Whether it’s the solitary pleasure of strategy games or the fact that sometimes we just want to get our frustrations out, there are those moments when we just want to be alone. While there’s the allure of multiplayer experiences and cooperative gameplay on offer, is gaming actually better when it’s by ourselves? It can be, for the following reasons.
The Cognitive Challenges of Flying Solo
Whether it’s an online game like Sudoku or racing against the clock in one of the many Super Mario Bros iterations, playing a game by yourself means you can’t rely on anybody else, which helps to get better insight into your own cognitive abilities. While games like Sudoku can stimulate pattern recognition, problem-solving, and logical reasoning, solo gaming is not as passive an activity as when you are cooperating with others. This means that you are challenging yourself beyond your basic capabilities.
Boosting Your Concentration and Focus
Playing by yourself eliminates distractions and interruptions that come with multiplayer sessions. When we are playing in a solitary environment, we can fully concentrate on the game at hand, allowing for greater focus and immersion. It also helps us to recognize when concentration levels are dipping. Therefore, when we play games that require a deep level of focus like Civilization VI, where we’re exploring virtual worlds, solo gaming can often facilitate what is called the flow state. This is when we’re not thinking about the past or future but are completely involved in the gaming experience despite external disruptions. There are benefits to learning how to get into this flow state in other aspects of our lives, but we can use gaming as a way to boost our intelligence for this very reason. It’s a challenge that we will relish.
The Emotional Connections
Playing a game by ourselves can provide an opportunity for personal immersion, especially when the story is right. When we play by ourselves, we can absorb that storyline far more effectively and connect with characters on a profound level. Sometimes, we can tap into something a bit beyond our means. For example, The Talos Principle covers a number of key philosophical aspects. It’s a fantastic way for us to gain a more profound experience while embracing the act of solitude. We have to remember that we don’t need to be around people in order to thrive. This is why many people can go to the movies by themselves! There are profound benefits to being on your own, and sometimes we can all benefit from remembering this.
Stress Relief
Sometimes we can’t be around people because we feel like we need to perform or do something. It’s only when we step away and feel like we are able to unwind and recharge by temporarily detaching ourselves from the outside world that we truly benefit. This is where solo gaming provides invaluable solutions. Solo gaming soon becomes a haven of sorts, and while there is certainly a lot to be said about gaming too much, if we feel like we need to get away from the demands of our daily lives, gaming provides so many essential moments of solitude.
