How Long Does it Take to Beat Baldur’s Gate III?

Let’s be honest, before you commit to a giant RPG, you want to know what you’re getting into. For gamers who can only carve out a few hours a week, Baldur’s Gate 3 isn’t something you sprint through. It’s a marathon.

This isn’t a criticism. It’s one of the few games that earns every bit of its runtime. But if you’re wondering how long it actually takes to beat Baldur’s Gate 3, or how much time you’ll need to see most of what it offers – the answer depends entirely on how you play.

Below, we’ll break down average completion times, how much content you can realistically expect to see, and what kind of player you need to be to make the most of it without burning out.

Main Story Length

If you’re playing Baldur’s Gate 3 primarily for the main narrative, skipping most side quests and focusing on essential objectives, you’re looking at roughly 45 to 60 hours for a first playthrough.

That number varies depending on how thorough you are. Experienced RPG players who know what to prioritize might lean toward the lower end. Those who enjoy a slower pace or spend time in dialogue will easily hit 60 or more.

The game is divided into three massive acts, each one expanding the world and narrative scope. Here’s a rough breakdown:

Even at this “main story only” pace, Baldur’s Gate 3 is longer than most modern RPGs. But what makes it special is that every one of those hours feels earned. You’re not grinding or backtracking, you’re discovering.

Main Story + Side Content

If you’re the type of player who does most side quests, explores every region, and interacts with every companion, plan for 80 to 100 hours on a first playthrough.

That’s the sweet spot for most players who want to experience the full story without getting lost in completionist territory. This range lets you:

• Build strong relationships with companions
• Finish most side quests
• Discover hidden areas and dungeons
• Try multiple dialogue options or endings

The great thing about Baldur’s Gate 3 is that side content isn’t filler. Every quest has consequences, new characters, and moral choices. Many of them tie back into the main story in subtle ways. Skipping them doesn’t just shorten your playtime – it changes your entire narrative.

Completionist Playthrough

If you’re planning to explore every corner of Faerûn, experiment with all classes, complete every companion storyline, and unlock all endings, expect to invest 120 to 150 hours or more.

This includes:

• Multiple romance paths
• Optional boss fights
• Hidden subplots and secret areas
• Different narrative outcomes

Even then, you’ll still miss things. Baldur’s Gate 3 is built with branching structures so vast that no single run can show you everything.

For completionists, that’s part of the magic, knowing that there’s always something left to discover. But if your time is limited, it’s worth setting expectations. You can still have a complete and satisfying experience without seeing every quest.

How Playstyle Changes Everything

The beauty of Baldur’s Gate 3 is that it adapts to you. How long it takes to finish depends on your habits more than your skill.

If you’re a story-focused player:You’ll spend most of your time in conversations, reading lore, and exploring moral choices. You might not fight as often, but your playtime will balloon thanks to the depth of dialogue and cinematic storytelling. Expect 70-90 hours minimum.

If you’re a tactical player:You’ll love experimenting with combat. Every encounter can be approached in dozens of ways, and if you’re the kind who reloads for perfect results, you can add another 10-15 hours easily.

If you’re a role-player:You’ll probably start over. Maybe you’ll try a different class or alignment. Maybe you’ll romance someone new or make different moral choices. Each replay can take 40-60 hours, and the story changes so much that it feels new every time.

If you’re a casual explorer:You might dip in for an hour here and there. That’s fine – the game supports that style well. Just know that your playthrough could stretch across months instead of weeks, and that’s okay. Baldur’s Gate 3 rewards slow players as much as fast ones.

Co-Op Playthroughs

One of Baldur’s Gate 3‘s underrated features is its cooperative multiplayer. You and up to three friends can experience the entire campaign together, each controlling your own character with your own decisions.

This is an incredible experience, but it’s also much slower. Every dialogue option becomes a group decision, and combat takes longer since everyone acts in turn.

If you play entirely in co-op, expect your playtime to double. 80-120 hours is realistic for a story-focused group, while completionist teams can easily push 200 hours or more.

It’s worth it, though. Few games offer this level of cooperative storytelling. Just don’t expect to finish it in a long weekend.

Does Difficulty Affect Playtime?

Not as much as you might think. Combat difficulty changes the feel of encounters but not the overall structure of the game.

Playing on “Explorer” mode (the easiest) speeds up fights, but you’ll likely spend more time in dialogue and exploration since the story flows more easily.

Harder difficulties slow things down with longer, tougher battles, but they don’t add new content. They just change how you approach it.

Unless you’re rushing, difficulty settings probably won’t change your total playtime by more than 5-10 hours.

How Baldur’s Gate 3 Compares to Other RPGs

To put its size in perspective:

Baldur’s Gate 3 fits comfortably among the genre’s giants, but what separates it is how dense those hours feel. You aren’t padding time with fetch quests or repeated dungeons. Everything you do – every dialogue, every encounter – feels intentional.

How Long to See Everything (Realistically)

If you want to “finish” Baldur’s Gate 3 in a way that feels satisfying without aiming for 100 percent completion, 80-100 hours is the realistic range for most players.

That gives you time to:

• Experience the main story in full
• Build relationships with all companions
• Finish most major side quests
• Experiment with multiple endings

You’ll still have reasons to come back later, but you’ll walk away feeling like you truly experienced the world of Faerûn.

Tips for Managing a Long Playthrough

If you are the kind of player who gets overwhelmed by long games, here are a few ways to make Baldur’s Gate 3 manageable:

1. Focus on your character’s story.Pick a personality or motivation and stay consistent. It keeps your decisions grounded and makes the narrative feel cohesive.
2. Take notes or screenshots.If you’re playing over months, jot down key story points or dialogue choices. It makes returning after a break much easier.
3. Set goals per session.Instead of trying to “beat the game,” set smaller objectives like clearing a region or finishing a companion quest.
4. Embrace imperfection.Don’t reload every failed roll or bad decision. The story often gets better when things go wrong.
5. Take breaks between acts.The acts feel like natural chapters. Finishing one and pausing for a week or two keeps the experience fresh.

Final Thoughts

So, how long does it take to beat Baldur’s Gate 3? The short answer is as long as you want it to.

The main story might take 50 hours. A fuller experience might take 100. And if you really dive in, you could still be playing it a year from now.

What matters is not the total time but what that time gives you. Baldur’s Gate 3 is one of the most complete and rewarding games ever made. It respects your curiosity, values your time, and gives you the freedom to explore at your own pace.

For gamers who want something they can live in rather than just finish, there is nothing else quite like it.