How long does it take to complete Skyrim TES V: Skyrim Guide

On this page of our guide to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim we explain how long it may take to complete the whole game. It is impossible to give only one estimated value because Skyrim can be played in many ways. As a result, we have prepared separate values depending on how much time you want to devote to things not related to the main plot.

1. It should take you about 30 hours to complete the main Skyrim storyline. Skyrim doesn't have a lot of main quests. Despite that, don't rush it and take your time while you progress in the game. This is due to the fact that strong opponents appear in further quests. If you want to defeat such enemies without any problems then you need to have a well-developed character. The length of the campaign is also greatly influenced by the fact that you have to visit distant corners of the game world. Many remote locations need to be reached at least once (afterwards you will be able to use fast travel option).
2. It'll take you at least 60-70 hours to take care of all side quests and missions. There are many more side quests available in the game than the main quests. In addition to the regular side quests, this category also includes orders commissioned by main guilds (warriors, mages, thieves and assassins), daedric quests and quests related to Skyrim civil war.
3. Discovering and exploring all the optional locations will take you several dozen more hours of gameplay. There are several hundred locations on the world map. Many of them will be visited by completing major or side quests, but there are also places that are not related to any types of missions or quests. Exploring them is purely optional, but you'll find some loot and/or opponents in almost all of these locations.
4. If you want to unlock the platinum trophy, then it will lengthen the overall gameplay time by another few hours. Most quests consist in advancing further in the game and completing various objectives. Despite that, even if you manage to complete all main quests, you still may have a few trophies to unlock. Time consuming achievements may include - collecting 100,000 gold pieces, putting out a bounty for your hero's head on all domains, or advancing to the 50th level of experience.
5. Each of Skyrim DLCs offers additional several hours of gameplay. You won't find any interesting new features in Hearthfire expansion set. On the other hand, the Dragonborn expansion set offers some brand new unique content. In each case, the game time depends on whether you focus on the most important novelties or want to explore new content in 100%.
6. Skyrim mods may allow you to significantly increase the gameplay time. They allow you to modify the visuals of the game, as well as add new mechanics and content that were not present in the basic version of the title. A huge number of mods and their complexity allow you to spend additional few dozen or even hundreds of hours with the game.