7 Short JRPGs That Are Worth Playing

7 Short JRPGs That Are Worth Playing
JRPGs are known for their length, and unfortunately as we get older we just don't have all that much time to spare. But there are some JRPGs out there that are both high quality, and less taxing in terms of time sacrificed. Here are another 7 short JRPGs that are worth playing.
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🎵 M U S I C U S E D
Kuro no Kiseki II OST (Second Volume) - Rest in the School
Sakuna Of Rice and Ruin OST - Pampas Grass
Tokyo Xanadu OST - Telepathy of the Beginning
Ys IX Monstrum NOX OST - Prison city
Zero no Kiseki OST - Afternoon in Crossbell
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⌚T I M E S T A M P S
0:00 - Intro
0:17 - Dofus Touch
2:45 - 1
5:22 - 2
8:38 - 3
11:07 - 4
14:23 - 5
16:56 - 6
19:30 - 7

[@mario-wana]

Child of Light, an interactive poem. The music, the script in rhyme, the artstyle, it's a perfect blend. A hidden gem among hidden gems.

[@ataridc]

Dude I bought it on sale and played a little while but got distracted. I need to go back to it. I know its fairly short so no real reason not to.

[@hugbuzzard]

It’s pretty damn awesome

[@Kyragos]

A great example of what Ubisoft is able to make when they give their developers some liberty to do something unique, short and simply enjoyable.

[@Calm.101]

Not to mention. one of the only good Games Ubisoft has made in a long time lol

[@pianoman021]

Just replayed Child of Light. It’s such a cozy experience, but its combat also keeps you engaged. Brilliantly done.

[@TheKisekiNut]

I can't believe I forgot it for the first list, but it's an amazing game.

[@biz0unc3]

Guess that I'm playing that next. Just finished Disco Elysium, needed something to pick up that wasn't too long.

[@nathanielknight1838]

child of light is seriously good. I was blown away by it going in with zero expectations.

[@Cobaltios]

As someone who has never played Granblue before, i was initially a bit concerned that Relink would actually be too short for me. The demo didnt quite feel like the usual JRPG experience I'm typically accustomed to, so it left me a bit wary. Fast forward to actually playing it, the main storyline is fairly short... but that isn't why you're here. The meat of it is actually in post-game; where you effectively double the content you had, and it even has an epilogue. I'm just shy of 70 hours, and haven't even fully upgraded 1 character yet. Its a great game that caters to different people, and you can put as much, or as little into it.

[@theultimategamer95]

Eternights is SO underrated! One of my favourite games of last year actually.

[@awkwardGardener]

The original Mario RPG was my first ever JRPG, and I'm glad such a damn good remake came out so more people can experience it and maybe fall in love with JRPGs because of it like I did.

[@thecognitiverambler8911]

Suikoden (the first entry) fits the bill to a T. You'll hopefully get to experience it this year! It's like a 20 hr game if I recall.

[@Kitten_Party]

I remember thinking suikoden 1 was. 7/10 and suikoden 2 being a 10/10 when I played through them years ago but I do think 2 was a longer game?

[@thecognitiverambler8911]

@@Kitten_Party Yeah 2's definitely beefier. And yeah a better game too. Still think Suikoden is probably better than 7/10. Definitely too short for any shortcomings to overstay their welcome.

[@Namorat]

1 pales in comparison to 2, but I came to the comment section to mention it as well. 1 is a fun little game that can be finished quickly.

[@jimkirk2527]

I would add the Indie Cosmic Star Heroine. About 10-12 hours of pure pixelated jrpg-fun :)

[@TheKisekiNut]

It was on my previous list! Great game though.

[@PAINNN666]

@@TheKisekiNut Better be link to this list

[@alanwattie6093]

Thanks for the recommendations. I’m always on the lookout for some of these types of games for a palate cleanser or if I have an opening within a couple weeks of a big release and don’t want to commit to something I won’t be able to finish before.

[@filejacker00]

Thanks mate, just up my alley this.

[@biz0unc3]

Great videos, hope you continue growing.

[@uppernimbus]

Great list man, Atelier Marie is one I need to still pick up in due time!

[@mainelyjoe]

Good video, you answered several of the questions I had about Granblue Fantasy.

