Color Splash is a puzzle adventure game developed by Nintendo for the Wii U console. It’s the fifth game in the Paper Mario series and was released in 2016. Many players are curious how long it takes to fully complete the main story and all side quests in Color Splash.
Main Story Length
To beat just the main story of Color Splash takes most players around 20-25 hours. The game has six chapters that need to be completed to reach the ending. Each chapter takes 2-4 hours depending on your playstyle. Here’s a breakdown of the estimated time per chapter:
| Chapter | Estimated Time |
|---|---|
| Prologue | 1 hour |
| Chapter 1 | 3 hours |
| Chapter 2 | 4 hours |
| Chapter 3 | 3 hours |
| Chapter 4 | 4 hours |
| Chapter 5 | 3 hours |
| Chapter 6 | 4 hours |
Most players report taking 20-22 hours if they focus just on the critical path. Completionists who want to fully explore levels and find hidden collectibles are looking at 25+ hours for the main chapters.
100% Completion Time
For players looking to 100% complete Color Splash by finishing all side quests, collecting everything, and beating all mini-games, the total playtime jumps up significantly.
Here are the additional activities that factor into a complete playthrough:
- All Roshambo Temples – 1 hour
- The Museum side quests – 2 hours
- Finding all 167 Battle Cards – 3 hours
- Collecting all 192 Paint Stars – 2 hours
- Maxing coin count to 99999 – 1 hour
- Beating all enemy gauntlets – 2 hours
When accounting for all of these extra activities, the total time to 100% complete Color Splash is approximately 35-40 hours. Here’s a summary:
| Game Section | Time |
|---|---|
| Main Story | 22 hours |
| Roshambo Temples | 1 hour |
| Museum Quests | 2 hours |
| Battle Cards | 3 hours |
| Paint Stars | 2 hours |
| Max Coins | 1 hour |
| Enemy Gauntlets | 2 hours |
| Total for 100% | 35 hours |
The extra 15 hours or so for completionists allows them to really get the most out of Color Splash. But for casual players just looking to enjoy the story, 20-25 hours is plenty.
Speedrun Times
For expert players attempting speedruns, it’s possible to beat Color Splash really fast. Here are some sample speedrun times:
- Any% run beating the game with minimal completions: 2 hours 30 minutes
- 100% completion speedrun: 4 hours 50 minutes
- All Paint Star speedrun: 3 hours 15 minutes
The world record fastest time to beat Color Splash is just over 2 hours using glitches and optimal routing. Speedrun categories like any% focus solely on reaching the end credits as fast as possible.
Playtime Differences By Player
Color Splash offers a nice long adventure for players wanting to immerse themselves in its world. But playtime can vary significantly based on playstyle:
| Player Type | Expected Playtime |
|---|---|
| Main story only | 20-22 hours |
| Completionist | 35-40 hours |
| Speedrunner | Under 3 hours |
| Young child | 30+ hours |
| Replay for fun | 10-15 hours |
Younger kids and less experienced gamers tend to require more time to progress through levels and complete puzzles. Veteran players can skip cutscenes and dialog to optimize their speed.
Conclusion
For most gamers, Color Splash provides around 22 hours of main story gameplay, with 35-40 hours required to fully complete everything. Expert speedrunners have managed to finish it in only 2.5 hours using glitches. But playtime can vary substantially based on skill level and completion goals.
Color Splash is a meaty adventure on Wii U that will keep players occupied for a good chunk of time. There’s lots of variety and hidden secrets to extend the experience. Whether you want a relaxing playthrough or intense speedrun, Color Splash can deliver an enjoyable Paper Mario experience!