The definitive 17 best Steam games to play when you've only got 20 minutes spare
Gaming is great, but as any adult will know, finding time to sit down and play something is often harder than any boss, dungeon or collectathon.
That’s probably why so many gamers are finding comfort in indie games these days. Bite-sized titles that don’t take up too much storage space or too much time out of your day or evening.
But what about the times when you can’t even spare an hour? What if you’ve only got 20 minutes at most? Below are some games that are perfect for when you’ve only got a tiny bit of time to kill.
Sledding Game
No joke, Sledding Game is one of the cutest games we’ve played in a while, and the best part is there’s no end-goal. You just sled down snowy mountains at your leisure.
Big Walk
One of PlayStation Plus’ newest additions, a Game of the Year contender, and most-importantly a game you can play at your own pace. This one’s good for two people who both have time to kill.
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Vampire Survivors
It’s easy to see why this one makes the cut. The whole point is to last as long as possible and with the game doing most of the heavy-lifting for you all you need to do is move the control stick around.
Slime Rancher 2
There’s a longer adventure here, but for when you’ve not got long to play something, Slime Rancher 2 offers the best of both worlds.
Creature Kitchen
A ‘creepy-cosy’ game about feeding bizarre creatures from a cabin in the woods. The full game will take around three hours making it an easy one to jump in and out of without getting lost.
CloverPit
There are plenty of roguelikes we could put on this list, but CloverPit is an especially simple one. It’s a slot machine game where your winnings contribute to a quota, with charms granting cool effects to your spins.
Hades 2
It takes around 30 minutes to complete a single run of Hades 2, but more-skilled players could probably do it quicker. If you’ve got 15 to 20 minutes spare, it’s worth trying your luck.
Cast n Chill
Fishing games have this incredible superpower of putting your mind at ease whenever you play them, with Cast n Chill being no exception.
Date Everything
Another great game to enjoy at your own pace. With each day only letting you speak to three characters before sending you to bed, this is a good one to experience in smaller bites.
Thomas & Friends: Wonders of Sodor
Easy Game of the Year contender here. Big Walk has competition. It was also the best game to launch in March 2026, sorry Crimson Desert and Pokémon Pokopia.
Rematch
Even if you’re not into football, Rematch is worth a go. Online matches also tend to be pretty quick so you shouldn’t be locked-in for too long.
Balatro
Another addition that’s easy to explain. You’ve always got time for a run of Balatro. The hard part is putting it down…
Buckshot Roulette
With a bit of luck, you can actually beat this game in 25 minutes or less, let alone kill some time with it. Good luck though… you'll need it.
Denshattack!
Each level will have you treating a train like an enormous skateboard as you flip, spin and grind your way to the finish line.
PowerWash Simulator 2
The pressure for the water is on, but the pressure to keep playing isn’t with PowerWash Simulator games. You can hop in and hop out at your leisure as you work through the long list of jobs.
A Little To The Left
Another game that rewards short play sessions. It’s easy to jump in and complete a few puzzles before putting it down for the evening.
Reigns
A card-swiping game that essentially acts as a choose-your-own-adventure experience. There’s even a Witcher version made in collaboration with CD Projekt Red.
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