Days Gone Hours of Gameplay: Main Story and 100%
Days Gone takes about 35–40 hours to finish if you focus mainly on its story missions. A more thorough playthrough with side missions and exploration commonly takes around 50–60 hours, while completing nearly everything can take roughly 60–70 hours or more, depending on your pace and difficulty.
How long each kind of playthrough takes
There is no single fixed completion time: the game is an open-world action adventure, and optional activities can add many hours. These estimates are useful planning ranges, not guaranteed timers. A player who rides directly between objectives and skips optional content will finish sooner than someone who explores, clears enemy camps, and takes time to improve their equipment.
- Main story: about 35–40 hours for a relatively focused run.
- Story plus optional content: about 50–60 hours for a broadly complete experience.
- Completionist run: around 60–70 hours or longer, depending on what you count as complete and how much time you spend roaming or replaying activities.
Individual reports vary because “beating the game” can mean finishing the main campaign, completing every listed activity, or continuing until the map and collectibles are as complete as possible. Difficulty, familiarity with open-world games, and time spent preparing for encounters also affect the total.
What counts as finishing Days Gone?
Finishing the main campaign means completing the central story missions. That is the clearest answer for someone asking how many hours it takes to beat Days Gone. It does not mean every side activity, collectible, or optional challenge is finished.
The game also has a substantial set of optional tasks. These include clearing hostile camps, dealing with infestations, taking on ambushes and other encounters, and pursuing side-story missions. Some activities provide useful rewards or make travel safer, so they can be worthwhile even if you are not aiming for full completion.
After the main story, additional story content can become available. That means the ending of the central campaign does not necessarily mark the end of all narrative material. Players who want to see what remains should continue playing and check the mission list rather than assuming the credits mean every story thread is finished.
Why playtime varies so much
Days Gone asks players to travel across a large region, and simply moving between objectives takes time. The route may be interrupted by enemies, environmental threats, or events that are easier to handle before continuing. How much of that activity you choose to engage with is a major reason two players can report very different totals.
- Exploration: searching settlements and roadside locations adds time but can uncover supplies and useful items.
- Side missions: optional storylines and tasks broaden the experience beyond the main campaign.
- Combat and stealth: cautious approaches, failed attempts, and larger fights can make individual missions longer.
- Preparation: gathering fuel, ammunition, and crafting materials takes time but can reduce trouble during a mission.
- Difficulty and experience: players new to the combat or survival systems may need more time than returning or experienced players.
These are normal parts of the game, not evidence that a playthrough is unusually slow. The headline estimates describe broad patterns rather than a required pace.
How the motorcycle and survival systems affect time
The motorcycle is more than a way to get around. It uses fuel, can take damage, and may need repairs, so players have to think about where they are going and what resources they have. A ride that looks short on the map can take longer if you stop to refuel, avoid danger, or search for supplies.
Survival mechanics also encourage preparation. Ammunition and crafting materials are limited enough that charging into every fight may be a poor choice. Players can scout, use stealth, set traps, or retreat and return later. These decisions shape the pace: careful play often takes longer moment to moment, but can prevent repeated deaths or wasted resources.
Hordes are another potential time sink. They are large groups of enemies that can be dangerous, especially when encountered before a player has suitable weapons and supplies. You can approach them with planning and strategy, and not every encounter needs to be treated as a mandatory early-game fight. Taking time to prepare is part of the intended challenge.
Is Days Gone longer than a typical story game?
At roughly 35–40 hours for the main story, Days Gone is longer than many tightly focused action games, though it is not unusually long for a large open-world adventure. The optional-content estimate of 50–60 hours better reflects how long it may take to explore the world and complete a range of activities.
Comparisons depend on what is being measured. A short, linear game may have little optional content, while another open-world game may offer far more side quests or repeatable activities. For a fair comparison, use main-story time against main-story time, or near-completion against near-completion—not one game’s focused run against another game’s completionist run.
How to get a shorter or fuller playthrough
If you have limited time, prioritize missions marked as part of the story and avoid treating every map activity as compulsory. You can still take useful detours for fuel, repairs, or equipment when they make the next mission easier. Skipping optional content does not prevent you from following the central campaign.
For a fuller run, work through the side-story missions and clear activities as they appear. Explore areas you pass through rather than repeatedly crossing the map without a plan. The game’s progress and mission screens help you see which storylines and activities remain. A practical approach is to enjoy the story first and decide later whether the remaining tasks are worth the extra time.
Be aware that “100%” can mean different things in conversation. Some players mean completing all storylines and major activities; others mean every collectible, challenge, and available record. That distinction is why a single exact completionist hour count would be misleading.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many hours is the Days Gone main story?
Expect about 35–40 hours if you focus mainly on the campaign. Optional missions, exploration, and a slower approach can push the total higher.
How long does it take to 100% Days Gone?
A near-completion playthrough is often around 60–70 hours or more. The result depends on what you include in “100%,” your familiarity with the game, and how much time you spend exploring or repeating activities.
Can you keep playing after finishing the story?
Yes. You can continue after the main campaign, complete remaining activities, and access additional story content that becomes available after the central story.
Does difficulty change how many hours Days Gone takes?
It can. Higher difficulty or a less familiar play style may mean more cautious preparation and longer fights, while retries can add time. The exact effect varies by player.
Is Days Gone a 100-hour game?
It can take that long for some players who explore extensively, pursue every completion goal, or spend extra time in encounters. However, around 60–70 hours or more is a more useful broad estimate for near-completion; 100 hours is not required to finish the story.
Related
Method: the standard formula for this calculation, rounded as each result states. See how the calculators work or report an error.