The goal is not to end the backlog. The goal is to have a perpetual stock of great and enjoyable games to play for cheap. You are not supposed to stress about it. You're supposed to be proud and hyped about your game collection. Like a cave of wonders.
I would someday love to complete my backlog, but that is from more of just an accomplishment point of view. But I do agree that the goal is never to stress over ending a backlog since all those games are something to look forward to and know that you can play through any time.
Very big on the "don't buy unnecessary games" point. I've made a commitment to not buying games even at ultra high discounts if i don't intend to play them in the coming few months anymore. Because what usually happens is that the game will go into my backlog and then a year or so down the line i'll see a way better discount on it than i got it for (because that's how prices and the progression of time work) and I'll get really pissed off at myself.
I've been having that happen to me recently with the game Scarlet Nexus. I picked it up for $20, hadn't got around to playing it yet and then start seeing posts online that the game is on the lowest price ever for just $5 and I can't help but kick myself but thats just how it goes sometimes.
My biggest problem was always analysis paralysis. I was looking trough my backlog unable to pick something to play. I got myself a backlog buddy who helps me pick out games.
That's a really good idea! I have never thought of that. I've ran into the same issue of going through the backlog and unable to pick something, so it would be really nice to have someone to help out.
On PS5 i have categories that you can sort your library and most of my library backlog is from free PS+ games so i have put priority for my bought games and later playing through free ones.
I, too, have The Witcher 3 in my backlog. I told myself I'd play it after I finish the first 2 games... it took me literal years, but I FINALLY... started The Witcher 1, 4 years ago and I haven't beat it yet. *FUN.*
I feel like it's gotten to the point for me where if I actually played the game that would be weird, it's such a staple backlog game for me it's been so long since I first told myself I'd play it.
@@SamTuckManUpdate! I've finally finished The Witcher 1! Now moving on for the second game. Hopefully this one won't take me 4 years too lol Soon it'll be The Witcher 3, then I'll finally know what the fuzz is all about.
I don't mind a game being long. The true intent is to enjoy the ride. Pretend you have 4 or 5 lifetimes of time on your hands and play at your leisure. You will enjoy it more and get done faster believe it or not. Just play.
I feel like it comes down to everyone's individual intent. Some people get the most enjoyment from seeing just how much they can get out of a game and take as long as possible while others find enjoyment from speeding through games. I know personally when I play more leisurely I tend to take much longer to finish games than being more intentional.
this is now the 2nd video I have watched that relates to "The Backlog" that directly points attention to the fact that The Witcher 3 is on the backlog. I feel so seen :D
The best way I found to get through a backlog is to put the games that look interesting on a list, worth thorugh them at your leasure and put it down after between 1-3 hours depending in the game and put it on a seperate list of games you dont like/completed. At the end of the day you arent gonna find all games good and after all if you dont like a game just put it down. Games are supposed to be fun remember.
I've been putting a few games down after I realized they weren't really that fun to play. It feels weird because I used to be a complitionest for the most part and would play almost every game to its fullest regardless. Once I got enough games to really create a backlog problem is when I shifted to either playing just the story of a game or putting it down early, definitely has helped widdle away some titles in the backlog.
I've made peace with the fact that I will never finish all of my games. I created lists in my Steam to sort what I actually can see myself playing from what I likely won't. It's still a huge list, but it made me feel a bit better.
That's actually such a great idea! I've got my games sorted by genre on steam, but I think now I am going to go make a second list of games that are in my backlog or completed. I never would have thought about doing that so thank you for sharing!
I recommend deleting any lists as they keep mental pressure and make u feel like “there is still too much work to do”. The games u really wanna play - u wont miss. If u forget games that u are puting on lists, then they are not worth the time anyways. Also we keep updating these lists all the time so the “work” never ends
I think the biggest problem for my personal backlog is that it’s a lot of single-player games. It’s easy to get me to sit down with friends to play a video game but to set aside the time for myself only is a lot harder for some reason. It’s something I hope to work on because there are a lot of great games I’m missing out on because of it!
I totally understand! A lot, if not all of my backlog is single player games as well so I have to be really intentional about playing some because it is easy to get into a multiplayer game with friends
I can share a tip which has worked wonders for me: look out for sales only for games you have added to a personal wishlist. I used to comb through every sale I saw on PSN or the Switch shop, and ended up buying a couple games here and there just because I remembered someone saying something great about them, and I ended up not playing a large number of those. So now I just look out for deals on games I already know I want to play for some specific reason (usually after I do some research about them). I was able to put my backlog growth under control and I've been seeing it go steadily down for a couple years now. =)
That is a great tip! I used to be like that and slowly it got to where I was buying games I found on sale because I had heard good things about them. I need to go back to only buying games on my wishlist as well also focus on what I have already got. Thank you for sharing!
Video game fatigue is no joke! I've definitely gotten it from playing too much shooters as well before, then I took a break from those and focused more on single player games to help with the fatigue
I, too, have The Witcher 3 in my backlog, as well as The Witcher 2 (which I did start and got a few hours in) and, yeah, the dread is real. I have an odd relationship with my backlog. Some games I'll enjoy until they get frustrating and the fun goes away or it takes a LOT of attention to play it and sometimes I just don't have the energy for it so I'll stop. Other games will frustrate me and the fun goes away and I don't have the energy for it but I'll keep playing. I don't understand it either. Examples are two PS3 games I played during October for Spooky season: Splatterhouse (the 2010 remake) and Alice: Madness Returns. Got far enough in Splatterhouse to unlock Splatterhouse 2 for Genesis and the part after that was wearing me out (I do intend to return to it, but I was drained and had to tap out) while Alice I really enjoyed the first half of the game, but that second half at points was making me want to throw my controller through the screen, but I stuck with it. Once I got to the end level it became fun again, but middle/towards the end was such a slog. Glad I beat it, but I don't think I'll ever go back to it. So I'm 50/50 with games that start to annoy me. My biggest problem is a game taking WAY more time than I intended. Causing me to not play other games. I played Persona 5 this year for the first time. Just the base game on PS3. No Royale or anything. I was expecting a playthrough of about 80-100 hours. I ended up doing two playthroughs back-to-back for a grand total of 325 hours. The longest game I have ever played. I greatly enjoyed the game, and loved every minute of it, so I'm not totally complaining, but after the 150 hour mark I became increasingly aware my other games were collecting dust. I've decided to take a break from super long games and tackling the more shorter ones. That way when I eventually get to a long game (like say Witcher 2 and 3) I'll welcome it better.
