Menu

Your Daily Gaming News

Why Do People Prefer Solo Games to Multiplayer?

When you’re a new gamer, there’s a question you’ll have to answer for yourself: will you be a predominantly multiplayer or single-player person? Of course, you can play both; there’s no rule saying that you can’t. However, there are certain things that come with multiplayer games that don’t come with solo gaming, and vice versa, so you’ll likely find yourself tending to either one or the other because that option suits your gaming personality a little bit better. If you play slots or games such as roulette and blackjack, you’re technically playing alone even though there might be other people next to you. If you play survival games such as ARK, or fantasy adventure games such as The Witcher, there will be non- player characters (NPCs) in the game, but you’re playing solo there too.

So why choose a single-player game over interacting with other people while you play? Well, there are a number of reasons. Let’s take a look at a few of them now to better understand the solo gamer’s mentality.

  1. Less responsibility

Let’s use ARK as an example here. Your responsibility is only for your own character, the animals you tame and breed in whatever map you’ve chosen, building and maintaining your base, and exploring as much as you can. If you’re playing on a server, it’s possible to play and interact with other people, but ARK is an excellent game to play alone if you don’t like responsibility. If you play with other people, you’ll need to watch their backs, possibly to your own detriment, and also look after their holdings. Playing alone is a lot simpler in that you only have to watch your own back and keep an eye on your own possessions; you aren’t responsible for anyone or anything else. This makes playing the game a lot more relaxing, unless you’re fighting for your life that is! Less responsibility is a key reason for choosing single-player over multiplayer games.

  1. Character, world, and story depth

Single-player games are typically able to build a far richer, deeper character background, a more intricate storyline, and a more complex world. Creating all these backgrounds is a job that can take developers literally years. If the team is focussed on one main character’s back story instead of having to create five potential main characters, they can spend all of their time developing that character and their life as fully as possible.The less direction they have to build in, the more thoroughly they can weave a story and create a world. Since immersive gameplay and stories with real hooks are now the name of the game, no one wants to play a game that offers a 2D world and characters who feel lackluster when they can play a game that offers exactly the opposite. A character should experience a full range of human emotions and express these through voice, face, and actions. This takes a serious amount of work. Your single-player game will offer you all of these, whereas a multiplayer game simply can’t match them. If only one character has to make their way through a world, it’s easier to develop that world and have a computer render it as you move through the game.

  1. No in-game community

While things certainly have changed a lot in the gamer community over the last decade or so, there are still people in online communities who are extremely toxic. If you want to completely avoid the chance of running into one of these people in a server-based multiplayer game, then stick to single-player gaming. You can take your own time, move at your own pace, and not risk interruption, ridicule, or attack. We’re not suggesting that all in-game communities are like this, but if you want to avoid the chance of encountering troublesome individuals or trolls, stick with single-player. Female gamers and new gamers in particular are often the target of these noxious individuals or communities. The female population has increased so much in the gaming world that they share it almost down the middle with men, but this is not always greeted with happiness and a warm welcome. New players also need time to hone their skills without being hurried or bullied by more experienced players. The same can apply to online or brick-and-mortar casinos as well: if you’re just learning the ropes, you might feel more comfortable playing games in which you don’t influence other players’ chances, and are not influenced by them yourself.

Wrap up

These are a few of the main reasons that lots of gamers prefer to play on their own rather than in a multiplayer environment. If these make sense to you, and you haven’t tried many single-player games yet, maybe this is a sign! Give single-player gaming a chance and maybe you’ll find your new favorite thing.

Leave a Reply

Exit mobile version