The workweek is winding down, the download queues are spinning up, and across living rooms and Discords the same question is making the rounds: what are we all playing this weekend? With fresh patches landing, seasonal resets rolling out, and a steady trickle of new releases vying for attention alongside the ever-growing backlog, there’s no shortage of places to spend a few precious hours.
Maybe you’re pushing through a final boss, sampling a hot new demo, or returning to a comfort game to chase one more unlock. Perhaps a co-op night is on the calendar, or a single-player epic is calling your name. We’ll share what our team is booting up below, but we want to hear from you: what’s on your slate, what drew you to it, and what’s kept you hooked?
New and Noteworthy Picks Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree early routes Hades starter builds and Apex Legends ranked loadouts
Plotting a smart first hour in Shadow of the Erdtree? Treat the Gravesite Plain as your hub, then tilt toward a legacy dungeon that suits your stat spread. Dexterity or sorcery leaners get quicker payoff tackling Castle Ensis and its spell-heavy corridors, while strength/quality bruisers can harvest upgrades and runes through Belurat, Tower Settlement. Either way, you’ll want early Scadutree Fragments from wayside crosses to blunt incoming damage and a Revered Spirit Ash or two to keep summons relevant before bosses spike.
- Route A: Three-Path Cross → first map fragment → sweep roadside crosses → Belurat outskirts for smithing mats; disengage if you hit a wall and bank levels.
- Route B: Ellac Greatbridge skip to Castle Ensis → scoop easy fragments in the fields → optional mini-dungeons for quick talismans before the Rellana showdown.
- Quick wins: prioritize Fragments over marginal weapon swaps; upgrade your default ashes early-damage mitigation beats raw AR in the Shadow Realm’s opener.
If you’re chasing clean runs in roguelikes and climb-ready kits in shooters, small choices compound fast. For Hades, lock in survivability and reliable crits before getting fancy; for Apex Legends, think recoil comfort, ammo economy, and mid-range control so your squad can convert positioning into kills.
- Hades starters: Shield of Chaos + Zeus Special with Static Discharge; keep Athena Dash for universal safety, fish for Duo: Lightning Rod if offered. Bow (Chiron) + Artemis Special, sprinkle Poseidon Knockback on dash to manage rooms; open with Old Spiked Collar then swap to Lucky Tooth.
- Apex ranked loadouts: R-301 + Peacekeeper (2x Bruiser, Shotgun Bolt) for anchor/entry flexibility; Nemesis + CAR (2x-4x on AR, 1x/2x on SMG, Digi-Threat if smoke comps) to bully mid-range; Flatline + Volt for low-swap downtime and shared ammo drops. Carry Arc Stars for entry sticks and Thermites to cut cover.
Cooperative Quick Picks Deep Rock Galactic mutators and overclocks Fortnite Zero Build quests and Rocket League Dropshot rotations
Three lobbies, three vibes, one shared goal: clean, confident wins. In Deep Rock Galactic, we’re targeting assignments that pair high-payout anomalies with spicy warnings, then using class synergy to nullify the worst of it-Scouts tagging and kiting, Engineers building safe lanes, Gunners locking down angles, Drillers solving terrain and crowd-control. Overclocks remain the weekend’s lottery ticket: clear Machine Events when they spawn, save a resupply for the finale, and keep comms crisp during swarms. Over in Fortnite Zero Build, the plan is disciplined rotations and quick quest sweeps: cover-to-cover positioning, controlled third-party timing, and early exits from hot POIs once objectives tick. And for Rocket League‘s Dropshot queue, we’re treating momentum like currency-charge the ball, protect possession, and aim at pre-damaged tiles to convert pressure into points.
- DRG quick picks: Pick mission seeds with lucrative anomalies; respect high-threat warnings with tighter spacing and layered utility; hit Machine Events for Overclocks and keep ammo economy honest.
- Zero Build quests: Land near cover-rich side POIs, complete easy objectives fast, rotate early to natural high ground, and use utility for disengage rather than hero plays.
- Dropshot rotations: One player pressures to charge, one shadows mid for intercepts, one anchors back; focus touches toward cracked hexes, avoid double-commits, and reset to neutral when boost or spacing breaks.