I totally understand the gaming burnout but still pushing through and playing the game still. A few of the games I have played recently started to get like that for me and I pretty much had to just force myself to put the game down and move on. I also have been trying to focus on more shorter games because I was eating up a lot of my time on longer games, and while I like longer games, it's like you said, taking a break from the really long games makes it much better to then go to a longer game.
Trust me its not the backlog that is a problem but OCD/completionist mindset that we have to overcome. The best advice would be to NEVER create any lists, stop buying games unless u ready to drop everythibg and start playing this game. Also its not ur job to clean the backlog - its not a backlog, treat it as a gaming collection that u proudly own. Dont let it dictate how to live ur life, u dont owe it anything. Moreover clearing games in backlog doesnt bring any relief as usually u continue buying games/create new lists to beat. I guess the only case I would do it if backlog is less than 10 games with moderate completion times.
I would actually personally disagree. Making lists really helps me with gaming! I don't treat my backlog like a chore I need to do but rather a collection of games I have yet to experience. I have made smaller lists of games I had but hadn't played yet and some of those games turned out to be amazing times playing! So for me personally, lists help. I will say, avoiding the complicationist mind set is tricky sometimes. I try to stay aware of when the fun stops. If I am not having fun playing a game I try to stop myself. That way I am not just playing that game to be completing it and "wasting" time.
This video is deeply relateble. My method is: play and record the game and when finished I record and opinion from it and use the videó under it. So at least it is productive. Even if only 3 people watch it.
Dreaded? Not a chance. I've got over 700 games in my backlog, probably won't finish all of them but I'll certainly try them. The issue is my PC can't run most of them.
I used to be really into playing video games as a kid and teenager but then since around 18 years old, I kind of lost interest because I had other things I was more interested in like movies, tv shows, and lifting weights but now I'm at 25 and slowly getting back into it, but instead of having the former perspective of wanting to 100% something, it's about personal enjoyment, I play until I get bored and then I move on. Nowadays, if I buy something and get bored before the 2h mark, I refund it, so I make sure to play my new purchases, especially if they were very expensive. I do wish I had applied that rule when I started buying games because I too have a huge backlog but I don't really care and I see it as a good thing because for instance right now, due to the new Fallout tv show, I want to start playing Fallout New Vegas for the first time, having played only Fallout 4 on PS4 back in 2015, and the thing is I bought a bundle with all the Fallout games back in 2018 but never played them, because I just didn't have the focus for it, but now I'm finally ready to get into it. Also, when Baldur's Gate 3 came out, I wasn't really into it but listening to the soundtrack while studying made me much more interested in it so I'll eventually get around to it, I don't have it but I can borrow my brother's copy with Steam family share. For me, one of the reasons I stopped gaming is because I've lived all my life taking ADHD meds to focus and at around age 18, I stopped, thinking I'd be better off without but as a result, I couldn't focus on anything that required constant mental effort to focus, like a long game, so I couldn't play games anymore. When I started my meds again then I had stopped gaming for so long I just couldn't get back into it. I did play some very long games like AC Odyssey or Hogwarts Legacy as they came out, when I was really interested in the story, but it was a very rare thing for me, and the game had to hit the right theme for me to be interested. Sometimes it's weird because I'll pay like 70$ for a game I play for only a few hours, while other times I pay like 5$ for a game I spend over 20 hours on. Problem is you can never predict what you'll like, not even the price tag can tell you that.
I have personally been trying to get better at not forcing myself to play a game to be playing a game. When I get bored I maybe play little bit longer or try to reach one more "milestone" to see if things pick back up, but if they don't I will drop the game, at least for the meantime. It's definitely helped get through some older games I've had sitting around for a while. Problem is while I am trying to work on that, I too have been inspired by the new Fallout show and bought Fallout 4 and New Vegas on a sale, so that's two more games to the backlog. I can't relate to having ADHD, and I'm not going to try and pretend I can understand that. But I have had my own experiences with not being focused enough on a game to effectively sit down and fully enjoy playing through it, whether that be from stress in other areas in my life or just overall not being interested in the game. Something that's helped me be more focused/motivated on games when that happens is to set really short goals, something I could do in at the very most an hour, and if I am content after that I'll stop, but sometimes the completion of that small goal motivates me to set another. That's how I have been trying to tackle some of the games I've been playing recently.
I have too many games myself, but it's good to look through all the greatest videogames throughout history and be able to play them on a whim. Although I don't have as much time to game as I used to, it's great to have those moments where you can discover a new game, sit down and enjoy the whole thing. I need to start doing that again. Great video, btw.
Thank you! And yeah, I absolutely love having a collection of amazing games, classic and newer, to just pick from and play at any given time. But I've also got the issue of not having as much time to game anymore so I totally get what you mean about the moments when you can sit down and enjoy a new game.
You said something that actually got me to play old games from my backlog. Just aim to complete a game don’t aim to 100% off the bat. That is what I always dreaded about starting a new game. But if you just aim to complete it and have enough fun with it too 100% then go for it but don’t try too off of the bat. It makes the games seem longer than they are. It worked for me and I have been playing more games also something that kept me from starting playing my back log was FOMO from multiplayer games I was playing. I was so afraid that I would miss on getting something cool that’s only their for a limited time. But I that I didn’t have anyone to show off said cool thing with so now i am just having fun playing games I meant to play for years and having fun
Anytime I start playing a multiplayer game all my singleplayer games get pushed aside because I'll go all in on multiplayer. It's a dangerous risk for me when I get interested in any sort of multiplayer game 😂
I dont have this problem. Been blasting through mine and i probably have way less time than you. Full time and children with one son handicapped along with my wife. Games are there for me. Not the other way around. My best friends.
