While sprawling open-world epics, multi-disc sequels, and hundred-hour RPGs continue to dominate the video game industry, a new trend is catching on.
Tymon Smektała, franchise director for the popular Dying Light series at Techland, believes we’re about to see a surge in shorter, standalone games from major studios.
Speaking at Gamescom in Cologne in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Smektała shared insights into the development of Dying Light: The Beast, a compact spinoff that evolved from planned DLC for Dying Light 2 into its own game, highlighting a growing recognition among developers that not every game needs to be a massive time investment.
“We really feel like we are ten years younger,” Smektała said, describing the team’s excitement about working on a more focused project. The Beast, which brings back fan-favorite character Kyle Crane, is designed to be a concentrated experience – what Smektała calls a “double espresso” compared to the “americano” of larger games.
The decision to create a shorter game isn’t unique to Techland. In recent years, several major studios have explored this format, with titles like Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and Assassin’s Creed: Mirage serving as examples. These games offer focused experiences that players can complete in less time than their franchise’s main entries, appealing to players with limited gaming time and developers looking to innovate between larger projects.
Outside of sequels and brand name titles, a relatively new release like Shift Up’s Stellar Bladealso turned heads for its spectacular if compressed gameplay that most gamers found satisfying from start to finish.
Smektała argues that this trend benefits both players and developers. For gamers of age leading busy lifestyles, shorter games provide satisfying experiences without the substantial time investment of 50-100-hour epics. He notes that as players age and face increasing demands on their time, finding opportunities to engage with lengthy games becomes challenging. Dying Light: The Beast, with its targeted 20-hour playtime, aims to hit what Smektała calls the “sweet spot” between brevity and depth.
From a development perspective, shorter games offer several advantages. They are a lot more economical to develop, allowing studios to experiment with new ideas and concepts without the risks associated with traditional AAA development. This approach can lead to more frequent releases and potentially more innovative gameplay experiences.
It’s no wonder there were rumors as early as last year that Santa Monica Studio was working on a “half-sequel” for God of War: Ragnarok that would’ve centered around Atreus instead of his now-reformed formerly-perpetually-angry god-killing father.
We still don’t know if those rumors are true or not, but we did get a free DLC last year for the sequel that somewhat teased an Egypt setting for the next game in the series, so take away from that what you will.
However, the shift towards shorter games isn’t without its challenges. Some still perceive longer games as offering better value. Despite this, he believes the trend will continue growing as developers and players recognize the benefits of more focused experiences.
Interestingly, Techland’s decision to release Dying Light: The Beast on previous-generation consoles like the PS4 reflects another important consideration in game development: reaching the widest possible audience. With a significant portion of the PlayStation user base still active on older hardware, Techland saw an opportunity to cater to these players, especially those who own the Ultimate Edition of Dying Light 2 and will receive The Beast as a free update.
With that said, if Smektała’s prediction holds, this trend can offer players more options to enjoy their favorite franchises and provide developers with new avenues for creativity and innovation.
Heck, it could shorten the waiting times in between titles of multi-game franchises, which most fans would very much welcome. A standalone title set in between, let’s say, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and The Elder Scrolls 6, similar to Fallout: New Vegas, isn’t the worst idea.
Whether this shift will become the new norm remains to be seen, but it’s clear that even studios like Techland, which spent years in between Dying Light and Dying Light 2, are eager to explore the possibilities of this more compact game design.
