5 Games With the Shortest Development Time

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As a gamer, I’ve always been amazed by how long it takes to make big games – often years! It’s interesting because older games didn’t always take that long, but usually if a game is rushed, the quality really suffers. There are exceptions, of course – classics like Pong and Tetris were surprisingly made in just a few weeks! But we all remember E.T. on the Atari 2600 – a notoriously bad game that was whipped up in five weeks to tie in with the movie. Because of that, I wanted to highlight some great games that were actually developed really quickly. I’m going to share them, starting with the ones that took the longest, and working down to the absolute fastest!

1) A Short Hike

Released in 2019, A Short Hike is an open-world adventure game focused on exploring a beautiful island and reaching a mountain peak to get cell service. The game features charming pixel art, friendly characters, and fun activities to help you on your journey. Developed by Adam Robinson-Yu in just three months as a personal project, it quickly became a hit, winning awards at the 2020 Independent Games Festival and receiving praise from critics and players alike.

2) Goat Simulator

Released in 2014, Goat Simulator quickly became a viral hit and has since been updated and expanded with downloadable content, a sequel, and ongoing support. The game lets you control a goat whose main job is to cause as much chaos as possible in a large, open world, though it also has some broader objectives. A big part of Goat Simulator‘s success is its sheer absurdity, and it’s remarkable that it was created in just one month! It started as a joke project during a game jam at Coffee Stain Studios, but it clearly resonated with players and became incredibly popular.

3) A Game About Digging a Hole

The game A Game About Digging a Hole is exactly what it sounds like – you dig a hole! You start with simple tools, but you can improve them to dig deeper and find better resources. The main goal is to reach a certain depth and discover something special, but the core gameplay is simply digging. Despite its simplicity, it’s surprisingly addictive and became a popular indie game in 2025. Remarkably, it was developed in just two weeks and quickly became an unexpected success.

4) Bomberman

The original Bomberman game came out on computers in 1983 and became popular, leading to versions on other systems. The first console version appeared on the NES in 1985. While similar to the computer game, it wasn’t a simple copy and required new programming. Shinichi Nakamoto was the sole developer responsible for bringing Bomberman to the Nintendo Famicom and NES, and he completed the port in just 72 hours! The game featured enough unique changes to stand on its own, and completing a full NES game in that timeframe is remarkably fast.

5) Flappy Bird

Perhaps the most remarkable success story in gaming is Flappy Bird. Created in just a weekend by programmer Dong Nguyen, the game quickly became a phenomenon, earning him a substantial income – reportedly around $50,000 daily from ads. Despite its brief availability – Nguyen removed it from sale after only a few months – Flappy Bird inspired numerous copycat games and continues to have a dedicated following. While accusations of copied artwork from Nintendo and pressure on Nguyen may have contributed to its removal, the speed with which he created such a popular game is truly impressive.

What’s your favorite game that was quick to create? Share it in the comments below and discuss it with others in the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-03-10 16:16