Man I wish I could say the same. It's not a wife and kids, but almost all my time is taken up by school work, trying to get through the senior semesters of my mechanical engineering degree doesn't allow the greatest schedule for gaming unfortunately. All the props to you for finding that time to game!
Before the Wii U eshop shut down I bought a ton of metriod games off of it. The Wii U was the best and most affordable way to get most of the games. I had only played Dread and loved it so I wanted to go back and play the earlier entries. It took me a while, but I finally got around to playing them. Still haven’t played all of them but I have played a good handful. Metroid prime federation force surprised me the most. A lot of people hate that game, but I actually really enjoyed it. Most people only dislike the game because of when it was announced. The hatred people have for the game has nothing to do with the game itself
I remember the discorse around Federation Force when it was revealed and released, it was such a strange thing to witness since I have never played a Metroid game and so I had no attachement to Federation Force and how it was being treated as a Prime game. From what I have seen of gameplay and reviews looking at the game just by itself, it really doesn't seem all that bad, but I totally understand why people were upset at the time. I really do want to get around to playing some Metroid games some time though, Fusion especially looks fun!
My backlog Monster hunter world iceborne expansion Rainworld The world ends with you neo Dark souls 3 Monster hunter 3U Fire emblem three houses Pokemon super mystery dungeon Darkest dungeon Dead cells Skull the hero slayer Games i finished recently Monster Hunter stories 2 Monster Hunter Geberations Ultimate Pokemon legends Monster hunter Rise sunbreak expansion I love monster hunter so , with this stuff happening in my backlog I feel bad
That's a good but very manageable backlog! I actually haven't played any of those games so I can't say much, although I've wanted to check out FE three houses and I did just get the original mystery dungeon blur recently for DS. Off your recently finished list, I actually just started Monster Hunter Stories 2 today and I really like what I've played so far! I've never gotten into the Monster Hunter franchise besides a few hours in World so I'm excited to try it out more!
Late reply, but monster hunter is probably the number 1 reason I have a backlog. I have calculated 1800 hours that it would take to play through all of my backlog games. That is about the same amount of time I have played monster hunter over the past decade lol
I had backlogs with my ps4 games. I just prioritized those that are shorter. then afterwards along the way I decided to play what I like to play. backlogs unclogged. that time I have physical copies. I also considered those that were released earlier so that I can sell them. now I am subscribed to PSN, got lots of backlogs because of those "free" games. I know that I may never play some of them but hey I play what I want to play and try to insert those that were originally released so that the remaining games are those that were later released. I skip those that does not interest me, don't finish some of them; at least that's 1 game crossed out 1 at a time.
I've never really considered free game to necessarily be apart of my backlog. I've got tons that I've been collecting from the Epic Games store when they give out free games and I think of those games more as bonus games. I've definitely gotten to where I have started to prioritize my shorter games, as well as dropping and not finishing games that aren't 100% gripping my attention.
Great video! While I do have a soft spot for RPGs, I have to recommend that you play through Cris Tales soon. It was met with ok reviews from critics, but is my second favorite game of all time. The soundtrack is phenomenal too!
I played through a couple hours of the start of the game and it just didn't really grab me so I put it down. I really enjoy the art style and soundtrack and the gimmick the game is going for, but the story was not enough for me at the time. I really want to give the game another go some day when I'm really in the mood to give it a better chance!
Nice vid my friend. I just got the new A Plague Tale game and am currently waiting for the new God of War. Those shall be the last games I ordered because my personal goal for 2023 is to not buy any other game and instead try to finish all the games I own (and want to finish). Greetings from Germany!
That sounds like a great goal to set! I would definitely struggle with it myself, but that goal is giving yourself the best opportunity to finish all those backlogged games for sure! Hope you enjoy A Plague Tale and God of War when that releases!
That's a good question. I want to say it is better, but I am confident in saying I have more unplayed games now than I did last year. I have gotten around to playing a lot of titles I have been wanting to play but in the process I have also accumulated more games that I haven't gotten the chance to play yet. I think the reason I feel like my backlog has gotten better though is because I have gotten better about just playing some games for as long as I am having fun, instead of forcing myself to play till completion or past when I am having fun. Of course I still have those games that I want to see to the very end or even 100% regardless, but for just some smaller or random titles I am find just playing a few hours and moving along to the next game. So yeah, little bit of a complicated answer but hopefully I got my point across clear enough 😅
I absolutely love Howlongtobeat! I look at it for almost every game I play just to get a rough estimate of playtime. But I do agree there are some games with stats all over the place. I have seen both way under and way over time estimates for games I have played.
@@SamTuckMan I find SHMUPs to be the worth examples. HLTB will say 30 or 40 minutes (because that's how long a complete run takes) and then it'll take you 14 hours to actually beat the game. Also there's a huge issue with how it tracks emulation and versions/ports of a game, treating them as the same thing. So most people don't declare when they're emulating, opting rather to specify the console that game was released on which leads to save-states and rewind skewing the stats. Partially a user issue and also a webdesign problem.
5:19 Oh my god, SAME! I've been needing to finish FFA for so long but I keep pushing it aside for bigger games. It's pretty frustrating as a zeldaike sometimes, though.
I kept pushing it aside for a while too! But once I sat down and actually started playing it doesn't take too long to play though. And I'll admit I had to used the quick save and load feature a lot while playing because of how frustrating it can be at times.
I guess mostly for the self satisfaction to say you have played all the games you've backlogged. But I totally get what you're saying! A backlog is essentially a personalized prebuilt selection of games you can pick from anytime you want to play something new.
