I Stopped Limiting How Many Games I Play at Once (and You Should Too)

As I began expanding my gaming horizons in recent years, I also started looking for ways to regulate how many games I play simultaneously. But the more I tried, the more I began to realize that my interests can rapidly change. Playing just one or two games at a time won't cut it anymore.

Clearing My Backlog Faster

Before, clearing my backlog of games meant choosing one or two and dedicating all of my time to them, for hours on end, until I finished them. If I line up multiple games at a time to play through at once, I can switch between them at will and progress through each one a little bit at a time.

This way, I don't have to wait until I finish one game before starting another, which not only keeps me from losing interest in one but lets me double up on my backlog and clear it much faster.

I Always Have Something Fun to Play

My gaming interests are constantly shifting which means that, depending on my mood, the same game I've been playing for three weeks might not always sound fun or engaging after a day of work. When I want to detox after a busy day with a gaming session, having multiple options for concurrent playthroughs to continue means that I will always have something fun to play.

Microsoft

Gone are the days of coming home and wasting my time on multiplayer games with little substance or forcing myself to play something I'm not engaged with. Now, I can not only detox after a long day with a fun gaming session, but I will also feel like I'm making legitimate progress in something I'm actually invested in.

A major issue for me when it comes to dedicating all of my time to one game is that I inevitably get caught up thinking about what I plan on playing after I finish it. This often distracts me from fully committing to the game I'm currently playing as I start anticipating what I'm going to jump into after it's over.

This means that I often feel compelled to move on from a game after just finishing the story, which leads me to miss out on content that might require more dedication to see.

By having multiple playthroughs going at a time, I can cut out the feeling of obligation that comes with finishing a game just to move on to the next one. Instead, I'm just playing what sounds fun at any given point and trusting that I will always come back to my other games if I decide to take a break.

Multiple Playthroughs Can Avoid Burnout

Electronic Arts

My habit of only playing one or two games at a time meant that I would often continue playing something well after my immediate interest in it had waned. After a while, I started to get burned out from playing the same thing for a long time, but I would keep playing anyway for the sake of completion.

If I have other games I can switch between that I'm similarly invested in, my playthroughs continue to be engaging even if it takes me longer to finish them as a result. This way, I'm also less likely to quit playing before I get the most out of a game's content, as switching my games around keeps the content feeling fresh each time.

I love playing new games when they first launch so I can engage with the community while the discussion is fresh and the hype is at its peak. Unfortunately, my old habits meant that I would often get stuck playing the same old games as I insisted on finishing them before playing anything new.

Ubisoft

Nowadays, I just play whatever sounds fun, even if it means taking a break from my other games while I play something that just came out on launch day. It's worth it. No matter what, I can play the new game for a while and trust that I will come back to my old ones as I fall into my new routine of playing multiple at once.

If you struggle with burnout from your favorite games or always want to be in the loop when it comes to new games, consider doubling up on playthroughs. Playing multiple games at once might seem convoluted on paper, but it can really help keep your games feeling fresh and make your sessions more meaningful.

I've found that having shorter experiences to play through while undertaking a large story-driven game is a great way to get started. I'm also a big fan of run-based roguelites since they help satisfy my RPG cravings in bite-size sessions.