Highlights

  • Certain games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons and The Ace Attorney Series can be played with one hand, making them perfect for multitasking or when you're looking for a casual gaming experience.
  • Bayonetta offers a "Very Easy" mode that allows players to enjoy the game with just one hand, making it accessible to a wider audience.
  • Games like Kentucky Route Zero and Vampire Survivors can be played with one hand, providing immersive experiences that require minimal interactivity.

There is so much to do these days that it's become hard to find the time to sit down and play a video game without feeling the urge to multitask. Whether you need to respond to e-mails, give your pet some attention, or scroll on your phone, it's become difficult to do any of them while simultaneously playing through the newest triple-A title.

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Fortunately, certain games allow you to play them with one hand either naturally or by changing some of their settings or controller mapping in a menu. Accessibility features in video games continue to improve, so if you're suffering from a hand injury or just looking for something casual to play while doing something else, these are the best games you can play with one hand.

Updated November 1, 2023 by Kyle Chamaillard: If you need something to play while managing another task, there are a surprising amount of games that you can play with only one hand. We've decided to update this list to include even more essential titles you can enjoy while multitasking or resting your other arm.

12 Animal Crossing: New Horizons

A group of villagers gather in the square as fireworks explode in the sky
Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Platform(s)
Switch
Released
March 20, 2020
Developer(s)
Nintendo EPD
Genre(s)
Simulation

Over the years, Animal Crossing has garnered a reputation for being one of the best series to relax with. Each entry is set to real-time, which means whatever time or day it is in real life is reflected in the game itself. It's easy to spend hundreds of hours befriending villagers and customizing your home, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons makes it possible to do it all with only one hand.

A few years after the Nintendo Switch was released, a console update suddenly allowed you to change the button mapping on any of your controllers. It won't work for every Switch game, but it's possible to reconfigure your controller to make Animal Crossing playable with only one hand. That should make it easier for you to message someone as they visit your island or while trying to figure out the price of turnips for the stock market.

11 Theatrhythm Final Bar Line

Cloud and Sephiroth clash as notes line up together

The first two Theatrhythm games launched on the 3DS and relied on touch controls to either tap or slide your way through iconic songs from the Final Fantasy series. The third game - Theatrhythm Final Bar Line - was developed with home consoles in mind and replaced the touch-based controls with button inputs that will test your reflexes and timing.

You can technically play through any song on any difficulty with one hand, but if you find yourself in a situation where you want to play the game while focusing on something else, there is a Simple Mode that removes most of the difficulty and makes every note a single-button input. You can play a song or two while cooking, cleaning, or waiting to be put off hold on an important phone call.

10 Bayonetta

Bayonetta holds her gun against her head as blossoms fall around her
Bayonetta

Platform(s)
PS4 , PS3 , Xbox One , Xbox 360 , Switch , Wii U , PC
Released
October 29, 2009
Developer(s)
Platinum Games
Genre(s)
Action

Most action games require focus, phenomenal reflexes, and patience, but the original Bayonetta subverted this trope by including a mode that made it possible for anyone to play through it. Many people walk away from combo-focused action games due to their difficulty, but the "Very Easy" mode in Bayonetta allows them to play through the entire campaign using only one hand.

The "Very Easy" mode moves Bayonetta toward enemies and only requires you to hit one of two buttons to perform awe-inspiring and deadly combos. The game is certainly less fun this way, but it's a fantastic option for anyone who wants to experience the story without having to worry about dying over and over again.

9 The Ace Attorney Series

Ryunosuke Naruhodo raise his hand in court

While most games require both hands to control a character or object, visual novels usually have more text than anything else and can easily be played with one hand. Some of the genre's best titles can have you tapping a single button for hours as characters talk about whichever situation they're in. But the Ace Attorney series contains some of the best interactive visual novels that you can play with one hand.

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From investigating crime scenes to defending clients in court, the series does a stellar job of keeping you engaged with it despite some monotonous button-pressing. Whether you're playing through the series on a console, PC, or mobile, you can effortlessly use a single hand to choose evidence and interrogate witnesses without any objections.

8 Venba

A pot boils ingredients on a counter full of food

Most meals require both hands to prepare, but in Venba, you can learn new recipes and cook delicious food with only one. The game follows a Tamil family that moves to Canada and faces the pressures of holding on to their own culture while finding ways to adapt to their new home. It's not always easy, but at least there is always a delicious meal to look forward to.

Venba is a short game and should take less than a couple of hours to finish. The story spans a couple of decades as you witness the newly married couple decide to move to a new country and raise their child in unfamiliar territory. As a reminder of home, you will cook between story sections and follow a recipe to ensure you're correctly making the meal.

7 Donut County

BK plays on a tablet while sitting on a toilet

If you've suffered a temporary hand injury and need something short to play while you recover, it'll be nearly impossible to find something more charming and fun than Donut County. Its two-hour campaign is perfect for those looking for a brief but hilarious puzzle game starring a talking raccoon with an app that lets him create giant holes in the ground.

