Intro –

Alright fellow gamers, burnout and mental exhaustion. Many of us have no doubt experienced both after spending dozens of hours making our way through long RPGs.

Games like Elden Ring, Bloodborne, Chrono Trigger, and Chrono Cross can easily keep us occupied for 50 hours or more, practically chaining us to their worlds until the very end.

After going through this myself over the years—and even recently—I’ve reached a point where having something to take that edge off makes a huge difference.

Some gamers simply take a break from gaming altogether, while others jump straight into another game. Both are choices, but neither is the only option.

That’s where a palate cleanser comes in. Think of it as a game that gives your mind a chance to recover after a massive RPG. It provides a welcome change of pace before diving into your next grand adventure.

Personally, after I finished Ninja Gaiden Sigma, I realized I needed a break. At the time, I didn’t have a name for what I was looking for, but I knew I wanted something different—something that would let me unwind from not only the mechanics of that game, but the intensity of the entire experience.

Today, I’m going to explain what makes a great palate cleanser, why they’re more important than many gamers realize, and how they can help you enjoy your next big RPG even more.

So, let’s get started.

Part I, Palate Cleanser. Why It’s Need is Absolute –

Being someone who’s played RPGs for years, I can tell you that even if you have the mental fortitude of a god, you’re eventually going to experience burnout or mental exhaustion.

That’s not because you can’t handle it—quite the opposite. Long RPGs simply demand a tremendous amount of your time, focus, and gaming energy.

Games like Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy XVI, and even the Final Fantasy VII remakes can leave you mentally drained after just a few hours or a major boss battle.

Then there’s everything happening outside of combat. You’re constantly managing equipment between party members, deciding which side quests deserve your attention, and choosing which ones can wait until later.

And that’s before you consider the worlds themselves. Some RPGs continue expanding long after you think you’ve seen everything. Final Fantasy VI is a perfect example.

Just when you become comfortable navigating one massive world, the game opens up another, asking you to explore even more. Depending on how you play, that journey can easily stretch well beyond 30 hours and sometimes reach 40 or 50 hours before the credits roll.

What Makes A Good Palate Cleanser?

A palate cleanser, in its purest form, isn’t simply a short game. It also isn’t another massive RPG that’s going to ask for another 50 or 60 hours of your time.

Instead, it’s a game that feels mentally refreshing after you’ve spent weeks immersed in a long adventure. The goal isn’t to replace the RPG you just finished, but to give yourself enough breathing room before committing to another one.

For years, I never really had a name for this feeling. I just knew that after finishing a long RPG, I wanted to play something completely different.

I didn’t want to manage another inventory, organize another party, or spend hours deciding which quest deserved my attention next. I wanted a game that let me simply pick up the controller and enjoy myself.

For me, that game was often Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel.

Whenever I finished a long RPG, I’d find myself loading Master Duel and heading straight into a few matches. There wasn’t a grand objective waiting for me.

I wasn’t trying to climb the rankings or prove anything to anyone. I simply wanted to duel. I’d jump into a handful of matches, win some, lose some, test my deck, and then call it a day. There was no pressure to continue if I didn’t feel like it, and that’s exactly why it became one of my favorite palate cleansers.

That’s the beauty of a game like Master Duel. Every duel feels self-contained. Once a match is over, it’s over. Whether you win or lose, you can simply move on with your day.

There’s no lingering obligation to complete another chapter or another dungeon before you can finally stop playing. It gives you permission to enjoy gaming without feeling like you’ve interrupted a larger journey.

For someone like me, that’s incredibly refreshing after spending dozens of hours inside an RPG world.

That doesn’t mean everyone needs to choose a card game. Your palate cleanser might look completely different from mine. Maybe it’s a few rounds of Tetris. Maybe it’s a racing game where you can finish a race in just a few minutes.

Maybe it’s a side-scrolling action game that gets you into the gameplay almost immediately. The important part isn’t the genre—it’s how the game makes you feel once you pick up the controller.

The best palate cleansers all have something in common. They don’t ask much of you before becoming enjoyable.

