How do you tackle the backlog?

[CaptainKoloth]

Not that this is a particularly new or innovative topic, but I find the ever-present backlog issue to be particularly challenging for groggy games, because of the combination of the fact that a) most of the good ones are highly repayable and have tons of scenarios, and b) pur target demographic (i.e. us) usually has, you know, jobs and real life and stuff.

B) isn't unique to wargames, but with a) I often find myself thinking that if you were to leave me with, say, DCS or IL-2 or Graviteam and absolutely no other game on the desert island for all eternity, I'd probably be just fine. But of course, there's a hundred other games out there that might be just good that that philosophy would stop me from ever getting to.

So I suppose the question can be posed as: how do you manage your backlog in a genre of extremely replayable, meaty games in a context in which you're probably highly time-constrained to begin with? How do you decide when to switch games knowing that you'll always be leaving a ton of great content behind?

[Redwolf]

I already wasted the money on the games, why would I waste the time, too? :)

[Tripoli]

I already wasted the money on the games, why would I waste the time, too? :)

You just captured my gaming life 

[JasonPratt]

I remember back when I had a schedule of not buying a new game until I had put at least ten hours into at least five of my backlog (or alternately I played enough I realized I didn't care about the game after all).

That worked. For a while.             

[ArizonaTank]

So I suppose the question can be posed as: how do you manage your backlog in a genre of extremely replayable, meaty games in a context in which you're probably highly time-constrained to begin with? How do you decide when to switch games knowing that you'll always be leaving a ton of great content behind?

I wish I had the discipline to "manage" my backlog.

But a lifetime of exposure to the modern 'way of the consumer' means that I am programmed to 'forget' anything i purchased more than six months ago. No memory, no backlog; it's that simple...    

Fortunately, Steam remembers what I purchased more than six months ago and keeps me from buying games twice...

[Gusington]

Most of the time I don't manage it... 

...but when I do...I slog through it very slowly.

I will never get to the end.

[solops]

I buy more games and then keep playing the same ones I am addicted to.

[rss334]

Buying a game causes me discomfort because I know there are 30 other games I should be playing.   If I manage to sit down and play one game for a day or two my other games feel guilty and make me stop playing, then the guilt resides and the other 29 games start yelling ...  "play me play me"; It is too overwhelming so I just can't play any of them for a reasonable amount of time.   

Finally got around to Odyssey and about 30 hours in to it Mius Front started yelling at me ... "How come you don't play me for 30 hours?"   I told it because I have 30 others games in front of it, see now I can't play any of them; They did it again!

oh well - Guess it's time to start looking for something new on Steam. 

[SirAndrewD]

I don't "tackle" the backlog.

I stroke its hair gently.  Tell it "It's ok".  It doesn't have to be alone.

I give it more companions.

It becomes my menagerie, my...collection.

You judge me Clarise.  But should you?  I know you hear the scream of the lambs.

[al_infierno]

I already wasted the money on the games, why would I waste the time, too? :)

Legendary reply.

What's a backlog?  I just have a bunch of games I'm never gonna play.

[Pete Dero]

I need help because I have the same problem with CD's, DVD's, Blu-ray's, magazine subscriptions, ...

And I don't need these because I also have Deezer, Netflix, Disney, Amazon Prime Video, ... 


I've convinced myself this is a good thing because this way I support performers, artists and other content creators  .

[Gusington]

Wtf is Deezer?

[Pete Dero]

Wtf is Deezer?

An alternative to Spotify based in France.

[Gusington]

Would have been better if it was a monthly subscription nut delivery service.

[bobarossa]

Or the Grogheads version: Geezer

I'm retired and I still can't deal with my backlog.  Sometimes I tell myself not to buy any games for six months in the hopes I'll make some progress.  Then I pull out some old game (MTW2, Advanced Tactics Gold) and spend several weeks on them.  Occasionally I will update my unplayed games to the latest version so when the urge hits, I can start them right up.  Rarely works.