The gameplay is simple; you control the giant hole across a series of levels and must swallow everything — and everyone — around you to continue the story. It's full of memorable characters, an incredibly catchy soundtrack, and a few surprises towards the end. It's short and sweet, making it the perfect game for someone with one hand and a couple of hours to kill to check out.

6 Nintendo Switch Sports

Switch Games With Motion Controls - Nintendo Switch Sports - A Person Throwing A Bowling Ball Down A Lane
Nintendo Switch Sports

Platform(s)
Switch
Released
April 29, 2022
Developer(s)
Nintendo
Genre(s)
Sports

One of the Nintendo Wii's most significant accomplishments was introducing motion-based gameplay into the zeitgeist during the late 2000s. The Wii Remote was easy for anyone to pick up and start playing games like Wii Sports and Mario Kart, and the Nintendo Switch has continued that legacy with its Joy-Con controllers.

While there are fewer games you can play with one hand on the Switch compared to the Wii, Nintendo Switch Sports brings back everything that made the original popular and introduces new sports and modes to play. Every sport only requires you to hold one Joy-Con at a time, so if you want to bowl with one hand while lifting weights with the other, you can easily make Nintendo Switch Sports a part of your daily routine.

5 Kentucky Route Zero

Junebug and Johnny play a song in a dark room
Kentucky Route Zero

Platform(s)
PC , PS4 , Switch , Xbox One
Released
January 7, 2013
Developer(s)
Cardboard Computer
Genre(s)
Adventure

Annapurna Games is known for publishing unique titles that often explore the boundaries between narrative and gameplay. Many of them require you to use both hands to navigate their worlds - like Outer Wilds or Stray - but Kentucky Route Zero is one of the few you could easily experience using only one at a time.

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Kentucky Route Zero is like poetry in motion; most of its appeal stems from its stunning visuals and beautifully crafted dialogue. While the Ace Attorney series offers narratives full of humor and drama, Kentucky Route Zero instead provides something more surreal and thought-provoking as you follow a group of travelers on a hypnotic journey that touches on themes of monopolization, addiction, and so much more.

4 Unpacking

A nicely organized living room with a few boxes in the corner

Moving can be a lot of hard work, but nothing feels better than finding a new home and embracing a change of scenery. Some people move every year, while others tend to stay in one location for as long as possible. Unpacking follows one person's life as they move from one place to another, and it's up to you to find the perfect home for all of their belongings.

Your main objective is to click and drag items from boxes to put them away properly, which is way easier in Unpacking than it is in real life. You have the creative freedom to decorate accordingly - as long as you're not trying to put the toaster in the bathroom - and there is something incredibly calming about finding the perfect spot for each item.

3 Slay The Spire

The Silent attacks a Snecko
Slay the Spire

Released
November 14, 2017
Developer
Mega Crit Games
Genre
Roguelike, deck-building, strategy

There are a plethora of deck-building games these days, but few are as replayable and exciting as Slay the Spire. It seamlessly weaves roguelike elements into the gameplay to create a new experience each run, and every playable character has unique cards and abilities that provide you with countless strategies to play around with.

Available on nearly every platform, Slay the Spire is a spectacular game to play with only one hand no matter where you decide to play it. You'll spend most of your time in combat, choosing which cards to use against nefarious enemies. Slay the Spire is very easy to play and only requires you to hit a few buttons to engage with it.

2 Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee

A Pokemon trainer rides a Arcanine down a route
Pokemon Let's Go

Platform(s)
Switch
Released
November 16, 2018
Developer(s)
Game Freak
Genre(s)
RPG

Many Pokemon games require you to use both hands because they are on a handheld console that needs support from at least one of them. The series has recently started appearing on the Nintendo Switch, allowing longtime fans to finally play the newest entries on their TV or in handheld mode.

A pair of Pokemon games - Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu and Pokemon: Let's Go Eevee - were the first to grace the Switch and actually encouraged you to play them with one hand using the Poke Ball Plus accessory. You could also play through the entire game using a single Joy-Con, making both games incredibly easy for new and returning trainers.

1 Vampire Survivors

Imelda uses her magic wand on a hoard of enemies
Vampire Survivors

Released
December 17, 2021
Developer(s)
Luca Galante
Genre(s)
Roguelike

There aren't that many games that require little to no interactivity from the player, but Vampire Survivors is somehow one of the most compelling and simple roguelikes available. You'll need to hit a button to confirm which character and upgrades you would like per run, but the core gameplay mostly focuses on moving a hero around a stage as they automatically attack enemies.

Most runs in Vampire Survivors can last up to thirty minutes, and the most you'll need to engage with it is during the opening moments when you begin choosing which weapons to equip. At a certain point, your character should become so strong that even moving becomes arbitrary. There are few feelings better than annihilating thousands of foes at once, and Vampire Survivors gives you that power in one hand, making it the perfect game to play while organizing your computer files or clearing out your inbox.

Next: Games To Play If You Like Vampire Survivors