[@vigo2669]

Parasite Eve is also pretty short, though it's rated M and hasn't gotten a remaster.

[@brenthill2656]

Wonderful list! I own Child if Light, but didn’t get very far into it. I’ll have to give it another try!

[@TheKisekiNut]

Some games aren't for everyone, no doubt. I wouldn't feel bad if it didn't hook you like it did me.

[@erinacchi9122]

Man. I'm having goosebumps hearing you talk about Granblue Fantasy Relink. Its story is short and sweet. I can't help but shout, "BAHAMUUTOO" everytime Bahamut is out.

[@TheKisekiNut]

The Bahamut sections were so hype!

[@RetroNerdyGamer]

Playing Chrono Trigger recently, and yeah that game is pretty short for a JRPG but I think that's where it's strength lies. It doesn't waste your time, and it doesn't insult you by trying to pad things out. Instead, what it does is give replay value by giving NG+ and what... 13 endings? Also since you showed it in the beginning, the Battle Network games are a definite recommend from me 'SPECIALLY with the Legacy Collection that's out because those games are short and meant to be portable. Edited to fix the endings number, I said 10 originally.

[@TheKisekiNut]

Chrono Trigger is 'dense', and that's a good thing. They fit an insane amount in to a small period of time, but like you say, 13 endings if you want to see it all. One playthrough is sufficient though. Battle Network was on the previous list more as a collection, so chose not to put it on here as I'm basically repeating myself.

[@RetroNerdyGamer]

@@TheKisekiNut Yeah exactly. I think more JRPGs should do that, tbh.

[@MissRagnarok]

I've replayed Child of Light so many times, it's one of my favourite games. It's beautiful, has amazing music, short and incredibly cozy.

[@peterburnett5160]

Good list man .

[@kc5946]

Love the video!! Ive been buying switch rpgs recently and favoring the switch as i can still play if the kids want to use the tv. But all the switch rpgs i came across seem to be quite lengthy

[@JustAnItalianUminekoFan]

I swear i never expected to see Dofus in one of your videos, it's my childhood game

[@gamergod1989]

I love the long jrpg's where there is a tone of side quest content where I can easily put in hundred of hours exploring and doing my own thing.

[@David-uy5nr]

I've been playing Gurumin and it has been a great experience, almost finished everything I wanted in 12 hours, the story/characters are very well made and make for good comedy moments specially with that voice acting ( the japanese one atleast ) which has a special charm to it.

[@hungrytaco6879]

Nice, another bunch of games to add to the never ending backlog

[@Felipe-oe5su]

Oath in felghana is amazing

[@rodelcorton8815]

My favorite games to play between jrpgs are farming sims especially stardew, rune factory and story of seasons games. Playing these games for around a week does greart in preparing me for the next jrpg that im gonna tackle

[@foreveraweeb3514]

I'm getting hooked by ff7 rebirth but Mario RPG remake is likely next to play if I platinum rebirth before stellar blade is out

[@TheMemessiah]

Yeah tastes seem to vary pretty far and wide for Ys. I've played through the whole series, and while I still enjoy Oath and Ark, for some reason, they never really clicked with me as much as the party Ys games or even the bump Ys games, both of which I love. The exception here for me being Origin which I consider one of the best Ys games of all time, though perhaps it being the latest of that style of Ys combat combined with the lore still being connected to the first two Ys games did a lot for me.

[@stevenb3803]

Child of Light was an amazing game! Only wish the game was a bit longer.

[@Nikita_Akashya]

I played Ys 3 during christmas and finished it in a few weekends. I think I did everything the game had to offer. It was hard, but I had fun. I am playing Ys 6 at the moment. I hope I get through it fine. I did not play anything else on this list. But my friend is playing FF 4 right now. The game seems to be way shorter than it seemed. But it does look fairly fun.

[@Trustic555]

I played Chrono Trigger a few weeks ago, it holds up really well. I was surprised how much Sea of Stars and Chained Echoes are inspired from it.

[@TheKisekiNut]

It's aged amazingly. Many older games I've played have frayed edges or design choices that don't really translate to the modern era well. But Chrono Trigger is the only exception I've seen so far, it would still be a hit if it came out in 2024.

