The beauty of gaming is that there’s something for everyone. And there’s something for everyone in The Legend of Zelda series. Whether you’re an avid puzzle solver, combat craver, or just interested in stories, there’s so much to do, even when you finish the main story.
If you’re interested in completing your first 100% playthrough, or just want to pick up a Zelda game to finish the main story without committing hours of your life, here’s how long each game will take you, according to HowLongToBeat.com.
Updated on February 17, 2021, by Reyadh Rahaman: Over the many years that this franchise has proliferated the gaming industry, there are been many different forms LoZ games have taken as well as many new mechanics that sometimes only stick around for a single title. Each one of Link’s adventures has unique aspects to them that allow each game in this renowned series of fantasy titles to stand out among their brethren in novel and intriguing ways.
18 Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon
Main Story 2 Hours / Completionist 6 Hours
If you’re planning on starting your Legend of Zelda adventure, this 1993 action-adventure game is the quickest to complete. Which, given its poor reviews, might be a blessing in disguise.
Nintendo has even abandoned it and its ‘sequel’ Link: The Faces of Evil, refusing to recognize them as canon to The Legend of Zelda series. HowLongToBeat.com doesn’t even have data for Link: The Faces of Evil, which speaks volumes, really.
Players can expect a side-scrolling adventure where they actually take control of Princess Zelda instead of Link. There are the usual mechanics, such as basic sword thrusts and shield usage along with a player’s life being represented by hearts. However, there are new items to use, like oil and ropes, which players will need if they wish to traverse certain areas of the map.
Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon is available on the following:
- Philips CD-i
17 The Legend of Zelda
Main Story 8.5 Hours / Completionist 10.5 Hours
The first game in The Legend of Zelda franchise is the shortest official main series entrance. It may not be very long, but this game was revolutionary.
Released in 1986, it was the first home console game to include an internal battery for saving data and is widely considered one of the best games ever created.
As Link’s very first adventure, this game set the bar for all following titles in the franchise. Players take control of the Hyrule warrior from a top-down perspective which gives them a view of an entire screen, allowing gamers to plan their attacks and clear out, or avoid, enemies as needed. With plenty of weapons and items to use, there are untold ways to play this incredible game as well as tons of secrets to find and foes to slay in a quest to protect the land. Although the original is only available on consoles that are no longer sold, there have been many re-releases (in mostly digital-only formats) for this legendary title so that gamers from all generations can enjoy it.
The Legend of Zelda is available on the following:
- Famicom (original)
- NES (original)
- GameCube (re-release)
- Game Boy Advance (re-release)
- Wii (re-release)
- 3DS (re-release)
- Nintendo Switch (re-release)
16 Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Main Story 11 Hours / Completionist 12 Hours
This action RPG is the second installment in The Legend of Zelda series. It was released in 1987, less than a year after the original game in Japan. The main story is 4 hours longer than its predecessor so if you enjoyed the first Zelda game this is a must-try.
Many gamers gripe about the change of perspective, as this is a 2D side-scroller, though this is a baseless complaint as at the time there was nothing that held the series to the top-down perspective of the first game. There were no rules for the franchise to follow, thereby making the different viewpoint a completely valid design choice on the part of the developers. Though, a genuine issue players have is with the difficulty. There are plenty of pitfalls and overly-tough foes that can bar one’s path, and since the only way to progress is to the right, many have given up trying to finish this particular adventure in favor of less rigidly brutal LoZ games.
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is available on the following:
- Famicom (original)
- NES (original)
- GameCube (re-release)
- Game Boy Advance (re-release)
15 The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
Main Story 4 Hours / Completionist 16 Hours
If you want to play this game, you can team up with a friend and spend some time in Hyrule (although at the moment it’s not advised). This game was the first multiplayer Zelda game.
Between one and four players can galavant around Hyrule on a quest involving similar gameplay to many of the older LoZ games. The perspective is top-down, which not only gives The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures a classic feel but also allows up to four players to all fit on a screen comfortably without things getting obscure and difficult to see.
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures is available on the following:
- GameCube
- Game Boy Advance
14 The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Main Story 15 Hours / Completionist 17.5 Hours
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past was the first game to include the popular Dark and Light worlds, which inspired the alternate time periods in the fan-favorite Ocarina of Time. Coming in at 17.5 hours to 100%, it’s interesting to play this game and revisit the building blocks of the Zelda franchise.
