7 Massive Games To Try When You Only Play One Game a Year

Not everyone has time to play dozens of games every year. Work, kids, family, and real life usually win that battle. Many gamers in their 30s and 40s, end up playing one or two big games a year. If that sounds like you, the key is choosing something long, immersive, and worth your time. A game you can sink weeks or months into without feeling like you wasted your limited gaming hours.

These seven games offer huge worlds, deep stories, meaningful progression, and enough gameplay variety to keep you hooked from the opening hours all the way to the final credits. Whether you like open worlds, RPG progression, story-driven quests, or massive playgrounds full of things to discover, each of these games is perfect for someone who wants one big adventure they can live in for a while.

1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

The Witcher 3 remains one of the most beloved RPGs ever made because it does everything well. The world is massive, detailed, and filled with quests that feel handcrafted rather than repetitive. Even side stories have emotional weight and memorable characters. If you only have time for one big game a year, you want something that respects your time, and The Witcher 3 does exactly that.

The main story alone can take 50 hours, but exploring the countryside, hunting monsters, and diving into city intrigue can easily double that. The two expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, add another 30 hours of content. There is always something meaningful to do, and the choices you make actually matter. By the time you finish, you will feel like you lived an entire life as Geralt, not just played through a checklist.

2. Elden Ring

Elden Ring is one of the biggest and most ambitious open world games ever made. It gives you an enormous landscape to explore at your own pace. If you only play one game a year, you want something that keeps surprising you, and Elden Ring excels at that. Every region offers new challenges, new enemies, and new secrets around every corner.

What makes Elden Ring so great for limited-time players is that you are always making progress, even if you only have 30 minutes to play. You can explore a cave, discover a new weapon, fight a mini boss, or unlock part of the map. The game never wastes your time with filler. It respects your curiosity and rewards exploration more than any Soulslike before it.

Some players worry about difficulty, but Elden Ring gives you so many tools to manage fights that it is the most approachable FromSoftware title to date. With spirit summons, magic builds, ranged options, and co-op, you can shape the experience to your comfort level. It is challenging, but victory always feels earned and unforgettable.

3. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

If you crave a massive open world with hundreds of hours of quests, exploration, and storylines, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is one of the best choices available. Greece is gigantic and beautiful, and the game lets you approach the world however you want. You can sail the seas, fight in battles, complete mythological quests, hunt down the Cult of Kosmos, or simply explore islands at your own pace.

Odyssey is perfect for someone who wants one game to fill months of playtime. The story branches based on your decisions, and the character progression gives you full control over how you fight. You can become an assassin who strikes from the shadows, a warrior who crushes enemies with heavy weapons, or a hunter who picks apart foes from range.

It is not a game you rush. It is a game you live in. With so many regions, side quests, and optional bosses, Odyssey can easily fill 80 to 120 hours. If you want a long, satisfying journey that keeps delivering new content the whole way through, this is a fantastic pick.

4. Baldur’s Gate 3

Baldur’s Gate 3 is one of the most impressive RPGs of the last decade. It offers an enormous amount of content, endless replay value, and a level of choice that most games never come close to. If you only play one game a year, you want something that feels like a complete experience, and Baldur’s Gate 3 absolutely delivers.

Everything you do matters. The world reacts to your choices, your party members argue, grow, and form relationships, and every major quest has multiple possible outcomes. Combat is tactical and rewarding, while exploration constantly reveals new secrets or story threads. Even after 100 hours, most players realize they have barely scratched the surface of what the game offers.

What makes Baldur’s Gate 3 especially great for time-limited players is that there is no filler. Every quest, conversation, and encounter is meaningful. You can progress the story at your own speed and focus on the parts of the game that interest you most. It is the closest thing video games have right now to a full tabletop campaign you can play alone.

5. Skyrim: Special Edition

Skyrim remains one of the most relaxing and replayable open world games ever made. It is perfect for someone who wants to unwind in a giant world without worrying about strict difficulty or tight gameplay demands. You can follow the main story, ignore it entirely, join guilds, hunt dragons, build a house, or simply wander and discover what the world has to offer.

Skyrim is all about freedom. If you only get to play one game a year, that freedom is a huge benefit. You decide what kind of adventure you want every time you sit down. One night you might clear a dungeon. The next night you might craft a new weapon or explore a mountain range. There is always something new to see, even after hundreds of hours.

It is also extremely easy to pick up and put down. If life gets busy and you miss a week or two, Skyrim welcomes you back without punishing you for forgetting the story. Few games offer this level of comfort and flexibility.

6. Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 is a slow burn in the best possible way. It is a game you settle into, not one you rush through. The world is enormous, the story is emotional and personal, and every mission feels like part of a larger journey. If you want a single game that will stay with you long after you finish it, Red Dead Redemption 2 is a top choice.

The open world is one of the most realistic ever created. Towns feel alive, wildlife behaves naturally, and random encounters make every ride across the countryside memorable. Arthur Morgan’s story is powerful and grounded, and even if you only play a few hours a week, the world pulls you right back into its rhythm.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is long, often 50 to 80 hours, but it earns every minute. It is a game meant to be savored, and people with limited gaming time often appreciate that slower pace. It is thoughtful, beautiful, and unforgettable.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

If you only play one game a year, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is one of the safest bets you can make. It is enormous, creative, and packed with systems that reward curiosity more than any checklist. Instead of following a linear quest chain, you are encouraged to experiment, tinker, and approach every challenge with your own ideas. The building system allows for absurd inventions, but it also opens up genuine problem-solving, where the game reacts to your creativity rather than forcing you down a scripted path.

The world itself is huge. You have the surface of Hyrule, the sky islands above, and the sprawling Depths below. Each layer feels distinct and offers dozens of hours of discovery without ever becoming repetitive. Even after fifty hours, you will still stumble into shrines, mini-dungeons, puzzles, and strange encounters that feel completely new.

Tears of the Kingdom also works well for players who do not want punishing difficulty. You can engage with challenges at your own pace. You can take breaks, explore something else, or return later with better gear or a new idea. It makes the experience feel welcoming while still offering satisfying complexity.

If you want a game that never stops surprising you and gives you full control over your adventure, Tears of the Kingdom is one of the best one-game-a-year experiences ever made.

Closing Thoughts

If you only play one game a year, you want that game to offer meaningful content, memorable characters, and dozens of hours of adventure. All seven titles on this list deliver that and more. They are the kinds of experiences you can live in, return to after long breaks, and lose yourself in even if you only have an hour to play here and there.

Whether you want deep role-playing, giant open worlds, emotional stories, tactical combat, or a world that feels alive, there is a game here that can carry you through an entire year of play. The only hard part is choosing which one you want to dive into first.