You don’t have to spend an hour learning complicated mechanics or remembering where you left off three weeks ago. Instead, they welcome you back almost immediately. You start playing within minutes, and before long you’re smiling because you’re simply having fun again.

That’s one of the reasons I recently gravitated toward Valis I on the Nintendo Switch.

After spending time with Final Fantasy III, I wanted something that demanded less from me mentally. Even though I didn’t finish every part of Final Fantasy III, I still reached a point where I wanted a change of pace.

Valis I provided exactly that. It was straightforward, easy to understand, and never buried me under complicated systems. Within minutes, I was moving through stages, fighting enemies, and enjoying myself without feeling mentally overloaded.

Ironically, the same thing happened after I finished Lords of Exile.

Now, Lords of Exile isn’t an excessively long game, nor is it an RPG packed with dozens of systems. But it still demanded my attention. Learning enemy patterns, mastering the stages, and figuring out the bosses required focus and concentration.

By the time I reached the ending, I felt satisfied—but I also knew I needed something lighter before throwing myself into another demanding experience.

That’s exactly why I started Valis I.

It wasn’t because Lords of Exile wore me out in a negative way. Quite the opposite. I enjoyed every minute of it. I simply recognized that my mind wanted something different.

Instead of immediately asking it to solve another difficult challenge, I gave myself permission to enjoy a game that was shorter, simpler, and easier to settle into.

That’s what a true palate cleanser does.

It doesn’t exist because you’re tired of gaming.

It exists because you still love gaming enough to recognize when your mind needs a different kind of experience.

Whether that’s a few rounds of Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel, an evening with Valis I, or another game entirely, the goal is always the same.

Step away from the mental weight of a massive adventure for a little while, enjoy something that feels refreshing, and come back ready for whatever world awaits you next.wasn’t but the experience left me feeling heavily drained with a need for a palate cleanser. Hence the break.

Why I Keep Coming Back To Action Games –

One of the biggest reasons I keep coming back to action games is because they help clear my mind after finishing a long RPG. It isn’t because the RPG was bad—I just need something that’s quick, easy to pick up, and ready to go from the moment I press Start.

RPGs always have another quest to complete, another piece of equipment to manage, or another objective the game decides is important.

Action games are different. They strip all of that away. Sometimes, having that change of pace is exactly what the gaming soul needs. Think about it: if you just spent 33½ hours making your way from the Red Dragon to the White Dragon in Chrono Cross, you’ve earned a distraction.

That’s why I enjoy games like Shadow of the Ninja Reborn and Ghosts ‘n Goblins Resurrection.

They throw you straight into the action with very little downtime. It’s pure, unadulterated carnage, fast-paced gameplay, and no lengthy preparation before the fun begins. To me, that’s the true definition of a palate cleanser.

The Goal Isn’t To Finish Fast, Its About Refreshment –

So to recap, a palate cleanser isn’t just about playing some random game. It’s about finding a game that doesn’t demand your time, doesn’t overwhelm you with side quests, and doesn’t ask for another huge commitment before you can simply enjoy yourself.

It’s a game that gives you the right kind of distraction and the recovery time you need before starting your next big RPG.

Think about it. If you sit down with Cyber Shadow or Valis IV, you don’t have to take either game too seriously or even finish them for them to serve their purpose. Sometimes, all you need is a few hours of fast-paced action to clear your mind and remind yourself why gaming is fun.

Then, when it’s time to begin your next 100-hour adventure, you’ll be ready to enjoy it with a fresh perspective instead of carrying the mental fatigue from the last one.

Give yourself permission to step away from the RPG genre every now and then. Your next adventure will be even more enjoyable because of it. ready to start your next 100 hour adventure when you make the time to briefly step away from that RPG genre for a little while.

Keep these in mind and always give yourself time to recover from RPGs, you’re no good to that next game if your mind is still bogged down by that RPG.

Need a break after a long RPG? Here are the games I turn to when I want to recharge, clear my mind, and get ready for my next big adventure. Check out my Benable list here – https://benable.com/RoddyMcG/games-that-help-you-reset-between-long-adventures