Can you beat Baldur's Gate 3 without taking a single long rest? Maybe, but one player's proven that it turns the RPG into a nightmare

Long resting is pretty much necessary in Baldur’s Gate 3 since it restores health, resets skill slots, and y’know, is mandatory for progressing through multiple quests. One content creator ignored all of that and instead challenged themselves to complete the mammoth RPG without long rest.

Is it possible? Maybe, but sleepless nights lead to waking nightmares (aka a massive headache.) YouTuber Fracture completed the entirety of Act 1 with almost no long rests. There is one mandatory long rest in the first Act, but Fracture fully healed his party before resting and used his skills upon waking - so his party didn’t feel the effects of sleeping anyway.

Elsewhere, the content creator got through the opening hours by cheesing everything. Everything. The first four levels were reached by avoiding combat wherever possible and talking through problems. Mandatory fights were completed in the most efficient ways possible - pushing foes off ledges, reanimating a spider matriarch, and explosive barrels were all fair game. Basically, anything that saved on healing potions was highly encouraged.

The ‘No Long Rests Run’ makes for an incredibly entertaining watch, purely because Fracture employs tactics that most players would never have to dream up. He tiptoes around challenges and maximizes efficiency to pull off some really creative plays that I’ll definitely be using in my next playthrough.

Other players have given themselves slightly similar challenges, such as the pacifist who went 20 hours without attacking anything thanks to popular speedrunning strategies. Another streamer fought the game’s hardest boss solo and killed it in one turn.

For more on the smash hit RPG, check out everything we know about Baldur’s Gate 3’s DLC. Otherwise, discover the player who recreated an iconic Lord of the Rings battle in-game.

Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that's vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he'll soon forget.