Hours
Completionist Playtime: 443 Hours

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite can take almost 200 hours to finish. This RPG has way more missions, monsters, quests, and equipment than Monster Hunter Freedom 2.

Final Fantasy XIV

Single-Player Average Playtime: 483 Hours
Single-Player Completionist Playtime: 3755 Hours
Co-Op Average Playtime: 1883 Hours
Competitive Completionist Playtime: 68 Hours

Final Fantasy XIV can be played in 483 hours for single players, but for those who play co-op or want to complete all of the extra scenarios it can take thousands of hours. This MMORPG has an estimated daily player count of 1.39 million and the amount of content has to keep up with its growing fanbase. Before playing the countless hours of story, players can choose their race, clan, gender, appearance, class, and job.

Final Fantasy XI

Single-Player Average Playtime: 569 Hours
Co-Op Average Playtime: 213 Hours

While this Final Fantasy MMORPG is often overshadowed by the more recent Final Fantasy XIV, it still has hundreds of hours of storied content for players to enjoy. Players can also choose their nation, race, and class but appearance is limited to premade designs.

World of Warcraft

Average Playtime: 2260 Hours
Expansion Playtimes:
- The Burning Crusade: 1260 Hours
- Wrath of the Lich King: 1324 Hours
- Cataclysm: 710 Hours
- Mists of Pandaria: 889 Hours
- Warlords of Draenor: 771 Hours
- Legion: 2677 Hours
- Battle for Azeroth: 1595 Hours
- Shadowlands: 381 Hours
- Dragonflight: 113 Hours

And finally, we have one of the largest and longest-running MMORPGs in gaming. World of Warcraft has been thriving and adding new content for two decades. Players can easily spend thousands of hours exploring Azeroth and defending their faction. And that doesn’t include the hundreds to thousands of hours each expansion also adds.

With 2 factions, 9 expansions, 12 classes, and 25 races to choose from, World of Warcraft has almost endless possibilities and replayability. Defend your people, defend your faction, defend your planet, and sometimes you might even have to defend new planets.