This is the first title in the franchise that gave players enhanced mobility, allowing Link to move diagonally, run with the aid of the Pegasus Boots, and even utilize the now-famous tool known as the Hookshot. These traits were so satisfying and increased immersion so much that they appeared in many future games as well as paving the way for even more mobile-movement methods.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is available on the following:
- SNES (original)
- Game Boy Advance (re-release)
13 The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (1993)
Main Story 15 Hours / Completionist 19 Hours
This 1993 classic is the breath of fresh Koholint air that the series needed. Reviewers were disappointed in the lack of color, which was quickly becoming the standard for gaming. This all changed in Link’s Awakening DX, which allowed players to appreciate the beauty of Koholint Island in its chromatic glory. Link’s Awakening DX will take you 14 hours for the main story and a completionist run will take you 16.5 hours.
This game was such a hit, a remake was announced for the Nintendo Switch. Packed to the brim with charm, color, and all the difficulty of the original, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (2019) will take you 14 hours to complete the main story and 21 hours to 100%.
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is available on the following:
- Game Boy (original)
- Game Boy Color (original)
- Nintendo Switch (remake)
12 The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons/Ages
Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages are two separate games that can be played in any order, but you can unlock a secret linked ending if you play one game as a sequel to the other by using a password.
Seasons’ main story will take you 15.5 hours to complete, whilst a completionist run will take you 22 hours. Ages’ main story will take you 16.5 hours to complete, whilst a completionist run will take you 24 hours.
In both games, players can alter time, which does various things to the environment. Seasons’ provides players with the Rod of Seasons that can be equipped like a weapon and must be swung when atop a stump to change the time of year to spring, summer, fall, or winter. Why one would need to do that depends on the situation, as there are various terrain obstacles that can only be crossed in certain seasons. Ages’ has a similar mechanic, though Link instead has a musical instrument that he uses to go either backward or forward in time by a span of years to accomplish similar goals as changing the seasons does in Oracle of Seasons.
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons/Ages are available on the following:
- Game Boy Color
11 The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
Main Story 16 Hours / Completionist 23 Hours
A Link Between Worlds lets players solve dungeons in any order they liked, which was a welcomed first for the series. Fans were impressed by the brain-busting puzzles and the open structure of the game, which doesn’t sound like a bad way to spend 23 hours.
The perspective is mostly a top-down one, though there are quite a few situations where Link can transform into a flat, painting-like form and traverse parts of the terrain in a side-scrolling format that is a visually interesting way to break up the normal gameplay. This feature is also a way that the developers got to play around with the kind of perspective changes they enjoy experimenting with in order to give players new and interesting mechanics.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is available on the following:
- Nintendo 3DS
10 The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
Main Story 15.5 Hours / Completionist 27.5 Hours
This cutesy GBA title follows the legend of the Four Sword. Ezlo, a magical talking hat shrinks Link to the size of the Minish – tiny creatures that live in Hyrule. This never-seen-before mechanic appealed to fans everywhere, who loved the creativity this introduced.
Players have to use this pint-sized new form to solve puzzles and travel through portals that only Minish-scaled individuals can traverse. Otherwise, much of the gameplay elements are similar to previous titles, such as utilizing a sword and other weapons as well as classic items in the series to delve into dungeons and defeat bosses.
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap is available on the following:
- Game Boy Advance
9 The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Main Story 16.5 Hours / Completionist 30.5 Hours
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is a direct sequel to The Wind Waker and the prequel to The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. Once you finish Phantom Hourglass you’ll almost certainly want to finish off the trilogy.
Like in the previous game in the franchise, there is quite a lot of sailing involved as young Link must travel from island to island in his quest. There is also a ton of treasure hunting, which gives this game many more hours of gameplay to enjoy before moving on to the next LoZ title. Using the dual screens of the Nintendo DS, players can keep an eye on their map as well as the action simultaneously.
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is available on the following:
- Nintendo DS (original)
- Wii U (re-release)
8 The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
Main Story 20.5 Hours / Completionist 31 Hours
Majora’s Mask has a huge cult following and is praised for its darker tone. The creeping sense of desolation, the panic surrounding time limits, and the horrifying concept of failure mean that if you’re looking for a more ‘serious’ tone, this game is for you. The 2015 DS remake where the main story takes 25 hours to finish and 37 hours to fully complete.
As one of the very first LoZ games to be in a 3D setting, players were thrilled to be able to explore another dimension in Hyrule. This opened up a huge potential for combat, puzzles, and much more. The story involves Link having to find a way to stop the moon from crashing down upon the land, devastating all life. The stakes are high, so every step in this journey feels all the more intense.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask is available on the following:
- Nintendo 64 (original)
- GameCube (re-release)
- Wii (re-release)
- Wii U (re-release)
- Nintendo 3DS (remake)
7 The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
Main Story 19 Hours / Completionist 31 Hours
If you love the cel-shaded art style of The Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks is for you. It’s the first Zelda game that has multiple endings, so if you really want to 100% this game, you’ll need to select all three options when Zelda asks you want to do: “engineer,” “warrior,” and “Dunno.”
