How Long to Beat Planescape
If you’re wondering How Long to Beat Planescape Torment, here’s the short version:
- Main Story: ~25–30 hours
- Main + Side Quests: 35–40 hours
- Completionist Playthrough: 45–50+ hours
- Average Player Time: ~35 hours
This classic RPG, developed by Black Isle Studios and originally released in 1999, is story-rich, dialogue-heavy, and deeply philosophical. It’s not a game you rush through. The gameplay leans more on reading, choice-making, and world exploration than action or combat.
So, if you take your time to talk to every NPC, explore hidden quests, and enjoy the hauntingly beautiful city of Sigil, you’re easily looking at 40+ hours. Still, that length is what makes Planescape: Torment one of the most meaningful RPG experiences of all time.
Let’s break down everything you need to know — including how your choices affect your playtime, what version to play, and why this legendary CRPG is still worth every minute.
Planescape: Torment – Time To Beat by Play Style
Main Story Only
If you focus only on the main storyline, skipping extensive side quests and optional conversations, you can finish Planescape: Torment in as little as 25 to 30 hours.
This style involves:
- Skipping much of the lore
- Avoiding deep NPC interactions
- Prioritizing main objectives
However, this isn’t how the game was meant to be played, and you’ll miss most of what makes it great.
Main Quest + Most Side Content
Exploring cities like Sigil, Ravel’s Maze, and other planes, completing story-rich side quests, and engaging with companion backstories brings the playtime closer to 35–40 hours.
Players commonly report:
- Going down “dialogue rabbit holes”
- Replaying quests for different moral outcomes
- Spending time re-reading ancient tomes and notes
100% Completionist Run
Doing everything possible in Planescape: Torment — all quests, explorations, item hunting, alternate dialogue paths — bumps your total play time to 45–50+ hours.
There’s no achievement system (in the classic version), but if you’re playing the Enhanced Edition, you can track yourself better with organized saves and UI quality-of-life improvements.
Factors That Affect How Long It Takes to Beat
Reading Speed
This is a text-heavy RPG, with thousands of lines of dialogue. If you’re a fast reader, you’ll move quicker — if you’re slow or like absorbing details, you’ll take longer.
Roleplaying Depth
Want to explore every alignment? Be chaotic evil one run and lawful good the next? You’ll spend hours more diving into ethical consequences and branching quest lines.
Exploration Style
Some players fast-travel and skip backtracking. Others scour every pixel. The world of Planescape is strange, and much of the fun lies in figuring out its rules.
Combat vs. Non-Combat Solutions
You can talk your way through many encounters — or fight. Sometimes choosing non-violent options adds play time, especially in diplomacy-heavy branches.
Torment Have Replay Value?
Absolutely — while the core story remains the same, there are:
- 6+ recruitable companions
- Multiple endings (based on your alignment and choices)
- Dialogue branches that completely change quests
This means that many players do multiple playthroughs:
- Try a High Wisdom + Intelligence run (to unlock deep dialogue)
- Then a violent low-morality brute build (more combat, less insight)
Each experience feels completely different, and exploring the different philosophies of death, identity, and memory adds depth with each run.
Which Version of Planescape Should You Play?
If you’re wondering which edition to play in 2025, go with the:
Planescape: Torment – Enhanced Edition
It includes:
- UI scaling
- Bug fixes
- New journal tools
- Modern support for PC/Mac/Linux, iOS, Android
No graphical overhaul like a remake, but it’s more stable and smoother. It’s available on:
- Steam
- GOG
- Android/iOS app stores
Pro Tip: You may see slightly faster play times with the Enhanced Edition, thanks to better UI and faster navigation.
Is Planescape: Torment Worth Playing in 2025?
Absolutely. Unlike many games from the ’90s, Planescape: Torment holds up — not for its combat, but for:
- Beautifully written dialogue
- A truly unique setting (the Planescape D&D multiverse)
- Deep, existential questions about identity and the soul
Modern audiences drawn to games like Disco Elysium, Baldur’s Gate 3, or Divinity: Original Sin 2 will find a lot to love here. It’s slower, more thoughtful, and requires patience — but it arguably has one of the best-written stories in RPG history.
Tips to Make the Most of Your Playthrough
- Play with High INT and WIS characters
– Unlock deep conversation options, story clues, and alternate quest routes. - Talk to everyone
– The game’s magic is in the NPCs’ stories. - Use the journal religiously
– Some quests are vague, and the game won’t hand-hold you. - Don’t rush combat
– Use pause strategy. Many encounters are avoidable. - Enjoy the writing
– This is not a click-click-kill RPG. Immerse yourself.
Final Verdict
So, how long does it take to beat Planescape: Torment?
| Style of Play | Estimated Time |
|---|---|
| Main Story Only | ~25–30 hours |
| Main + Side Quests | ~35–40 hours |
| 100% Completionist | 45–50+ hours |
| Replay Potential | 60–100+ hours over time |
Planescape: Torment is not a typical RPG. It won’t appeal to people looking for fast action… but if you value story, characters, mystery, and philosophy? It offers a timeless journey you’ll always remember.
FAQs
Q: Is Planescape: Torment a long game?
A: Yes — especially if you read everything and explore. Expect 30–50 hours.
Q: Can you beat it in under 20 hours?
A: Only if you skip most dialogue and beeline the main quests. Not recommended.
Q: How many endings does it have?
A: Several variations based on your choices at the end — and many meaningful moments shaped by your moral path.
Q: Is it longer than Baldur’s Gate or Fallout?
A: It’s more focused. Baldur’s Gate II is longer (80+ hours), but Planescape distills the experience into a tighter narrative.
Final Word
If you’re asking “How long to beat Planescape: Torment?” — you’re asking whether it’s worth the time.
And the answer is yes — if you’re ready for a game that speaks to your soul, not just your gaming reflexes.
Prepare to lose yourself in the City of Doors, uncover The Nameless One’s past, and rethink what an RPG can actually be.