In late 2017 I finally got my hands on a Nintendo Switch. I found myself jumping around between all the new exclusives I had access to: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, Splatoon 2, and more. After juggling all these games at once for some time, I got sucked into Super Mario Odyssey and focused on beating it. I needed something to concentrate on. Prior to the Switch era, I would choose one large AAA game to play at a time, but over the last four years I’ve found myself repeating this new pattern and wondering: is it better to play multiple games at once or play them one at a time?

While there may be a number of large problems facing the world, there is no shortage of quality media to consume. The only problem someone who wants to play a video game may encounter is which of the many outstanding titles to pick from. Sometimes choice paralysis is real, whether you have a large backlog of games you haven’t touched or are searching digital or retail stores for your next adventure. Due to the large volume of good options you may just find yourself starting multiple games. But should you? Or should you stick with something until you’ve beaten it, and then move on?

There’s a number of reasons one may choose to focus on a single video game at a time. Even an experienced player might return to a game they put down to forget exactly what their current objective was, or how the controls work. Those problems could lead to shelving the game again, perhaps forever. If you’re jumping between different consoles, the varying button layouts can cause confusion and frustration. Plus, if you’re jumping around between too many games you may feel like you’re never going to actually finish any of them. One of the more satisfying aspects of the hobby is seeing credits roll. 

But there are times when switching to a different game just makes sense: you’re stuck on a difficult boss in a challenging RPG and you need a break to play something more lighthearted; you’re traveling so your handheld console is your only available way to play; you want to enjoy something with friends either in person or online instead of a single-player game; or maybe you just crave some variety in your life.

These days, I tend to find myself playing a few games at once. I am often switching between an action-oriented single-player game, a competitive multiplayer game, and a slower paced game I’m chipping away at. Sometimes I have more than that I’m bouncing between, but even with just a few games over time I’ll often gravitate towards just one and get fixated on beating it. When I’m actively trying to play only one game at a time, I find my backlog being whittled down, but I have a hard time staying with only one game.  

How about you? Do you prefer to target beating one game at a time, or do you shuffle around between several? Let us know below or join the conversation on the Boss Rush Discord.