There’s a very specific kind of paralysis that hits me around 6 PM on a Friday. The work week is done. Finally. The takeout is on its way. The controller feels cool and solid in my hands. And then the question hits, a question more existentially terrifying than any other: what do I play?
My Steam library scrolls for an eternity. The icons on my PlayStation 5 stare back, a silent, judging council of unfinished stories and forgotten worlds. It's the paradox of choice, a distinctly modern affliction for anyone who loves this hobby. The backlog isn’t just a list; it’s a monument to our ambition, our curiosity, and our perpetually insufficient free time.
But this weekend, I’m not letting the paralysis win. I’ve made a plan. A pact with myself. This is a weekend for returning. For picking up where I left off, for seeing what’s new in old haunts, and for remembering why I fell in love with these digital places to begin with. Here are the four games calling my name.
The 'Just One More Quest' Trap I'm Eager to Fall Into
Let's be honest, it's Baldur's Gate 3. Of course it's Baldur's Gate 3. I finished my first playthrough months ago—a 120-hour epic with a goody-two-shoes Paladin that left me emotionally wrung out in the best possible way. I told myself I’d take a break. Play something shorter. Something… simpler.
And I did! But the siren song of Faerûn is just too strong. Larian created a world that feels genuinely alive, a tabletop campaign brought to life with a budget and polish that still boggles my mind. This time, though? No more Mr. Nice Guy. I'm rolling a Dark Urge character. A conniving, charismatic Sorcerer with questionable morals and, I suspect, a very dark past. I want to see how the world bends—or breaks—when I stop trying to be the hero. Will my old companions even recognize me? Will I recognize myself?
The sheer reactivity of this game is what brings me back. It’s not just about different dialogue options; it’s about entire questlines shifting, characters living or dying, and the world itself reflecting your choices in ways that still manage to surprise me. It’s a commitment, for sure. But some weekends are made for sinking into a story so deep you forget what time it is.
My Official Weekend Palate Cleanser
Okay, but after a heavy session of moral quandaries and tactical turn-based combat in BG3, you need a palate cleanser. Something snappy. Something that doesn't demand your entire soul. For me, lately, that’s been Hades.
Yeah, I know, I’m late to the party on this one. But its genius lies in its respect for my time. A run through the Underworld takes maybe 30-40 minutes. You succeed or you fail, but either way, you make progress. You get a little stronger, unlock a new bit of dialogue with the impossibly beautiful residents of the House of Hades, and learn a little more about the story. Then you dive right back in.
It’s the perfect “I’ve got an hour to kill” game. The combat is fluid and satisfying, the boon system from the Olympian gods makes every single run feel unique, and the story unfolds so organically you don't even realize how invested you are until you’re desperate to know what happens next. It’s a masterclass in design. Sometimes you just want that quick, arcade-like hit, like a modern version of those old Flash games. You know, a bit like the simple fun of something like a fast-paced snake game, but with a whole lot more Greek mythology and family drama.
Kotaku’s Weekend Guide To Second Chances: The Redemption of Night City
I have a complicated history with Cyberpunk 2077. I was there for the hype. I was there for the disastrous launch on last-gen consoles. I played it on PC back then and saw the diamond in the rough, but the bugs and broken promises left a sour taste. I put it down, figuring I’d come back to it… someday.
Friends, that "someday" is now. The 2.0 update and the Phantom Liberty expansion haven’t just fixed the game; they’ve transformed it. This isn't just a patch; it's a redemption arc. The reworked skill trees, the addition of vehicle combat, the smarter police AI—it all combines to create the dynamic, dangerous metropolis we were promised all those years ago.
Night City finally feels like a character in its own right, not just a beautiful, static backdrop. Getting into a firefight on the highway and seeing other gangs join the fray, all while the police are closing in? It’s the kind of emergent chaos that was missing from the original release. Diving into Dogtown in Phantom Liberty feels like stepping into a spy thriller, with some of the best writing and characters (Idris Elba as Solomon Reed is just phenomenal) in the entire game. If you, like me, bounced off it back in 2020, I can’t recommend giving it another shot enough. It finally feels whole.
The Weird, Wonderful, and Utterly Addictive Surprise
My final pick for the weekend is the one that completely blindsided me: Dave the Diver.
I went in expecting a cozy little indie game about fishing and running a sushi restaurant. And it is that! But then it's also a deep-sea exploration game. And a farm simulator. And a rhythm game. And an action-adventure game with boss fights against giant squids. I mean, where else can you spend your morning harpooning tuna in a mysterious, ever-changing ocean chasm, and your evening serving that same tuna to a host of quirky patrons while fending off food critics? You can find a lot of great adventure games out there, but none of them feel quite like this.
The game just keeps… adding things. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, it introduces a new mechanic, a new minigame, a new storyline. It has absolutely no right to be as deep or as polished as it is. It’s the embodiment of pure, unadulterated fun, and its gameplay loop is one of the most addictive I’ve experienced in years. It’s my happy place game, the one I’ll boot up when I just want to smile.
Ultimately, the weekend is a precious thing. Choosing how to spend that time is a personal ritual. For me, it's about balancing the epic with the accessible, the new with the newly-reborn. It's my gaming philosophy, really. My whole approach—and you can see it in how we even talk about who we are as a site—is that it should be about joy, not a checklist. So, what are you getting back to this weekend?
FAQs: Your Weekend Gaming Questions, Answered
How do I choose what to play when my backlog is so huge?
Honestly? Go with your gut. Don't think about what you *should* play, think about what you're in the mood for *right now*. Do you want a deep story? Mindless action? A cozy world? Sometimes I'll literally close my eyes and point at my screen. The goal is to have fun, not to complete a to-do list.
Is it okay to drop a game I'm not enjoying, even if it's really popular?
Absolutely. 100%. Life is too short and your free time is too precious to spend it on something you're not vibing with. It doesn't matter if it won Game of the Year. If it feels like a chore, put it down. You can always come back to it later if you change your mind.
Why do we get so nostalgic for older games we've already beaten?
I think it's a mix of things. It's the comfort of a familiar story, the muscle memory of the controls, but it's also about returning to a version of ourselves. Replaying a game from your childhood is like visiting an old friend; it reminds you of who you were when you first experienced that world.
What makes a good 'weekend game' anyway?
That's the million-dollar question! It's different for everyone. For some, it's a massive RPG they can sink 16 hours into. For others, it’s a short, narrative indie they can beat in a single sitting. That’s why a resource like Kotaku’s Weekend Guide can be helpful; it gives you curated ideas to cut through the noise. A great weekend game is simply one that respects your time and leaves you feeling satisfied on Sunday night.
