There are people who manage multiple tasks, in life and in games, quite efficiently…and then there’s me. :/ I am not a multi-tasker. In fact, I’m the opposite–a single-tasker, or a serial-tasker, whether I’m living my life or playing a game.

Are You a Gamer Like Me?

I’m perfectly fine when there’s one thing to manage on-screen. Two things is a little like juggling–it’s okay, but not ideal for my concentration. Then you add a third thing, and that gets a little excessive. With four or more things to manage onscreen, I have to quit playing because my head is spinning. Diner Dash, for instance, is a really cool game, and I wish I could master it–but once I get more than two tables to manage, I’m no good. (I wouldn’t last a minute as a real waitress!)

Perfectionist Purgatory: Multi-Task Games

Time management and multiple-task management games are very difficult for me mentally; there are just too many places to look at on the screen, and too many timers to keep up with. Couple that with a touchpad mouse cursor which I have to keep finding onscreen, and the sense that I’m trying to do all this RIGHT and FAST, and I get very bothered. It’s simply too much to focus on, and I end up working very hard instead of relaxing.

A Perfectionist’s Paradise: Single-Task and Serial-Task Games

I focus better on single tasks at which I can excel, rather than doing multiple tasks, which forces me to settle for being “adequate” rather than “perfect.” Games that allow me to master one task or to completely own one skill are much more fun than trying to wrap my head around 12 or 13 at a time.

If I have to do multiple things, chaining them into a single-file line of serial tasks (do this, THEN this, THEN this) works a whole lot better for me, which is why I do better at games like SimCity–first, I build the power plant, THEN the residential areas, THEN the roads, and so on.

I also do better with turn-based games like Magic: the Gathering and HeroClix, though oddly enough, I usually have many small parts of a combo put together rather than fewer big pieces. Not sure why I can manage a battlefield full of Clix…though even then, I sometimes “forget” certain of my pieces exist! I think it’s because I can use one figure to attack, another figure to enhance damage, yet another to reroll a bad roll, etc–there are different single tasks all over the field that activate at different times.

Other Examples of Multi-Task Games and Mechanics

The new Resident Evil box, Outbreak, introduces a mechanic called infection counters, which work like Poison Counters in Magic–if you get 10 infection counters, the game changes drastically for you. You become an Infected creature yourself and spend the rest of the game attacking the other players.

Infection counters in Resident Evil are just as annoying as Magic’s poison counters. It’s another timer to keep up with–every turn you don’t explore the Mansion, you get a counter. If someone Explores and hits a certain couple of creatures, you get a counter even though you didn’t even do anything. Someone else can also give you a counter just by playing one of the other cards from the Outbreak box.

This is a good example of something extraneous I don’t like focusing on as part of a larger game. It’s another task to keep up with, and it makes the game feel like work instead of relaxation. For me and gamers like me who like to focus on one thing at a time, time-management and multi-task games are much more difficult. (One reason I quit Farmville–too much stuff to build, too much stuff to keep up with!)

The Possible Brain Reason Why

I mentioned perfectionism before, but I think my particular aversion to multi-tasking comes from how intensely I pay attention to the tasks I’m on. Once I’m on a task, I zone in very tightly on it. I’ve been known not to hear someone calling me or speaking to me because I’m reading or playing a video game; I’ve also been known not to notice one person who’s trying to talk to me if I’m really listening to someone else. It’s like I’m deaf and blind to everything else–I literally DON’T hear or see other stimuli while I’m working on something; it’s not me being rude or ignorant, but simply very, very focused. (This is why I didn’t make a good teacher. 30 kids to try to help at one time? Not going to happen with my brain set-up. XD)

When you take this mindset into gaming, you can understand why I get overwhelmed by too many rules, too many things to remember, etc., in a game. Too many things to focus on means that nothing gets any attention because I’m getting flustered. A game that allows me to focus on one task or one task at a time is a much more relaxing (and fun) game for me, while it might be too easy for those who multi-task well.

More Online Games for Other Single- and Serial-Task Gamers

Personally tested by yours truly for amount of fun and relaxation. I’ve enjoyed all these games, and I think you will too, if you like your games with a generous dash of intense focus rather than scattered attention everywhere.
Dice Wars
The Sand Game
Loops of Zen
Chain Reaction
Sloyd^3
Flowerseed