Breath of the Wild Playtime & Difficulty Guide

Anyone who has picked up The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild quickly realizes this isn’t a typical Zelda game — it throws you into a vast Hyrule with little direction and trusts you to figure things out. With a Metacritic score of 97/100, playtime can range from 50 hours for a focused run to nearly 190 hours for everything.

Average completion time (main story): ~50 hours ·
100% completion time: ~190 hours ·
Metacritic score: 97/100 ·
Number of shrines: 120 ·
Release year: 2017 ·
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Wii U

Six key facts, one takeaway: Breath of the Wild was built by Nintendo’s top development team and released to near‑universal acclaim.

How many hours is 100% Breath of the Wild?

Average playtime for main story

• Focusing on main quests only, players typically finish in about 50 hours (HowLongToBeat, a user‑submitted tracking site).
• Speedruns can complete the game in under 30 minutes, but that’s a niche extreme (IGN, leading games media).

100% completion detailed breakdown

• Reaching every objective – all 120 shrines, 900 Korok Seeds, and side quests – takes roughly 190 hours (HowLongToBeat).
• The vast gulf between main‑story and completionist playtime reflects the game’s emphasis on optional content (GameSpot, editorial outlet).

Factors that affect total hours

• Route choice matters more than in linear games; one player might spend 20 hours on the Great Plateau while another leaves in 2 (Nintendo, the developer).
• Players who avoid fast travel and explore every landmark can easily double the average run time (IGN YouTube beginner tips, games journalist).

The trade‑off: You get a world that feels infinite, but the lack of a clear path can overwhelm newcomers. That’s the point – and also the risk.

Is Breath of the Wild too hard for beginners?

Early game difficulty curve

The first hour of Breath of the Wild can be punishing. A single bokoblin hit can take half your health, and weapons break quickly. But the Great Plateau is designed as an extended tutorial (Nintendo US store, official product page). It teaches movement, combat, cooking, and survival before you ever face a major boss.

• Many early deaths come from stamina mismanagement, not enemy skill (YouTube beginner tips video, community guide).
• Spirit Orbs from shrines let you gradually increase hearts and stamina, so the difficulty scales with your choices (Nintendo, the developer).

Accessibility features and options

• There are no difficulty sliders, but the open‑world structure itself is a difficulty dial: you can always leave a tough area and come back later (Nintendo, official site).
• Food buffs, elixirs, and upgraded armour can dramatically reduce damage (Zelda Dungeon forum, fan guide).

Tips for new players

• Follow the main quest until you leave the Great Plateau – that foundation makes everything else easier (IGN YouTube beginner tips, games journalist).
• Cook hearty dishes early; they give temporary extra hearts and heal fully (Zelda Dungeon forum, fan guide).
• Weapon durability is a feature, not a bug – treat each weapon as a tool with a limited life, not a permanent upgrade (GameSpot, editorial outlet).

Why this matters: Breath of the Wild is one of the most approachable open‑world games precisely because it doesn’t force a linear path. The difficulty is self‑selected – and that’s a design triumph.

Is Breath of the Wild endless?

Post‑game content and exploration

• After defeating Calamity Ganon, the game reloads to just before the final fight with a star on your save file. You can keep exploring, completing shrines, and hunting Korok Seeds indefinitely (Nintendo, official site).
• There is no traditional New Game+ or end‑game loop – the world continues as is (IGN review, leading games media).

Procedural vs. handcrafted world

• Every inch of Hyrule is handcrafted, not procedurally generated. The “endless” feel comes from the sheer density of points of interest (GameSpot, editorial outlet).
• Physics interactions mean you can solve puzzles in countless ways, creating emergent gameplay that never repeats exactly (GameSpot).

What happens after Ganon is defeated

• No new story content unlocks. But the world remains fully interactive – you can still complete side quests, find armour upgrades, and improve your inventory (Nintendo, official site).
• The game does not track a “post‑Ganon” state; instead it encourages you to keep playing for personal goals (IGN review).

The paradox: Breath of the Wild isn’t truly endless – there are finite shrines, quests, and Korok Seeds. But for most players, the sense of infinite possibility lasts far longer than the plotted content.

Which Zelda game is the hardest?

Community consensus on hardest Zelda

• Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (1987) is frequently cited as the hardest traditional Zelda title, with its side‑scrolling combat and lack of save points (Zelda Dungeon forum, fan community).
• Breath of the Wild is generally ranked as moderate difficulty – challenging early, forgiving once systems are mastered (IGN review, leading games media).

Comparison of difficulty metrics

Two charted comparisons show how difficulty varies by criteria:

Breath of the Wild’s place in difficulty rankings

• Its hardest moments are optional: the Master Sword trials and Lynel fights push even veteran players (YouTube beginner tips video, community guide).
• Because players can over‑prepare by collecting hearts and food, the main story remains accessible (Nintendo, official site).

The catch: “Hardest” is subjective. Breath of the Wild is forgiving if you play smart, but it can be brutally unforgiving if you rush.

Which Zelda game is the hardest to 100%?

Completion requirements across Zelda games

• Breath of the Wild demands all 900 Korok Seeds, 120 shrines, full armour upgrades, and all side quests (HowLongToBeat).
• Older Zelda games often require fewer collectibles but more precise puzzle or combat skill (Zelda Dungeon forum, fan community).

Time investment for full completion

• Breath of the Wild’s 100% run averages 190 hours – the longest of any mainline Zelda (HowLongToBeat).
• Zelda II’s 100% can be done in under 10 hours but requires near‑perfect execution (Zelda Dungeon forum).

Breath of the Wild’s 100% challenges

• Finding all Korok Seeds is the most tedious part – no in‑game tracking, so many rely on interactive maps (Nintendo, official site).
• The “hardest” 100% depends on whether you value endurance (BotW) or precision (Zelda II) (IGN review, leading games media).

The trade‑off: Breath of the Wild’s 100% is a test of persistence, not necessarily skill. For players who love wandering, it’s a joy; for those who want a tighter challenge, older games may feel harder.

“Breath of the Wild is a masterclass in open‑world design — it gives you near‑total freedom and trusts you to make your own fun.”

IGN review (leading games media)

“Exploration and discovery are the core pillars. The game is built so that players can go almost anywhere from the start.”

Nintendo (the developer, official site)

Breath of the Wild succeeds because it respects your time and your intelligence. It doesn’t gatekeep content behind arbitrary difficulty — instead it lets you choose your level of challenge. For newcomers who worry about difficulty, the advice is simple: climb a tower, cook some hearty food, and go where curiosity leads. For veterans chasing 100%, bring patience and a map. The game is a marathon, not a sprint, and that’s exactly what makes it unforgettable.

For more on the Zelda franchise, see our coverage of Hyrule Warriors Age of Imprisonment – Exclusive to Switch 2?.

For a deeper look at how the game’s length varies by platform, check out our detailed playtime guide.

Frequently asked questions

For beginners wondering whether to dive in, the choice is clear: embrace the freedom and forget about completion times. Breath of the Wild rewards curiosity, not efficiency. If you treat it as a place to explore rather than a list of tasks, you’ll discover why it’s one of the most beloved games ever made.

Also check out our guide to Ticket to Ride Board Game: How to Play, Rules, and Strategy for a different kind of strategy challenge.