HowLongToBeat is a website that estimates how long it will take to complete video games based on user-submitted data. It categorizes game completion times into several types:

• Main Story: Time to complete just the main objectives to see the credits.
• Main + Extras: Time including additional quests, side content, and unlockables.
• Completionist: Time to achieve 100% completion, including all achievements and collectibles.
• Combined: An average considering all play styles

The site allows users to track their game collections, compare their playtimes with others, and estimate how long backlogs will take to finish. It aggregates data from many players, providing a "wisdom of the crowd" estimate that tends to be fairly accurate for most games, especially for main story completion times. However, accuracy can vary depending on the game type and player style- for example, games heavy on reading or exploration may see more variation in completion times

. Some users report that their actual playtime is often longer than the site's estimates, especially if they take their time or do extensive side content. Others find the estimates quite close, usually within about 25% of their own experience

. The site also faces challenges with games that don't have a clear end or winning condition, such as simulators or multiplayer games like Counter-Strike 2, where traditional completion times don't apply well

. In summary, HowLongToBeat provides a community-driven, categorized estimate of game completion times that is generally reliable for most single-player games, helping gamers plan their playtime and manage their backlogs effectively