[@SheldonKreger]

Oath in Felghana features incredibly difficult boss fights! I played on 'normal' and gave up. Ys VIII is my all-time favorite, personally.

[@bobbytagget5511]

Definitely picking up Eternights on your recommendation TKN!

[@TheKisekiNut]

It's available physically too if you have PS4! Quite cheap now too I believe.

[@joeyisabsb1]

Its on ps5 physically as well and I can often times find it for around $15.

[@bobbytagget5511]

@@joeyisabsb1 I am aiming to get it on PS5 for sure! May even be next month at this rate.

[@bobbytagget5511]

Eternights successfully acquired guys!

[@TheKisekiNut]

@@bobbytagget5511 Good man!

[@Deathy2D]

Child of Light was amazing when it got released and ever since them I've been hoping for a sequel.

[@julian954]

I've been playing Dofus for years, seeing an ad for it in English is so weird. That said, I actually super recommend it if you like FFT/Fire Emblem style RPGs, it's an MMORPG that uses that combat system. Tons of complexity among the classes too, actually a ton of fun. I wouldn't say play Dofus Touch though, stick to the PC version, but cool game though. Relink is also a banger, but calling it short is a bit of a meme. You complete the story in 10 or so hours, but the highlight of the game is its final boss, which imo is one of the best in gaming. I'd estimate that getting your first kill would take maybe 60-70 hours if you took the shortest path? I got mine at around 95 but I had no clue what I was doing.

[@TheKisekiNut]

Which boss are we talking about here? The only one I remember was the fight in Chapter 0, and that took me around 20 hours to get to. Is there another one in the deep end-game?

[@BriddahOnFire]

​​​@@TheKisekiNut The previous endgame boss was Proto Bahamuth, the fight takes place on the Grandcypher (the airship). He is the boss you get the Terminus weapons from. Recently there was an update with a new boss, named Lucilius, lvl 200. Insanely hard, I'm not even trying him. Edit: Maybe I should mention, I have played over 230 hours so far 😅 But it has been getting way too grindy for me.. Still, I play a few quests every other day, just for fun.

[@carlosrueda9204]

As a busy father working full time with ordered OT, and grad school, i thank you

[@MrJeremyMagic]

Oath in felghana is My Favorite before the Ys7 format. It has a stand alone spot & and I can't judge it along side 7, 8 & 9. Ofc 9 is practically God Tier & is amazing. Although Ys7 was quite good as well. Its format is the base for what shaped modern Ys. It's amazing. Although I loved Oath in Felghana, I tried Ys Origins. I just didn't feel moved to finish the game after 30 minutes. Maybe I will go back one day. I mean when I did play it. I just finished playing Oath in Felghana on every difficulty to unlock all its extra content and secret boss battles. I was so entranced by Oath, so by the time I jumped into Origins I suppose I was already burnt out on that kind of game. Nightmare difficulty totally drained me. It was great, but destroyed me. Haha

[@lipsontajgordongrunk4328]

Great video! Curious if you checked out the Legend of Legacy remaster that just dropped yesterday. It’s not the most amazing game but it definitely had such a unique aesthetic to it.

[@TheKisekiNut]

I was offered a code for it, but I'll play it in my own time. It's Furyu if I'm not mistaken?

[@lipsontajgordongrunk4328]

@@TheKisekiNutyeah it’s the game before Alliance Alive, I don’t think they’re connected other than it being the same dev team; same artist, composer (Masashi Hamauzu), and same take on turn based combat like SAGA. I want to say Cattle Call/Grezzo are involved as well but yeah it does have that Furyuu stamp on it lol. I never see anyone talk about their games too much. They’re never these perfectly polished experiences but usually they try to tackle different concepts in interesting ways.

[@MichieGee]

Man! That Child of light OST is still on regular rotation - What a beautiful ‘comfort’ game. Coeur de Pirate knocked it out of the park …hm, would Okami count as a ‘short’ game?

[@thetickingman]

Panzer Dragoon Saga is pretty great and takes less than 20 hours. I'd also add Vagrant Story and Phantasy Star IV to the list, they both clock in around the 20-hour mark as well unless you really take your time with them.

