- We Were Here Forever how long to beat: Roughly 10-12 hours for a first co-op playthrough.
- Main factors: Puzzle-solving speed, communication quality, and experience with the series.
- Completionist runs: Achievements and optional exploration push total time to 12-15 hours.
- Experienced duos: Veterans of earlier We Were Here games can finish in 7-9 hours.
- Chapter pacing: Expect multiple lengthy puzzle sections, like the pipe puzzle in the flooded Thunderdome area.
We Were Here Forever How Long to Beat: Core Numbers
We Were Here Forever is the longest entry in Total Mayhem Games' co-op puzzle series. A standard first playthrough takes most duos around 10-12 hours, though time varies widely depending on how smoothly your communication holds up. The game is built entirely around two players who cannot see each other's screens, so every puzzle becomes a negotiation of descriptions, symbols, and pipe layouts.
Video Highlights:
- Full playthrough of the flooded "underwater Thunderdome" chapter
- Live example of the multi-stage pipe-connecting puzzle
- Shows how long back-and-forth communication can extend a single puzzle
- Demonstrates the crossbow and torch mechanics in later chapters
A single chapter puzzle — like the pipe-connection challenge shown above — can take anywhere from 20 minutes to over an hour depending on how well you and your partner describe grids, shapes, and pipe orientations. This is why playtime estimates for this game spread wider than most co-op adventures.
| Play Style | Estimated Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| First playthrough, new to series | 12-14 hours | Lots of trial and error on communication |
| First playthrough, series veterans | 9-11 hours | Familiar with puzzle logic and style |
| Fast, guided run | 6-8 hours | Using hints or a walkthrough |
| Completionist (all achievements) | 12-15 hours | Includes puzzle variants and extras |
Almost all of your playtime variance comes from how efficiently you describe things. The pipe puzzle alone involves four-by-four grids, shape symbols like ovals, pentagons, gems, and plus signs, plus pipe types labeled by letters. Learning to call these out clearly — "second column, second row" — saves hours across a run.
Chapter-by-Chapter Time Breakdown
We Were Here Forever is split into distinct chapters, each anchored by one or more major puzzle hubs. Times below reflect a typical first attempt at a steady pace.
| Chapter Area | Typical Time | Difficulty | Main Challenge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castle Rock intro and split-up | 1-1.5 hours | ★★☆☆☆ | Learning to describe surroundings |
| Village and chapel puzzles | 1.5-2 hours | ★★★☆☆ | Symbol matching, exploration |
| Mine and lift systems | 1.5-2 hours | ★★★☆☆ | Lever sequences, spatial reasoning |
| Flooded Thunderdome and pipe puzzle | 1.5-2.5 hours | ★★★★☆ | Pipe routing, shared resources |
| Later chapters and finale | 2-3 hours | ★★★★☆ | Combining earlier mechanics |
The flooded Thunderdome section deserves special mention. As the embedded playthrough shows, one player navigates underwater while the other observes from a spectator position above, pulling levers and reading symbol grids. The pipe puzzle that follows requires both players to route blue and orange flows through a shared board using limited pipe pieces — a single misrouted pipe can force a full restart of the layout.
If you and your partner hit a deadlock on the pipe puzzle, step back and restate your entire board aloud. Many failed setups happen because one player assumed a pipe orientation the other player could not see. Restarting the layout is faster than fighting a broken route.
Factors That Change Your Playtime
Several variables push your run longer or shorter than the average. Understanding them before you start helps set expectations with your partner.
Series Experience
- Biggest time saver
- Familiar with Total Mayhem's puzzle vocabulary
- Prior We Were Here duos often cut 2-3 hours
Communication Style
- Clear grids and directions speed things up
- Vague descriptions ("that one over there") cost time
- Voice chat is effectively required
Hint Usage
- Taking breaks on hard puzzles prevents frustration
- Consulting guides after 30+ minutes stuck is reasonable
- Hints can save 1-2 hours total
| Time Saver | Time Cost | Approximate Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Describing rows/columns precisely | Vague positional language | ±1-2 hours |
| Restating board state after changes | Silent trial and error | ±30-60 minutes per puzzle |
| Splitting puzzle roles clearly | Both players doing everything | ±1 hour |
If a single puzzle stalls you for more than 30 minutes, take a five-minute break or swap descriptive roles. Fresh phrasing solves more puzzles than repeated attempts with the same words.
Step-by-Step: Planning an Efficient Playthrough
Play With a Regular Partner
Choose someone you can schedule multiple sessions with. We Were Here Forever cannot be paused mid-puzzle in a meaningful way, and most duos need 3-5 sessions to finish.
Establish a Shared Vocabulary Early
Agree on terms for directions, grids, and shapes in the first chapter. Terms like "second column, fourth row" and naming shapes (oval, pentagon, gem, plus sign) pay off in every later puzzle.
Pace Your Sessions
Plan 2-3 hour sessions rather than marathon runs. Puzzle communication quality degrades noticeably when either player is tired, which slows late-game sections like the pipe puzzle.
Tackle the Thunderdome Fresh
The flooded Thunderdome and pipe puzzle are among the longest sequences. Start these at the beginning of a session, not the end.
Save Cleanup for a Final Session
If you want achievements or missed collectibles, handle them after the credits so the main story flow stays intact.
Most duos finish in about four to five sessions of two to three hours each. Budgeting your time this way keeps the experience fun instead of exhausting.
Milestones and Session Checklist
Playthrough Milestones:
- Agree on shared puzzle vocabulary in chapter one
- Clear the village and chapel puzzle hubs
- Complete the flooded Thunderdome and pipe puzzle
- Finish the finale without a guide if possible
- Circle back for any missed achievements
| Milestone | Target Session | Cumulative Time |
|---|---|---|
| Vocabulary established | Session 1 | 1-2 hours |
| Village and mine cleared | Session 2 | 4-5 hours |
| Thunderdome and pipes done | Session 3 | 7-8 hours |
| Finale and credits | Session 4-5 | 10-12 hours |
After finishing, compare your total time with the estimates above. If you came in under 10 hours, you communicated exceptionally well — the series' core skill.
FAQ
Q: How long to beat We Were Here Forever for an average duo?
Most first-time duos finish in 10-12 hours. Series veterans typically complete it in 7-9 hours, while players new to the genre may need up to 14 hours.
Q: Can I play We Were Here Forever solo?
No. The game is designed strictly for two players, with each person seeing only half of every puzzle. All progress requires a partner with voice communication.
Q: Is We Were Here Forever longer than the earlier games?
Yes. It is the longest entry in the series, with more chapters and larger puzzle hubs like the flooded Thunderdome, which alone can take a couple of hours on a first attempt.
Q: What makes playtime vary so much between duos?
Communication efficiency is the main factor. Puzzles like the pipe-connecting challenge depend entirely on describing grids and shapes to each other, so clear vocabulary can cut hours off a run.