As I attempt to gracefully age into my elder years as a gamer who just so happens to write about their hobby as a career, I’m generally a pretty happy person on any given day, and I’m thankful for that.
But man, sometimes I just want to be left alone. And years ago, that never would’ve been the case. In my 20s, if I was stuck at home alone on a Friday or Saturday night, I would’ve been disgusted. Now? It’s all I long for.
This is just one of several reasons why, as I age, I appreciate singleplayer games more and more. Other reasons are totally out of my control, like the fact that aging usually means having fewer and fewer friends to game with.
As you get older and friends and relatives start building their own families, having jobs, and their own lives and responsibilities, they tend to game less. And if they do game, trying to match up your schedule with theirs to play a couple multiplayer matches becomes a more and more tiring and difficult process.
Thusly, this means if I do want to play a multiplayer game likeMarvel Rivals, Overwatch 2, Call of Duty, Battlefield,or anything else, it means going it solo. And man, playing multiplayer games as a solo player sucks pretty damn hard.
Multiplayer games are generally enriched by having friends to chat it up with, talk crap to, or work together with to achieve an objective. But by myself? I detest my teammates, I dislike how sweaty I have to play if I want to succeed with random allies, and it usually just ends up pissing me off more than anything else.
But with solo, singleplayer experiences, I find peace and enjoyment, and I don’t need anybody else for it. Several 2025 titles already come to mind for fond gaming memories I’ve made on my own, includingMafia: The Old Country,Death Stranding 2,andClair Obscur: Expedition 33(the latter two are likely my top picks for GOTY thus far). I didn’t have to rely on anyone else but myself and some me time to have some fun, and my old ass loves that fact.
I do long for the days of staying up all night, grinding levels inDestiny 2, or those “just one more match” evenings inCoDorOverwatch. But in my isolation, I’ve found that maybe my best co-op partner is me? Weird to think about.
As publishers continue to try to push the envelope with “live-service” multiplayer games, I just wish for more isolated singleplayer ones. Don’t get me wrong, I still find some joy in a handful of multiplayer matches, but it gets old quick. Give me more games like the ones above, and please, publishers, let the developers do the work they need and finish them before rushing them to market.
Thankfully, 2025 has several promising solo titles left to look forward to, includingMetal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater,Hell is Us, Silent Hill f, Ghost of Yōtei, Pokémon Legends: Z-A,Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, and more. I greatly anticipate locking my door and shutting out the world for those and many more into my senior years.
I’m 36, by the way, so I intend on being around for a lot more of these experiences. I just hope the gaming industry still finds value in them like I do.