Much like its predecessor, Spirit Tracks utilizes dual screens that allow players to see and control a map as well as view the action happening in real-time. The boats are replaced with trains and the sea with wide, open fields. It offers similar gameplay when it comes to traveling due to the similar navigational mechanics involving the stylus while also being remarkably different thanks to the change of setting and mode of transport.
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is available on the following:
- Nintendo DS (original)
- Wii U (re-release)
6 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Main Story 26½ Hours / Completionist 39 Hours
This was the first Zelda game to make the jump to 3D and still holds up today despite being released in 1998. The revolutionary target-lock system and context-sensitive buttons changed the face of gaming forever.
If you don’t have a Nintendo 64, don’t worry. This classic game got a Nintendo DS remake, which will take you 25 hours to complete the main story and 37 hours to 100%.
Players can expect a ton of interesting mechanics that were a breath of fresh air in the gaming industry. Of all the well-known franchises to make the leap from 2D to 3D, Ocarina of Time for the Legend of Zelda series was the smoothest for many. There were very few janky bugs and glitches that impaired gameplay with many of its quirks actually being either amusing or helpful.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is available on the following:
- Nintendo 64 (original)
- GameCube (re-release)
- iQue Player (China-only re-release)
- Nintendo 3DS (remake)
5 The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Main Story 37½ Hours / Completionist 55½ Hours
Before Breath of the Wild, Twilight Princess was the bestselling Zelda game of all time. The realistic art style and a return to the more mature themes like in Majora’s Mask make this game an instant cult classic.
In terms of gameplay, Twilight Princess functions a lot like other 3D LoZ titles, such as Ocarina of Time, where Link can lock onto foes for more refined combat as well as including a situation-specific action button for multi-use navigation convenience. It should also be noted that the gimmick mechanic of this title is that Link can transform into a wolf, which holds its own unique challenges that players have found to be both fun and novel.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is available on the following:
- GameCube (original)
- Wii (original)
- Wii U (re-release)
4 The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes
Main Story 15 Hours / Completionist 54½ Hours
Released in 2015, this game takes the cooperative gameplay of Four Swords to a whole new level. Three players control different colored Links and work together to solve puzzles and defeat enemies. Unlike Four Swords, Tri Force Heroes supports online play, so there’s no excuse not to try it out.
Players can collect resources to create new equipment that gives a member of their party different abilities, essentially allowing gamers to create many pseudo-classes for Link. In this manner, gamers and their friends can take out enemies utilizing raid-tactics usually only found in MMO games with each different Link taking up a different role, whether it be warrior, archer, or mage.
The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes is available on the following:
- Nintendo 3DS
3 The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Main Story 38½ Hours / Completionist 59 Hours
Skyward Sword puts you in Link’s shoes thanks to the developers incorporating the Wii MotionPlus technology of the Wii Remote. This game formed the blueprints of the next home console Zelda game, Breath of the Wild, with its multilayered world that begs to be explored.
This is the LoZ title that has integrated motion controls the most, and many players claim that it has done so significantly better than many other games. The sword-wielding, flying on the back of a Loftwing Bird, and many other mechanics can really get the blood flowing due to these immersive controls. With a ton of things to see and do, it is recommended to play this one for only short periods at a time so that one doesn’t get burnt out.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is available on the following:
- Wii
2 The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Main Story 29 Hours / Completionist 63½ Hours
This game sees Link travel across a group of islands in a vast sea. Fans love the art style of Toon Link to this day and the game is so beloved it has two sequels and an HD remaster, which will take you 25.5 hours to complete the main story and 41 hours to fully complete.
Toon Link’s appearance was so popular that it became a staple in the franchise, appearing in many more games as an alternative to adult Link. Though, don’t be fooled by the charming aesthetics of Wind Waker, as there are plenty of challenges to be had as Link sails around the world completing quests, tracking down treasure, and generally saving the world.
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is available on the following:
- GameCube (original)
- Wii U (re-release)
1 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Main Story 50 Hours / Completionist 182 Hours
This sprawling open-world giant is, unsurprisingly, the longest game to beat. Exploring the terrifying empty plains and learning to fend for yourself is a huge leap away from the traditional gameplay of Zelda which is unlike anything else on this list.
This game does not hold the player’s hand in any way and expects them to carve their own path. Such a bold take on an established franchise exemplifies the genius and care put into the Legend of Zelda series over the decades since the very first game. That almost all weapons are breakable, dungeons can be explored in a variety of orders, and much more in addition to classic elements from previous games are but a few reasons why this is the best-selling Zelda game to date.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is available on the following:
- Wii U
- Nintendo Switch
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