[@BriddahOnFire]

From what I've seen in this video, the game "Eternights" reminds me a lot of Persona 5, but without turn-based combat. Is that accurate? In that case I'd definitely try it out

[@obake6290]

All the Ys games up through Origins are easy recommendations for short games, arguably Seven as well depending on your definition of "short." Now I'm one of those that doesn't rate Felghana particularly highly in the series, but it's still a good game. If CT can make the list, there are loads of SNES era JRPGs that could also fit. On replay in the modern day, many of these games aren't nearly as long as one would remember. Secret of Mana, Trials of Mana for a single playthrough, I think Illusion of Gaia was fairly short as well. Good list though. The games on the list that I've played were all excellent.

[@TheKisekiNut]

Older titles are subject to two things, whether I've played them to actually make that judgment, and also accessibility in terms of modern platforms. Unfortunately, I'd say my modern/retro split is around 90/10, I just prefer the newer games.

[@obake6290]

@@TheKisekiNut Definitely true. I don't know every game you've played of course. And the video is your list, I was just throwing out some games that *could* be on the list, not so much *Your list sucks, add these games!" if that makes sense. And accessibility is as always a case by case thing. Mana games are available, but as far as I know Illusion of Gaia is not. Sadly a lot of games are trapped on old platforms.

[@bryanbahantka6969]

Ys oath in felghana has been pending for a western Switch release for over a year. Can't wait. Didn't care for Origins, and always wanted to play VI

[@snowpoint720]

Deathbulge: Battle of the Bands - about 20 hours long if you do everything. Very funny. Cool battle system. 10/10

[@Mclearmountain]

If I’m going into a JRPG I am conditioned to expect long hours. If I am in the mood for a short video game then I will just switch genres.

[@martinomagic9230]

A short game I highly recommend for people who have not played it and like metrovainia games is "Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth". This short game is a ton of fun and is heavily inspired by "Castlevaina Symphony of the Night" with a few interesting twists of it own.

[@LightMageMike]

I just picked it up and it's so good! The whole Ikaruga-esque spirit system is such a cool spin on Metroidvania combat and the arrow puzzles are simple but satisfying. Second that recommendation

[@martinomagic9230]

@@LightMageMike Yep! It's a great game and I couldn't put it down until a completed it. A lot of metrovaina's could fit on this list, but Deedlits Labyrinth was the perfect balance of fun and difficulty. Most Metrovaina's can pretty darn frustrating at times.

[@LightMageMike]

Grnablue Fantasy Relink's definitely one I've been wanting to play since it came out, but just stopped as a result of access issues. As for Oath in Felghana, I know that I'm in the minority and don't expect to change anyone's mind, but it's actually my least favorite Ys game. I kinda found the region's vibe made exploration feel more game-y and some of the bosses more frustrating than difficult. Like, still a good game, but one I feel no desire to replay when compared to the likes of Ark which I could probably pick up and play any time. Just one of those thing, I suppose. As ever, thanks for the video!

[@TheKisekiNut]

We all have opinions! I'm of a similar mind that I don't think Oath is the the best Ys game, but I do like it more than a fair number of the others. Ys V is still rock bottom for me and likely will remain there till they remake it.

[@BenBom2013]

YES, Child of light is must play, I bought it on switch and it doesn't take too long to complete. Everything about it is perfect. I do agree with you on Ys 3, it is not the best of the series but the combat is great, the one thing i didn't like is the story, it is not grabbing me compare to other ys game.

[@narius_jaden215]

I loved Mario Rpg when it came out on the snes... which makes what i'm gonna say sad for me; I just can't enjoy mario games anymore. Don't get me wrong, I actually still like fluffy, silly games sometimes. But i'm just burned out on Mario xD

[@StewNWT]

Suikoden 1 should def be on this list

[@TheKisekiNut]

Can't add a game I've never played. The remasters will hopefully come out this year to fix that.

[@MSUHitman]

I thought Ys 3 Remake is only on PSP/Vita & PC? I don’t see it on the PS5 store.

[@AnimeRPGgame]

5:50 castle greyskull xD

[@TheKisekiNut]

I HAVE THE POWER!

[@calendar6526]

I'm not hardcore Atelier fans but Ryza (the first one) is kind of short also, not 10 hours short tho.