So stressed over mine Xbox -40 games left Assassins creed Valhalla (too big and so much to do ) Watchdogs legion (boring…) Gta vice city Red dead 2 (so much to do) Far cry 6 Visage Spyro 2/3 Assassins Creed 3 remastered That’s single player games And shit load coop Fml Oh and keep in mind…I’m a huge achievement hunter
My backlog grows because every single game, needs to be tested to make sure the dick, or cartridge works. Basically quality control is my problem. But I have finally collected all the main Zelda games, my goal is to get through all the Zelda games before Tears of the Kingdom
@@SamTuckMan another problem I have when it comes to my back Log, is I have a hard time finishing games, I can't seem to say goodbye to the characters and surroundings. Anyway I don't know why I'm telling you all this, maybe it could be a topic or something...
I totally get that! I've been so all over the place with my games recently, I will start one game and after an hour or so I either stop or move on to the next one without truly playing any of these games.
@@SamTuckMan It's weird. I have no issue streaming Persona 5 for hours on end but other games can't even keep me interested. But I've actually finally started getting to my backlog. Finally started playing the original Zelda, Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity, the old Metroid games and it's an amazing feeling
@@royalcass It's definitly a lot of fun to sit down and finally play those games that you have been wanting to play! I always love that feeling of finally tackling a game after so long of wanting to
@@SamTuckMan It helps me to play games like Smash Ultimate in between my play sessions, like hey Cass you played this much of your backlog recently, reward yourself and play some Smash, or 1 or 2 rounds and then I'll sink some time into my backlog. You didn't mention doing something like that, but it honestly helps me
Oh for sure! I typically try to avoid really long rpgs, and if I do end up buying one it goes straight to the front of the backlog so I can play and finish it so not to clog up my backlog
So, theoretically, someone who's limited in time but want to play long games such as RPGs and farming sims (like me), can't possibly be able to play these games to the fullest? Are we just destined to not be able to complete these games even if we really want to? Is this a curse of the gamer life or is reality just unfair...? btw I'm only joking and totally not serious... Or am I? Anyway, awesome video and the words of advice on backlog gaming, thx!
I'll just play Skyrim right after I finish The Witcher 3 right after I finish Breath of the Wild right after I finish DoS2. Ah... How about another round of Vampire Survivors. I'm trying to think of just having fun while playing instead of seeing it as a chore to clear the backlog. Someone mentioned that instead of seeing it as a backlog, see it as a library of free games available at any time.
@@SamTuckMan Great! I'm generally going for roguelites or games no longer than 20 hours. Else I burn out. Hopefully I'll complete those titles at some point!
It's called Coromon. I picked the game up for steam, but if I am remembering correctly I think there is a free phone app of the game. So far I have really enjoyed it! I'm only a few hours in, but it gives off a lot of 2D pokemon vibes. I'd love to possibly make a video about the full game some day when I get around to completing it.
It's called Coromon. It's a pokemon like game on Steam, but I think it may also have a free app version as well. It's got that classic DS pokemon feel to it. I haven't finished the game but what I have played is pretty fun so far!
Stop playing the same games over and over (*ahem* The Last of Us). I dunno why I spent $80 to buy a game I already played 3 times through. It’s eating up my time to play games from my backlog. As guilty as I feel, it’s getting deleted for good. Bring on DMC5 and Bayonetta 1&2 :)
There is definitely a comfort to replaying a game you've already played before. But it is always good to give new games a shot too! Hope you enjoy those games!
![How to Deal with your Overwhelming Backlog - [SuperSamBams]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/y3KJ0Abd96c/mqdefault.jpg)
Second
The best First World Problem ever.
Oh 100%
The goal is not to end the backlog. The goal is to have a perpetual stock of great and enjoyable games to play for cheap.
You are not supposed to stress about it. You're supposed to be proud and hyped about your game collection. Like a cave of wonders.
I would someday love to complete my backlog, but that is from more of just an accomplishment point of view. But I do agree that the goal is never to stress over ending a backlog since all those games are something to look forward to and know that you can play through any time.
Very big on the "don't buy unnecessary games" point. I've made a commitment to not buying games even at ultra high discounts if i don't intend to play them in the coming few months anymore. Because what usually happens is that the game will go into my backlog and then a year or so down the line i'll see a way better discount on it than i got it for (because that's how prices and the progression of time work) and I'll get really pissed off at myself.
I've been having that happen to me recently with the game Scarlet Nexus. I picked it up for $20, hadn't got around to playing it yet and then start seeing posts online that the game is on the lowest price ever for just $5 and I can't help but kick myself but thats just how it goes sometimes.
My biggest problem was always analysis paralysis. I was looking trough my backlog unable to pick something to play. I got myself a backlog buddy who helps me pick out games.
That's a really good idea! I have never thought of that. I've ran into the same issue of going through the backlog and unable to pick something, so it would be really nice to have someone to help out.
On PS5 i have categories that you can sort your library and most of my library backlog is from free PS+ games so i have put priority for my bought games and later playing through free ones.
I, too, have The Witcher 3 in my backlog. I told myself I'd play it after I finish the first 2 games... it took me literal years, but I FINALLY... started The Witcher 1, 4 years ago and I haven't beat it yet.
*FUN.*
I feel like it's gotten to the point for me where if I actually played the game that would be weird, it's such a staple backlog game for me it's been so long since I first told myself I'd play it.
@@SamTuckManUpdate! I've finally finished The Witcher 1! Now moving on for the second game. Hopefully this one won't take me 4 years too lol Soon it'll be The Witcher 3, then I'll finally know what the fuzz is all about.
I don't mind a game being long. The true intent is to enjoy the ride. Pretend you have 4 or 5 lifetimes of time on your hands and play at your leisure. You will enjoy it more and get done faster believe it or not.
Just play.
I feel like it comes down to everyone's individual intent. Some people get the most enjoyment from seeing just how much they can get out of a game and take as long as possible while others find enjoyment from speeding through games. I know personally when I play more leisurely I tend to take much longer to finish games than being more intentional.
this is now the 2nd video I have watched that relates to "The Backlog" that directly points attention to the fact that The Witcher 3 is on the backlog. I feel so seen :D
Honestly I'm glad I am not the only one with the Witcher 3 on my backlog and that there are others out there as well 😂
@@SamTuckMansame for me too
The best way I found to get through a backlog is to put the games that look interesting on a list, worth thorugh them at your leasure and put it down after between 1-3 hours depending in the game and put it on a seperate list of games you dont like/completed. At the end of the day you arent gonna find all games good and after all if you dont like a game just put it down. Games are supposed to be fun remember.