Ping your slot and role: Engineer/Scout/Gunner/Driller for cavern duty, a tight duo or trio for Zero Build quests, and a 3s stack for Dropshot. Crossplay is on, LFG tags are open, and the goal is simple: smarter picks, clean execution, and a highlight reel by Sunday night.
Indie Palate Cleansers for a Single Sitting Venba A Short Hike and Cocoon with pacing tips
Need a reset between sprawling releases? Three compact gems reward a single evening with zero bloat: the fragrant, memory-soaked kitchen vignettes of Venba; the breezy, vertical wanderlust of A Short Hike; and the meditative, world-within-world puzzles of Cocoon. Each has a different cadence-story slice, exploratory glide, then tactile logic-and together they form a clean, satisfying arc that won’t spill into Sunday. To keep the tempo brisk without rushing the joy, try a few newsroom-tested pacing tricks:
- Timebox the trio: Aim for 60-90 minutes; if you finish early, treat credits and epilogues as palate-clearing intermissions.
- Scene breaks, not screen breaks: Pause only at natural beats-chapter cards, new feathers, fresh orbs-so momentum feels intentional.
- No-guide first pass: Set a 5-7 minute “stuck” limit before checking a hint; tension fades without derailing flow.
- Headphones on: Soundscapes carry emotional pacing; let audio be your metronome for traversal and puzzle rhythm.
For a weekend micro-marathon, sequence light-to-contemplative: cook, climb, then cocoon. Keep goals small and tactile so you leave on a high rather than a checklist grind:
- Venba: Play one chapter per sitting; read the recipe card aloud once, commit, and live with the outcome-no re-dos. Treat plating and music as your fade-out.
- A Short Hike: Chase altitude, not errands. Pick two peaks to glide from and cap yourself at a handful of feathers; let a perfect shoreline landing be your curtain drop.
- Cocoon: Stop at each new orb acquisition-world unlocked, session complete. If a loop feels sticky, sketch the layer order, take a sip break, and return with fresh eyes.
Backlog Breakthroughs with Efficient Paths Starfield mainline route The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom shrine priorities and Ghost of Tsushima legend quests
Time to carve clean lines through sprawling worlds: stick to the narrative spine in Starfield, target utility-first shrines in Tears of the Kingdom, and fast-track Jin’s power curve with high-impact myths in Ghost of Tsushima. The goal is velocity without compromise-tight routing, fewer menu pauses, and upgrades that matter in the next encounter, not ten hours later.
- Starfield: Prioritize Constellation quests to accelerate starborn progression; blend in a short UC Vanguard burst for dependable gear and credits. Skip deep outpost builds, lean on grav-jumps and auto-landing, and craft a minimal mod suite (laser for shields, ballistic for hull). Hit “Into the Unknown,” “All That Money Can Buy,” and “Unearthed” early to keep momentum.
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom: Shrine triage by function-stamina upgrades first for glide/climb efficiency, then hearts to reach Master Sword thresholds. Farm clusters near Lookout Landing, Hyrule Ridge, and early sky rails; stockpile fans/rockets for vertical solves. Slot Great Fairy upgrades after every few shrines to stabilize combat tiers.
- Ghost of Tsushima: Frontload Mythic Tales that unlock Heavenly Strike, Dance of Wrath, and key armor (Gosaku; Sarugami on Iki). Chain fox dens and bamboo strikes along those routes for resolve and charm slots. Liberate territories stealth-first to bank Legend points quickly, then pivot to stance-testing duels for mastery milestones.
The result: fewer detours, sharper difficulty curves, and milestone-rich sessions that punch above their playtime. If you’ve got faster lines or safer resource grinds, drop them-weekends are for measurable wins and clean exits from the backlog.
From big-budget releases to comfort-corner indies and a few stubborn entries in the backlog, our weekend plans reflect the breadth of what gaming offers right now. Live-service seasons are rolling, single-player epics are demanding attention, and smaller projects continue to surprise with smart ideas and strong execution.
Now it’s your turn. What are you playing this weekend, and what drew you to it? Share your picks, tips, and early impressions. We’ll highlight a selection of reader recommendations in our next roundup and keep an eye out for sleeper hits worth your time.
However you spend your hours-chasing ranks, clearing quests, or finally starting that campaign-enjoy the session. We’ll be back with fresh impressions, updates, and coverage after the weekend.
