- Primary Subject: Single-Player vs. Multiplayer Gaming
- Key Update: A personal feature reflection on overcoming social fatigue by trading high-pressure multiplayer lobbies for solitary gaming sanctuaries.
- Status: Confirmed (Opinion Feature)
- Last Verified: July 20, 2026
- Quick Answer: Solo gaming offers a pressure-free space to recharge your social battery, explore at your own pace, and enjoy your own company without social obligations.
During the pandemic, almost every game I played was with other people. Among Us, Valorant, Fall Guys - you name it, I probably played it.
And hey, they were fun. But constantly playing multiplayer games drains me. The need to keep up with everyone's pace and energy is hard to do with a limited social battery. But when you have the itch to play games, what do you do? Play solo games, of course.
Going from playing multiplayer games to solo games wasn't an easy transition for me. I wondered if it would be possible for me to remain as hooked without talking to anyone. But being able to explore digital worlds all by myself brought me great comfort, and I was able to enjoy my own company.
Why the Best Gaming Experiences Still Happen in Solitude
In everyday life, I am plagued with endless notifications, social media apps seducing me to doomscroll, and group chats that have new gossip every day. I used to juggle all of that with a Discord server that would ping me to hop on Valorant to complete a 5-man for a ranked match.
And this was the life I was used to. I always felt the need to do something with another's presence, even during the pandemic. And while I enjoyed spending time with my friends virtually during the lockdown, it was getting harder for me to enjoy my own company. I would be too afraid to tap out earlier than everyone else out of FOMO, but I would be too afraid to be the first one to ask to play.
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So what would happen if I had the gaming itch but no one to play with? I would queue solo. This was difficult - I would either be too afraid to speak to strangers or speak and get dogpiled on. I realized that if I wanted to game, I had to find something to play alone.
I started playing Genshin Impact (which has multiplayer mode, but is predominantly single-player). Finally, I was able to play something all by myself, without the need to hop on a call and keep up with someone else's pace. And I immediately got hooked.
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I was able to spend as much time as I wanted exploring Mondstadt and fighting random Hilichurls. I swam all the way to Liyue, wandering off the main path, and spending as much time as I wanted hunting down chests. Every second was based on what I wanted. After all, it's purely my experience.
Not long after, I started exploring other games. I remembered enjoying Animal Crossing growing up, so I purchased New Horizons. I enjoyed the coziness of it all, being able to form an island to my own aesthetic, and creating my own sanctuary.
READ MORE: Why Animal Crossing: Wild World Remains the Best Game in the Series
I was able to play all the games I wanted while building a healthy relationship with myself in real life. While multiplayer games build relationships with others, these solo games offer you a protected space where you don't have to answer to anyone else.
Now, my favorite games are the ones that offer a quiet, solitary game world where all the choices made are mine, like Persona 5 Royal and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. These are the games where you don't feel guilt for tapping out, and can tap back in whenever you want. I'll take this over competitive games any day.
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