I've been putting a few games down after I realized they weren't really that fun to play. It feels weird because I used to be a complitionest for the most part and would play almost every game to its fullest regardless. Once I got enough games to really create a backlog problem is when I shifted to either playing just the story of a game or putting it down early, definitely has helped widdle away some titles in the backlog.
I also have the Witcher 3 on my backlog
It's a daunting game for a backlog for sure!
I've made peace with the fact that I will never finish all of my games. I created lists in my Steam to sort what I actually can see myself playing from what I likely won't. It's still a huge list, but it made me feel a bit better.
That's actually such a great idea! I've got my games sorted by genre on steam, but I think now I am going to go make a second list of games that are in my backlog or completed. I never would have thought about doing that so thank you for sharing!
I recommend deleting any lists as they keep mental pressure and make u feel like “there is still too much work to do”.
The games u really wanna play - u wont miss. If u forget games that u are puting on lists, then they are not worth the time anyways.
Also we keep updating these lists all the time so the “work” never ends
When you’re broke for a month or so due to unexpected bills or holidays … the backlog is a godsend!
Oh I can imagine for sure!
I think the biggest problem for my personal backlog is that it’s a lot of single-player games. It’s easy to get me to sit down with friends to play a video game but to set aside the time for myself only is a lot harder for some reason. It’s something I hope to work on because there are a lot of great games I’m missing out on because of it!
I totally understand! A lot, if not all of my backlog is single player games as well so I have to be really intentional about playing some because it is easy to get into a multiplayer game with friends
The struggle is real to get through all of these games. Especially with all of the games coming out in the next few months 😵💫😵💫
The endless struggle of having too many good games to play is the best struggle to have 😂
@@SamTuckMan amen lol
I think every gamers out there has lots of backlog they keep bringing to much good games out so
oh 100% yes!
Yes I am a little embarrassed to say I haven’t finished RDR2 yet... but I’m very far in it, I jst don’t want it to end...
My steam deck has had me playing one emulated masterpiece after another. Idk if I'm making or breaking backlog buts it's amazing
Hey, either way, it definitly beats not playing any games that's for sure!
I can share a tip which has worked wonders for me: look out for sales only for games you have added to a personal wishlist. I used to comb through every sale I saw on PSN or the Switch shop, and ended up buying a couple games here and there just because I remembered someone saying something great about them, and I ended up not playing a large number of those. So now I just look out for deals on games I already know I want to play for some specific reason (usually after I do some research about them). I was able to put my backlog growth under control and I've been seeing it go steadily down for a couple years now. =)
That is a great tip! I used to be like that and slowly it got to where I was buying games I found on sale because I had heard good things about them. I need to go back to only buying games on my wishlist as well also focus on what I have already got. Thank you for sharing!
I agree, having a small wishlist and just checking it instead of weekly 500+ games sale helps avoid the unnecessary spending and increases of backlog
Hehe, my backlog is going to take years. The number goes into the thousands. 😉
I agree with you, the best advice is just to sit down and go at it.
In a perfect world you'd have thousands of years to clear that backlog 😂
@@SamTuckMan Amen to that!
I had video game fatigue from playing only shooter games multiplayer, took 10 months break. Slowly going back to games
Video game fatigue is no joke! I've definitely gotten it from playing too much shooters as well before, then I took a break from those and focused more on single player games to help with the fatigue
I, too, have The Witcher 3 in my backlog, as well as The Witcher 2 (which I did start and got a few hours in) and, yeah, the dread is real. I have an odd relationship with my backlog. Some games I'll enjoy until they get frustrating and the fun goes away or it takes a LOT of attention to play it and sometimes I just don't have the energy for it so I'll stop. Other games will frustrate me and the fun goes away and I don't have the energy for it but I'll keep playing. I don't understand it either. Examples are two PS3 games I played during October for Spooky season: Splatterhouse (the 2010 remake) and Alice: Madness Returns. Got far enough in Splatterhouse to unlock Splatterhouse 2 for Genesis and the part after that was wearing me out (I do intend to return to it, but I was drained and had to tap out) while Alice I really enjoyed the first half of the game, but that second half at points was making me want to throw my controller through the screen, but I stuck with it. Once I got to the end level it became fun again, but middle/towards the end was such a slog. Glad I beat it, but I don't think I'll ever go back to it. So I'm 50/50 with games that start to annoy me.
My biggest problem is a game taking WAY more time than I intended. Causing me to not play other games. I played Persona 5 this year for the first time. Just the base game on PS3. No Royale or anything. I was expecting a playthrough of about 80-100 hours. I ended up doing two playthroughs back-to-back for a grand total of 325 hours. The longest game I have ever played. I greatly enjoyed the game, and loved every minute of it, so I'm not totally complaining, but after the 150 hour mark I became increasingly aware my other games were collecting dust. I've decided to take a break from super long games and tackling the more shorter ones. That way when I eventually get to a long game (like say Witcher 2 and 3) I'll welcome it better.
I totally understand the gaming burnout but still pushing through and playing the game still. A few of the games I have played recently started to get like that for me and I pretty much had to just force myself to put the game down and move on. I also have been trying to focus on more shorter games because I was eating up a lot of my time on longer games, and while I like longer games, it's like you said, taking a break from the really long games makes it much better to then go to a longer game.
Trust me its not the backlog that is a problem but OCD/completionist mindset that we have to overcome.
The best advice would be to NEVER create any lists, stop buying games unless u ready to drop everythibg and start playing this game. Also its not ur job to clean the backlog - its not a backlog, treat it as a gaming collection that u proudly own. Dont let it dictate how to live ur life, u dont owe it anything.
Moreover clearing games in backlog doesnt bring any relief as usually u continue buying games/create new lists to beat.
I guess the only case I would do it if backlog is less than 10 games with moderate completion times.
