Let’s be real for a second. If you’re asking how long is Baldur’s Gate 3, you’re probably either staring at your Steam library wondering if you have the stamina to start, or you’re already 40 hours in and realize you haven't even seen the shadow-cursed lands yet.
The short answer? It’s massive. Like, "ruin your social life" massive.
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Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke famously told IGN that a standard, middle-of-the-road playthrough sits somewhere between 75 to 100 hours. But that’s a bit like saying it takes ten minutes to eat a pizza. Sure, if you’re unhinged and swallow it whole. For the rest of us who like to actually taste the toppings—or in this case, talk to every single squirrel and read every crumbling book in a wizard's basement—that number is a total lie.
The Reality of Your First Playthrough
Most people don't just "play" this game. They live in it.
If you're a casual enjoyer who does a decent chunk of side content but doesn't feel the need to uncover every pixel of the map, you're looking at 100 to 120 hours. I’ve seen people on Reddit and Steam forums swearing they hit the credits at 60 hours. Honestly? They definitely missed some of the best moments in the game. You can technically rush the main story in about 45 to 55 hours, but you’ll be under-leveled, under-geared, and probably confused about why half your party members hate you.
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Here is the thing about BG3: it’s dense.
- Act 1: This is the "honeymoon" phase. You’ll spend 30 to 50 hours just in the Wilderness, the Underdark, and the Mountain Pass.
- Act 2: It feels tighter, gloomier. Usually takes 20 to 30 hours, though if you're obsessed with lifting the shadow curse, it stretches out.
- Act 3: The absolute behemoth. Baldur’s Gate itself is so packed with NPCs and verticality that you could spend 50 hours in the city alone and still find a new basement to loot.
Why 100% Completion is a Myth
You want the Platinum trophy? Or all the achievements? Buckle up.
A "completionist" run—meaning you do every side quest, find the legendary loot, and see the major character arcs to the end—clocks in at 150 to 200+ hours. According to data from HowLongToBeat, the average for "Main + Extras" is sitting around 115 hours, while the true 100% seekers are pushing 180 hours.
But here is the catch. You literally cannot see everything in one go.
The game is built on permutations. If you save one character, another might die. If you play as the Dark Urge, you get entire cutscenes and quest outcomes that a "Tav" (custom character) will never see. Larian boasted about 174 hours of cinematics in total. Think about that. That is twice the length of every season of Game of Thrones combined. You physically cannot watch all of that in a single 100-hour run because those scenes are mutually exclusive based on your choices.
Speedruns vs. The Long Haul
Then there are the speedrunners. They are playing a different game entirely.
Shortly after launch, a runner named Mae finished the game in under 10 minutes using a "Shadowboxing" strategy that involved stuffing a companion's body into a chest and teleporting. It's wild to watch, but it’s not exactly the "epic RPG experience" most people are looking for.
On the flip side, multiplayer adds a massive time tax. Playing with three friends? Double your expected time. Between the "wait, what are we doing?" and the 20-minute debates over who gets the fancy new boots, a co-op campaign can easily take over a year of real-world time if you're meeting once a week.
Factors That Kill Your Productivity
Some things just eat time in Faerûn.
- The Character Creator: We’ve all been there. You spend two hours picking the perfect shade of eye makeup and a voice that matches your Tiefling's vibe, only to restart three hours later because you realized you'd rather be a Bard.
- Inventory Management: Sorting through 50 types of rotten fruit and mismatched armor takes time. A lot of it.
- Turn-Based Combat: If you're playing on Tactician or Honour Mode, fights take longer. You have to think. You have to plan. You will probably die and have to reload a save from 20 minutes ago.
- Dialogue: There are over 2 million words of dialogue. If you don't skip lines, you're adding dozens of hours to your total.
Actionable Tips for Managing Your Playtime
If you're worried about the game being too long, or if you're trying to figure out how to actually finish it before the next decade, here is how you should approach it:
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- Don't be a completionist on run one. Seriously. The game has immense replay value. Let yourself miss things so that your second playthrough as a different class or an Origin character feels fresh.
- Use the "Send to Camp" feature. Stop walking back to traders every 10 minutes. Send your heavy loot to your camp chest and deal with it once every few hours.
- Adjust the difficulty. If you’re just here for the story and find the combat a slog, drop it to Explorer mode. It'll shave 15% off your playtime just by making encounters faster.
- Focus on your companions. The "main" story is great, but the heart of the length comes from the companion quests (Shadowheart, Astarion, etc.). If you focus on the characters you actually like, the game feels more manageable.
Basically, how long is Baldur’s Gate 3 depends entirely on how much you’re willing to let it consume you. For most, the 100-hour mark is the sweet spot. Just don't expect to be "done" with it even after the credits roll.