There is no universal main-to-side-quest ratio. Follow the main mission when the game signals immediate stakes or important context; take optional quests when they deepen a character or place you care about, suit your pace, or fit your route. If a quest might be time-sensitive, check the game’s own warnings and guidance rather than treating dramatic wording as proof of a deadline.
How to choose your next quest
When both the main objective and optional activities are available, compare them on the factors that matter to your current playthrough. This is a practical decision framework, not an in-game scoring system.
- Urgency: Does the quest explicitly warn that someone or something is in immediate danger, or does the game state that time matters?
- Story relevance: Does it clarify the current conflict, introduce a key character, or change what the protagonist is responding to?
- Character or setting interest: Are you curious about the people or place involved?
- Commitment: Does it look self-contained, or does it appear to open a longer arc?
- Route and pace: Is it nearby, and would its gameplay offer a welcome change before the next main-story beat?
Use these factors to choose what sounds engaging—not to create a duty to clear every map marker. If the optional task feels unrelated and you want to know what happens next, continue the main mission.
Should you do side quests before the main quest?
Do them first when they connect to the current region or conflict, develop someone you care about, or offer a distinct activity you want to try. A nearby quest can fit naturally between main-story sections, but convenience is a tie-breaker, not an obligation.
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Prioritize the main mission when it establishes important context, delivers a major revelation, or makes the protagonist’s immediate response clear. A dramatic premise by itself does not establish a deadline: check the quest text, dialogue, and game-specific guidance before assuming an optional task will expire.
Why the right balance depends on the game
Quest structure varies by game, so a ratio that works in one RPG may disrupt the pacing of another. In a 2020 Ubisoft interview, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla narrative director Darby McDevitt described a design built around almost two dozen territory quests lasting two to three hours each, alongside shorter World Events. He contrasted that structure with roughly 100 or more side quests in Origins and Odyssey, which he characterized as taking 10 or 20 minutes each. Those are estimates for the games he discussed, not a recommended ratio for players.
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Other designers describe different approaches. In a Game Developer interview about Prey, lead designer Ricardo Bare said the team deliberately gave players latitude over when they consumed story content. A PlayStation.Blog interview with Horizon Zero Dawn developers discussed making quests responsive when players leave and return. These examples show why a universal rule cannot tell you which quest to do next: games differ in how they connect optional content, pacing, and the central story.
Will you miss side quests if you continue the main story?
Sometimes a game may change or remove access to optional content as the story progresses, but there is no universal rule about when that happens. Look for an explicit warning, urgent dialogue, a change in quest status, or official guidance for the specific game. If missing a quest would matter to you and the game offers no clear answer, make a manual note of its name and objective before moving on.
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A quest that sounds urgent is not, by itself, proof that it expires. Likewise, the fact that one game lets you leave and resume content does not prove another handles quest state the same way. Check the named game rather than relying on genre-wide assumptions.
How to switch quests without losing the story
Before leaving a main mission—or after pausing a long optional arc—capture a short continuity note. This simple habit helps you remember what was happening without assuming that every game saves or presents quest state identically.
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- Write down the active objective. Include the quest name and the next concrete task.
- Record where you paused. Note the location, the last event, or the point at which you chose to leave.
- Name the relevant characters. Add who was involved and what they wanted, if that affects the objective.
- Capture why the event mattered. A brief note about the current conflict or motivation is more useful than a full plot recap.
- On returning, check the quest log and current dialogue. Use the game’s own state to confirm whether anything changed before resuming.
Leaving and returning is a normal open-world play pattern. Horizon Zero Dawn’s quest designers specifically discussed the need for quests to respond to players who walk away and come back, but your available continuity tools still depend on the game.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to keep the side-quest backlog manageable
Choose one or a few optional quests that genuinely interest you, then reassess instead of collecting every task for later. If an activity becomes repetitive, pulls you away from the protagonist’s current motivation, or leaves you unsure what the main conflict was, return to the central mission.
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Side quests can add character, relationships, and local context; they can also feel like a backlog when the game presents them as tasks to collect and postpone. A change of pace is useful when you want one, not when it turns play into a checklist. Quest designers describe pacing as an intentional part of the experience: Techland’s 2024 discussion of quest and level design emphasizes keeping players engaged between quest stages.
Quick Recap
A quick decision rule
- Choose the main mission for explicit urgency, essential context, or when you are eager to follow the central arc.
- Choose a side quest when it interests you, adds relevant character or setting detail, or offers a worthwhile change of pace.
- Pause and check when the game gives a specific warning or you suspect access could change; verify through the quest status or official game-specific guidance.
- Leave it for later when it feels unrelated, and jot down your place if you might want to resume it.
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