I would actually personally disagree. Making lists really helps me with gaming! I don't treat my backlog like a chore I need to do but rather a collection of games I have yet to experience. I have made smaller lists of games I had but hadn't played yet and some of those games turned out to be amazing times playing! So for me personally, lists help.
I will say, avoiding the complicationist mind set is tricky sometimes. I try to stay aware of when the fun stops. If I am not having fun playing a game I try to stop myself. That way I am not just playing that game to be completing it and "wasting" time.
Start with the game you've had the longest and get to playing. 😁 Great video. Love the avatar 😍
Thank you so much!
This video is deeply relateble. My method is: play and record the game and when finished I record and opinion from it and use the videó under it. So at least it is productive. Even if only 3 people watch it.
Not bad of a method at all! I have definitely used getting background footage as a way to encourage myself to clear games from my backlog before.
Dreaded? Not a chance. I've got over 700 games in my backlog, probably won't finish all of them but I'll certainly try them. The issue is my PC can't run most of them.
Now that is a respectful backlog right there! Hopefully you can find a way around the PC issues and can try them all out some day.
I used to be really into playing video games as a kid and teenager but then since around 18 years old, I kind of lost interest because I had other things I was more interested in like movies, tv shows, and lifting weights but now I'm at 25 and slowly getting back into it, but instead of having the former perspective of wanting to 100% something, it's about personal enjoyment, I play until I get bored and then I move on. Nowadays, if I buy something and get bored before the 2h mark, I refund it, so I make sure to play my new purchases, especially if they were very expensive. I do wish I had applied that rule when I started buying games because I too have a huge backlog but I don't really care and I see it as a good thing because for instance right now, due to the new Fallout tv show, I want to start playing Fallout New Vegas for the first time, having played only Fallout 4 on PS4 back in 2015, and the thing is I bought a bundle with all the Fallout games back in 2018 but never played them, because I just didn't have the focus for it, but now I'm finally ready to get into it. Also, when Baldur's Gate 3 came out, I wasn't really into it but listening to the soundtrack while studying made me much more interested in it so I'll eventually get around to it, I don't have it but I can borrow my brother's copy with Steam family share.
For me, one of the reasons I stopped gaming is because I've lived all my life taking ADHD meds to focus and at around age 18, I stopped, thinking I'd be better off without but as a result, I couldn't focus on anything that required constant mental effort to focus, like a long game, so I couldn't play games anymore. When I started my meds again then I had stopped gaming for so long I just couldn't get back into it. I did play some very long games like AC Odyssey or Hogwarts Legacy as they came out, when I was really interested in the story, but it was a very rare thing for me, and the game had to hit the right theme for me to be interested. Sometimes it's weird because I'll pay like 70$ for a game I play for only a few hours, while other times I pay like 5$ for a game I spend over 20 hours on. Problem is you can never predict what you'll like, not even the price tag can tell you that.
I have personally been trying to get better at not forcing myself to play a game to be playing a game. When I get bored I maybe play little bit longer or try to reach one more "milestone" to see if things pick back up, but if they don't I will drop the game, at least for the meantime. It's definitely helped get through some older games I've had sitting around for a while. Problem is while I am trying to work on that, I too have been inspired by the new Fallout show and bought Fallout 4 and New Vegas on a sale, so that's two more games to the backlog.
I can't relate to having ADHD, and I'm not going to try and pretend I can understand that. But I have had my own experiences with not being focused enough on a game to effectively sit down and fully enjoy playing through it, whether that be from stress in other areas in my life or just overall not being interested in the game. Something that's helped me be more focused/motivated on games when that happens is to set really short goals, something I could do in at the very most an hour, and if I am content after that I'll stop, but sometimes the completion of that small goal motivates me to set another. That's how I have been trying to tackle some of the games I've been playing recently.
I have too many games myself, but it's good to look through all the greatest videogames throughout history and be able to play them on a whim. Although I don't have as much time to game as I used to, it's great to have those moments where you can discover a new game, sit down and enjoy the whole thing. I need to start doing that again. Great video, btw.
Thank you! And yeah, I absolutely love having a collection of amazing games, classic and newer, to just pick from and play at any given time. But I've also got the issue of not having as much time to game anymore so I totally get what you mean about the moments when you can sit down and enjoy a new game.
You said something that actually got me to play old games from my backlog. Just aim to complete a game don’t aim to 100% off the bat. That is what I always dreaded about starting a new game. But if you just aim to complete it and have enough fun with it too 100% then go for it but don’t try too off of the bat. It makes the games seem longer than they are. It worked for me and I have been playing more games also something that kept me from starting playing my back log was FOMO from multiplayer games I was playing. I was so afraid that I would miss on getting something cool that’s only their for a limited time. But I that I didn’t have anyone to show off said cool thing with so now i am just having fun playing games I meant to play for years and having fun
I'm really glad to hear that what I have said has helped you with your backlog! That's awesome!
I'm a multiplayer gamer but got lots of singleplayer games still, working on my backlog
Anytime I start playing a multiplayer game all my singleplayer games get pushed aside because I'll go all in on multiplayer. It's a dangerous risk for me when I get interested in any sort of multiplayer game 😂
We are all suckers for cheap deals
Can never beat a good cheap deal 😎
I dont have this problem. Been blasting through mine and i probably have way less time than you.
Full time and children with one son handicapped along with my wife.
Games are there for me. Not the other way around.
My best friends.
Man I wish I could say the same. It's not a wife and kids, but almost all my time is taken up by school work, trying to get through the senior semesters of my mechanical engineering degree doesn't allow the greatest schedule for gaming unfortunately. All the props to you for finding that time to game!
Final Fantasy Adventure and Zelda Awakening are 2 of my favorite Gameboy games. I think I beat FFA 10 times or so
Both solid games for sure! I've played Link's Awakening a couple of times and I can definitely see myself going back and playing FFA again sometime.
@@SamTuckMan yeah it's fun to play FFA with different stat builds
Great video! BTW, "Supper is ready." 🤣 @Coopiman made me do it!
oh boy can't wait to eat!!
