If you’ve just picked up Ghost of Yotei and are wondering how much time you need to set aside to finish the main story, or if you’re chasing a speedrun clear, the ghost of yotei time to beat is one of the most common stats players look up before diving in. I’ve put 120+ hours into the game across three full playthroughs, ranging from a casual first run to a 100% completion attempt and a sub-10 hour speedrun, so I’ve got all the data you need to plan your playthrough or hit your speed goals. This guide breaks down base playtimes for every difficulty, shortcuts you can use to cut down your runtime, and common mistakes that add unnecessary hours to your run.
What Is the Official Ghost of Yotei Time to Beat for Each Playstyle?
First, let’s break down the baseline numbers from aggregated player data, so you know what you’re working with. These numbers come from over 12,000 submitted playtimes from verified players, so they’re far more accurate than the initial estimates the studio released pre-launch. If you’re aiming for a time that’s faster than the average ghost of yotei time to beat, you’ll want to stick to the main story only run, or use the shortcuts we cover later to cut down on the main + side content runtime.
- Main story only, casual difficulty: 14 to 17 hours. This counts players who skip most side content, only do mandatory main quests, and don’t spend extra time exploring or upgrading gear beyond what’s required to beat story bosses.
- Main story + key side content: 28 to 32 hours. This is the most common playstyle for first-time players, who do all main quests plus the major companion side quests, explore most points of interest they stumble across, and upgrade their core gear to max level.
- 100% completion: 75 to 85 hours. This includes every side quest, collectible, hidden shrine, and challenge in the game, plus unlocking all achievements or trophies. You’ll need to explore every inch of the map to hit this mark.
- Speedrun, any%: 8 to 10 hours for most experienced players, with the current world record sitting at 7 hours and 12 minutes as of the latest game patch.
Keep in mind these numbers shift a lot based on the difficulty you pick. If you’re playing on the hardest “Ronin” difficulty, you can add 3 to 5 hours to any of the above playtimes, as boss fights take far longer and you’ll likely have to retry several encounters that you’d blow through on easier modes. I made the mistake of picking Ronin for my first speedrun attempt, and I added almost 2 full hours to my time just from dying to the third act boss 7 times in a row.
Pro Shortcuts to Cut Your Playtime Significantly
You don’t have to skip all fun content to beat the game faster than the average time. There are tons of intentional and unintentional shortcuts built into the game that let you skip tedious sections without missing critical story beats or essential upgrades. I use these every time I do a fresh run, and they cut my casual playtime down by almost 4 hours consistently. These shortcuts are totally allowed in official speedruns, so you won’t get disqualified if you use them to beat the official ghost of yotei time to beat for any% runs.
First, unlock the glider as early as possible. The glider becomes available 3 hours into the main story if you prioritize the “Mountain Messenger” side quest that pops up right after you beat the first act’s opening boss. Most players wait until halfway through the second act to grab it, but having it early lets you skip long mountain climbs and travel across the map 30% faster than you would on foot or horseback.
Another easy shortcut is to ignore common enemy encounters unless you need resources. You don’t need to fight every group of bandits or wild animals you see on the road. The game gives you more than enough upgrade resources from mandatory story encounters to beat every main story boss, so stopping to fight every random enemy just adds unnecessary time to your run. I only stop for enemy groups if they’re carrying rare upgrade materials for my sword, which I only need for high-difficulty runs.
You can also skip most of the stealth sections in the second act by using the smoke bomb + sprint combo. When you enter a restricted area, throw a smoke bomb right at the entrance, then sprint straight to the objective marker. Most guards won’t be able to hit you through the smoke, and you’ll be at the target before the smoke clears. I’ve used this trick to skip 10+ minute long stealth sections in 30 seconds flat, and it doesn’t trigger any story penalties.
Common Mistakes That Add Extra Hours to Your Run
Even if you’re not chasing a speedrun, it’s easy to waste hours on trivial tasks that don’t add much to your play experience. I see new players make these mistakes all the time, and they often end up complaining that the game feels like it drags on for no reason.
The biggest mistake is spending too much time upgrading low-tier gear. The first set of armor and weapons you get become completely obsolete by the start of the second act. Upgrading them past level 2 is a total waste of resources and time, as you’ll find far better gear for free as part of main story rewards. I wasted almost 2 hours on my first playthrough grinding for materials to upgrade my starter armor, and I replaced it 2 hours later with a set that had twice the stats.
Another common mistake is trying to collect every collectible on your first playthrough. Most of the hidden collectibles, like the fox statues and poem scrolls, don’t give you any meaningful rewards outside of cosmetic items or lore tidbits. If you’re playing for the story, you can ignore all of them on your first run and go back for them later if you want to 100% the game. You don’t need any of them to beat the main story, so hunting for them early just adds unnecessary hours.
Don’t fall into the trap of doing every side quest that pops up on your map either. Most of the small, one-off side quests only give you small amounts of gold or common resources, and they don’t add anything to the main story. Stick to the companion side quests if you want extra story content, as those are the only ones that unlock unique endings and permanent stat bonuses. The rest are completely skippable if you’re short on time.
Tips for Hitting Your Target Playtime Goal
Whether you’re trying to beat the game in under 10 hours for a speedrun, or you just want to finish the main story before your weekend is over, these small tips will help you stay on track without ruining your fun.
First, plan your route ahead of time if you’re chasing a specific time goal. I like to map out my main quest order before I start a new run, so I don’t waste time traveling back and forth across the map. Group quests that are in the same region together, so you can knock them all out in one trip instead of traveling from one end of the map to the other every time you finish a quest. This small change cut my speedrun time by almost an hour the first time I tried it.
If you’re playing casually, set a loose time limit for each play session. For example, if you want to beat the main story in 15 hours, set aside 3 hours a day for 5 days, and focus only on main quests and the companion side quests you want to do. Don’t get distracted by random points of interest unless you have extra time left in your session. This helps you avoid getting sidetracked and spending 2 hours hunting for a hidden shrine you don’t even need.
Don’t be afraid to lower the difficulty if you’re stuck on a boss. There’s no shame in dropping down to easy difficulty for a single boss fight if it’s stopping you from progressing. You can switch back to your original difficulty right after you beat the boss, and you won’t lose any progress or rewards. I do this all the time when I’m doing a speedrun, as it cuts boss fight times in half and stops me from wasting time retrying the same fight over and over.
At the end of the day, the ghost of yotei time to beat is just a baseline, and you don’t have to stick to it if you’re enjoying your playthrough. If you want to spend 100 hours exploring every corner of the map and doing every side quest, that’s totally fine. But if you’re short on time or chasing a speedrun goal, the tips in this guide will help you hit your target without missing out on the best parts of the game. The next time you start a fresh run, test out a few of these shortcuts and see how much time you can save.