Dying Light: The Beast is built like a classic open-world action-horror game: a critical path you can mainline, and a lot of optional activity that can easily double your time. Playtime varies widely based on how much you engage with side missions and whether you pause to meet recommended level gates during the campaign.

Dying Light: The Beast main story length

If you focus on story missions and ignore most distractions, the campaign can land as low as ~15–20 hours on easier settings. Expect that number to rise toward 20–30 hours if you follow the critical path but take time to meet recommended levels when the game flags them. Several story beats suggest a minimum level, and detouring to gain XP (through a handful of side missions or activities) adds hours for most players.

Note: Early player timing data clusters around ~16 hours for pure main-story runs, reflecting fast, low-difficulty playstyles.

Main story with extras (typical playthrough)

Sampling side missions and exploring between main quests pushes most playthroughs into the ~25–40 hour range. The Beast’s map (Castor Woods) includes optional activities like securing safe zones, clearing dark zones, powering relays, and chasing collectibles and tasks; mixing a bit of each is enough to nudge a straightforward run well past the 20s, especially if you use these to meet level recommendations along the way.

Difficulty matters here too. “Story” or lower difficulties reduce friction in combat and traversal and tend to shorten these blended runs. Higher difficulties and frequent night excursions can add time.

Completionist length (100%)

Clearing the map, finishing all side quests, and hunting down collectibles typically takes ~45–60 hours. That ceiling reflects players who are thorough about optional content and who aim to max out Kyle’s skill tree and character level (level cap 15). If you’re methodical about every activity—safe zones, dark zones, power relays, treasure hunts, and collectible sets—expect to be on the upper end of that window.

What affects your time to beat

  • How strictly you mainline: Skipping optional content keeps you closer to the low 20s, but recommended level gates can still require short detours.
  • Difficulty selection: Easier modes speed up combat and survivability; harder settings slow encounters and deaths add recovery time.
  • Side content appetite: Even a light sampling (a few safe zones, some dark zones, occasional side quests) pushes runs into the 30s.
  • Collectible and activity completion: Full map clears, treasure hunts, and blueprint searches are the biggest time sinks.

Quick reference: time to beat by playstyle

Playstyle Estimated hours What’s included
Main story only 15–30 Critical path, minimal detours; time rises if you stop to meet recommended levels.
Main + extras 25–40 Story plus a sampling of side missions, safe zones, dark zones, and power relays.
Completionist (100%) 45–60 All side quests, activities, collectibles, and leveling to cap (15).

The bottom line: The Beast’s envelope is broad—25 to 60 hours covers most players—because its side content is substantial. If you want just the story, you can sprint it in the high teens to low 20s. If you intend to explore Castor Woods and roll credits with a well-rounded Kyle, budget closer to 30–40 hours. For a clean map and maxed build, set aside a long weekend (or two).