Before the Wii U eshop shut down I bought a ton of metriod games off of it. The Wii U was the best and most affordable way to get most of the games. I had only played Dread and loved it so I wanted to go back and play the earlier entries. It took me a while, but I finally got around to playing them. Still haven’t played all of them but I have played a good handful. Metroid prime federation force surprised me the most. A lot of people hate that game, but I actually really enjoyed it. Most people only dislike the game because of when it was announced. The hatred people have for the game has nothing to do with the game itself
I remember the discorse around Federation Force when it was revealed and released, it was such a strange thing to witness since I have never played a Metroid game and so I had no attachement to Federation Force and how it was being treated as a Prime game. From what I have seen of gameplay and reviews looking at the game just by itself, it really doesn't seem all that bad, but I totally understand why people were upset at the time. I really do want to get around to playing some Metroid games some time though, Fusion especially looks fun!
@@SamTuckMan Fusion is fantastic. It’s my second favorite in the series. My top 3 are Dread, fusion and federation force
@@theghostwiththemost789 Dread also looks really good! I've been keeping an eye out for a good deal to grab the game
My backlog
Monster hunter world iceborne expansion
Rainworld
The world ends with you neo
Dark souls 3
Monster hunter 3U
Fire emblem three houses
Pokemon super mystery dungeon
Darkest dungeon
Dead cells
Skull the hero slayer
Games i finished recently
Monster Hunter stories 2
Monster Hunter Geberations Ultimate
Pokemon legends
Monster hunter Rise sunbreak expansion
I love monster hunter so , with this stuff happening in my backlog I feel bad
That's a good but very manageable backlog! I actually haven't played any of those games so I can't say much, although I've wanted to check out FE three houses and I did just get the original mystery dungeon blur recently for DS. Off your recently finished list, I actually just started Monster Hunter Stories 2 today and I really like what I've played so far! I've never gotten into the Monster Hunter franchise besides a few hours in World so I'm excited to try it out more!
@@SamTuckMan yeah the games are extremely fun I recommend them!
Late reply, but monster hunter is probably the number 1 reason I have a backlog. I have calculated 1800 hours that it would take to play through all of my backlog games. That is about the same amount of time I have played monster hunter over the past decade lol
I had backlogs with my ps4 games. I just prioritized those that are shorter. then afterwards along the way I decided to play what I like to play. backlogs unclogged. that time I have physical copies. I also considered those that were released earlier so that I can sell them.
now I am subscribed to PSN, got lots of backlogs because of those "free" games. I know that I may never play some of them but hey I play what I want to play and try to insert those that were originally released so that the remaining games are those that were later released.
I skip those that does not interest me, don't finish some of them; at least that's 1 game crossed out 1 at a time.
I've never really considered free game to necessarily be apart of my backlog. I've got tons that I've been collecting from the Epic Games store when they give out free games and I think of those games more as bonus games.
I've definitely gotten to where I have started to prioritize my shorter games, as well as dropping and not finishing games that aren't 100% gripping my attention.
you gotta play secret of mana with a friend, peak co-op multiplayer
You see, the problem with that is having a friend
@@SamTuckMan too real :( i'd keep it on the backlog until u hav some1 to play w then
Loved the vid keep up the amazing work!
Glad to hear! Thank you very much!
Great video! While I do have a soft spot for RPGs, I have to recommend that you play through Cris Tales soon. It was met with ok reviews from critics, but is my second favorite game of all time. The soundtrack is phenomenal too!
I played through a couple hours of the start of the game and it just didn't really grab me so I put it down. I really enjoy the art style and soundtrack and the gimmick the game is going for, but the story was not enough for me at the time. I really want to give the game another go some day when I'm really in the mood to give it a better chance!
@@SamTuckMan It's definitely not a game for everyone, but it is one I can recommend!
Between PS5, PC, and Switch I have over 300 games in my backlog and all I do is keep playing the same fps games.
That's way more than just a backlog! That's a full blown gamestore a video games to pick from 😂can't say it's the worst problem ever.
Playing games one by one will get through backlog and move to the next one
Yeah when I find myself playing multiple games at the same time it ends up taking more time and I often times don't finish them all anyways
It's either you don't have money to buy games or you have too many games to play and you don't know where to start. Both sucks!
If only we could live in some perfect middle-ground reality!
Nice vid my friend. I just got the new A Plague Tale game and am currently waiting for the new God of War. Those shall be the last games I ordered because my personal goal for 2023 is to not buy any other game and instead try to finish all the games I own (and want to finish).
Greetings from Germany!
That sounds like a great goal to set! I would definitely struggle with it myself, but that goal is giving yourself the best opportunity to finish all those backlogged games for sure! Hope you enjoy A Plague Tale and God of War when that releases!
Me with 1 game looking good this year…😢
😅
Cute graphics!!!
I was going for "cool" but I'll take what I can get. Thank you!
Almost a year from now. How's your backlog nowadays?
That's a good question. I want to say it is better, but I am confident in saying I have more unplayed games now than I did last year. I have gotten around to playing a lot of titles I have been wanting to play but in the process I have also accumulated more games that I haven't gotten the chance to play yet. I think the reason I feel like my backlog has gotten better though is because I have gotten better about just playing some games for as long as I am having fun, instead of forcing myself to play till completion or past when I am having fun. Of course I still have those games that I want to see to the very end or even 100% regardless, but for just some smaller or random titles I am find just playing a few hours and moving along to the next game. So yeah, little bit of a complicated answer but hopefully I got my point across clear enough 😅
Howlongtobeat is a great resource but take it with a grain of salt. Some of the stats are completely broken.
I absolutely love Howlongtobeat! I look at it for almost every game I play just to get a rough estimate of playtime. But I do agree there are some games with stats all over the place. I have seen both way under and way over time estimates for games I have played.
@@SamTuckMan I find SHMUPs to be the worth examples. HLTB will say 30 or 40 minutes (because that's how long a complete run takes) and then it'll take you 14 hours to actually beat the game.