[@lipsontajgordongrunk4328]

It’s not long if you rush but there’s a lot of filler, my first playthrough was 65 hours lol

[@TheKisekiNut]

The first Ryza varies - I didn't do all the content and it took me over 40 hours for a playthrough which puts it beyond the scope for this vid.

[@nickmaestro]

I’m a full time orchestra teacher, private lesson instructor and track coach. So during the school year, I rarely have time to game unless it’s holidays breaks. So short JRPGs as of now are my go to, and the more grand adventures are for summer. Precisely why I’m not even thinking about pumping 150+ hours for FF7 Rebirth. Highly considering Granblue Fantasy and Child of Light.

[@ssjdennis6058]

Ys Oat of Felghana coming to the western? If not, why is NSW listed? Star Renegades is also a sweet short game, but rather addicting. Best bought, if you want the full experience, PC. Consoles didn't get all updates because of money issues.

[@Eagleknight815]

Interesting you have Chrono Trigger as a short game. While true, I don't know if you get the full aspect of the game if you defeat Lavos early.....unless you are aiming for that ending. One of the many features that keeps CT relevant then, now and in my opinion in the future.

[@lipsontajgordongrunk4328]

I think it’s “short” relative to modern JRPGS that are 60-70+ hour playtimes. Chrono Trigger on time to beat is about 24 hours for a non completionist run and about 40 hours for a 100% run through. That’s definitely on the shorter side relative to any JRPG released in the last decade.

[@TheKisekiNut]

Cue the remasters!

[@JesseDylanMusic]

Child of Light is also available on Xbox for us second class citizens.

[@calvinmatthews1527]

I always thought 25-30 hours was short for an RPG, otherwise games like the Alliance Alive or Radiant Historia would be here.

[@TheKisekiNut]

My aim is anything that's 20 hours or less, preferably 15 or less. There are plenty on offer.

[@dav1dgear]

I think ark of naphistim is better than oath in felgana.

[@crawdkenny]

What's the song playing in the last section of the video

[@mario-wana]

Aurora's Theme by Coeur de Pirate, there's a 30 minute loop on KZbin. Be prepared to be amazed, it hits a special spot.

[@TheKisekiNut]

My bad, I normally put songs in the description but I think I forgot to put in the one for Child of Light.

[@Ishin69]

it took me 36 hours to finish chrono trigger, 15-20 hours seems almost impossible for that game

[@TheKisekiNut]

Took me 17 hours, and that was with doing a lot of the side content, and the optional dungeon.

[@Ishin69]

@@TheKisekiNut damn, guess i'm just slow then lol

[@eliotwildermann]

Lol tits up been a long time since I heard that one

[@dav1dgear]

How is Chrono trigger a short rpg? Lol it's a fully fledged 40 hour-ish rpg, just like ff v and VI

[@TheKisekiNut]

You must be slow then, average playtimes are anywhere between 15-20 hours and I finished it in 17 while doing most of the side content.

[@nerdzone]

Not sure what port of Chrono Trigger are you playing, but it looks terrible visually.

[@ataridc]

Chrono Trigga that version didn't earn the hard R

[@jaimereupert4247]

I thought it was Dofus Touch, not Do-fous' Touch. 😂

[@TheKisekiNut]

I was told it's pronounced 'Dough-Foos'. I pronounced it like you wrote out initially, and was told 'nope'.

[@alterego5550]

Don't understand why Child of Light did not get the green light for the second one 😒

[@izziechaconas9742]

"Promo SM"

[@seluhir8820]

I want a new Child of Light :(

[@damcrac]

Back to the video? We were never in it. 2 minutes 30 seconds of ads.... brutal intro to your channel...

[@JimC1984]

Lol " turn their nose" being 40 and playing jrpgs since the 80s, all the pomp and fluff in " modern" judt always ends in pure shit.

[@JimC1984]

Oh lets not forget the remakes and reused ideas. Seriously jrpgs like trails and xenoblade are the last bastion of real jrpgs for this " modern day" aka garbage mainstream sludge thanks to gaming being a huge industry instead of a niche and creative expression of love and labour. But I digress my fond memories will stay with me till I die ones that I hwve and few others who pioneered gaming in the 80s and 90s.

[@2bussy]

preserve video games