Also there's a huge issue with how it tracks emulation and versions/ports of a game, treating them as the same thing. So most people don't declare when they're emulating, opting rather to specify the console that game was released on which leads to save-states and rewind skewing the stats.
Partially a user issue and also a webdesign problem.
5:19 Oh my god, SAME! I've been needing to finish FFA for so long but I keep pushing it aside for bigger games. It's pretty frustrating as a zeldaike sometimes, though.
I kept pushing it aside for a while too! But once I sat down and actually started playing it doesn't take too long to play though. And I'll admit I had to used the quick save and load feature a lot while playing because of how frustrating it can be at times.
@@SamTuckMan Agreed. ANd the Mattok can kiss my arse.
@@SamTuckMan Plus, how the actual FUCK does this video only have 521 views? This is so underrated, you deserve more than this, man.
@oghiewankenobi Thank you so much I really appreciate that!
Backlog is a library. Why would you want it to be empty?
I guess mostly for the self satisfaction to say you have played all the games you've backlogged. But I totally get what you're saying! A backlog is essentially a personalized prebuilt selection of games you can pick from anytime you want to play something new.
Good video
Thank you!
So stressed over mine
Xbox -40 games left
Assassins creed Valhalla (too big and so much to do )
Watchdogs legion (boring…)
Gta vice city
Red dead 2 (so much to do)
Far cry 6
Visage
Spyro 2/3
Assassins Creed 3 remastered
That’s single player games
And shit load coop
Fml
Oh and keep in mind…I’m a huge achievement hunter
Achievement hunting is always my downfall. Godspeed with that list
@@SamTuckMan for real…. It’s so stressful lol
Appreciate that
It’s def a lot
My backlog grows because every single game, needs to be tested to make sure the dick, or cartridge works. Basically quality control is my problem. But I have finally collected all the main Zelda games, my goal is to get through all the Zelda games before Tears of the Kingdom
Oh I'm so jealous, I would love to have a collection of the Zelda games! And I think that is a totally achievable goal to meet!
@@SamTuckMan another problem I have when it comes to my back
Log, is I have a hard time finishing games, I can't seem to say goodbye to the characters and surroundings. Anyway I don't know why I'm telling you all this, maybe it could be a topic or something...
@@jessedessain2149 Oh for sure! And I definitely feel that with a lot of games I play. Especially more story and character focused games
Let’s be honest: we won’t be able to finish our games backlog. Too much life going on..
In a perfect world, there would be enough time for games and life
Dam. He jus like mi.
Yes sir!
You have The Witcher 3 in you back log? Drop everything and play it now!!!!
I really wish I could!! But, I am planning to sit down and play the Witcher 3 during the next break I get from school.
Great video!
Thank you!
What was that first game you showed?
First gameplay showed was from Super Mario Maker 2 of some random level I played while doing endless easy mode.
My problem is my attention span. I wanna beat so many of these games but never have the attention span
I totally get that! I've been so all over the place with my games recently, I will start one game and after an hour or so I either stop or move on to the next one without truly playing any of these games.
@@SamTuckMan It's weird. I have no issue streaming Persona 5 for hours on end but other games can't even keep me interested.
But I've actually finally started getting to my backlog. Finally started playing the original Zelda, Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity, the old Metroid games and it's an amazing feeling
@@royalcass It's definitly a lot of fun to sit down and finally play those games that you have been wanting to play! I always love that feeling of finally tackling a game after so long of wanting to
@@SamTuckMan It helps me to play games like Smash Ultimate in between my play sessions, like hey Cass you played this much of your backlog recently, reward yourself and play some Smash, or 1 or 2 rounds and then I'll sink some time into my backlog. You didn't mention doing something like that, but it honestly helps me
@@royalcass I've never really done something like that, but I could definitely see how it would help!
20 to 30 hours is short , try rpgs 60 to 100 hours.
Oh for sure! I typically try to avoid really long rpgs, and if I do end up buying one it goes straight to the front of the backlog so I can play and finish it so not to clog up my backlog
So, theoretically, someone who's limited in time but want to play long games such as RPGs and farming sims (like me), can't possibly be able to play these games to the fullest?
Are we just destined to not be able to complete these games even if we really want to? Is this a curse of the gamer life or is reality just unfair...?
btw I'm only joking and totally not serious... Or am I?
Anyway, awesome video and the words of advice on backlog gaming, thx!
Thank you! RPGs are my downfall. I love playing longer games but they always either go unfinished or unplayed. Truly a sad fate for gamers
First
I'll just play Skyrim right after I finish The Witcher 3 right after I finish Breath of the Wild right after I finish DoS2. Ah... How about another round of Vampire Survivors.
I'm trying to think of just having fun while playing instead of seeing it as a chore to clear the backlog.
Someone mentioned that instead of seeing it as a backlog, see it as a library of free games available at any time.
That's how I have been trying to see it lately and it has really helped with clearing out a couple of the lengthier titles while also enjoying them!
@@SamTuckMan Great! I'm generally going for roguelites or games no longer than 20 hours. Else I burn out.
Hopefully I'll complete those titles at some point!
What is that pokemon looking game at the beginning of the video?
It's called Coromon. I picked the game up for steam, but if I am remembering correctly I think there is a free phone app of the game. So far I have really enjoyed it! I'm only a few hours in, but it gives off a lot of 2D pokemon vibes. I'd love to possibly make a video about the full game some day when I get around to completing it.
@@SamTuckMan alright thanks
What I'd the Pokémon like game
It's called Coromon. It's a pokemon like game on Steam, but I think it may also have a free app version as well. It's got that classic DS pokemon feel to it. I haven't finished the game but what I have played is pretty fun so far!
Stop playing the same games over and over (*ahem* The Last of Us). I dunno why I spent $80 to buy a game I already played 3 times through. It’s eating up my time to play games from my backlog. As guilty as I feel, it’s getting deleted for good. Bring on DMC5 and Bayonetta 1&2 :)
There is definitely a comfort to replaying a game you've already played before. But it is always good to give new games a shot too! Hope you enjoy those games!