How do you tackle your Pile of Shame?

[Yggdrasill]

Hey folks,

how do you manage your Pile of Shame? I'm starting to think I have enough games for the rest of my life already - but there are so many gems out there I do not own yet and would really like to play!

To battle my pile I've set up some rules. For example:
I do not buy AC: Valhalla unless I have finished AC: Origins.
I do not buy this, until that.
Or:
I do not start to play this, unless ...

You get the gist.
But I'm still on the same spot I was a year ago. I've still not completed Origins or many other games. I hate the idea to start too many games, not sticking to one, leaving too many unfinished.
I would love to start game X and just play this particular one until I see the credits. I did have the ability when I was a kid (I'd like to think at least), have I lost it?
Is it just me?

It's starting to annoy me so much. Send help!

 

[Zloth]

Seems like there's a few ways. There's one cold, hard truth: you don't have enough time to play all the games that deserve to be played. Not even close. So the question becomes "what games are you going to skip?"

Making a plan on what to play might help. With every summer and every winter Steam sale, I plot out roughly what games I expect to play until the next sale. There's no way that plan will be exact, but it's close enough to keep me from buying too many. After all, when the next seasonal sale comes around, the games will all (well, practically all) be on sale again for the same price and might even be cheaper. The big mental difference there is that you're buying a game you're pretty sure you'll be playing in the next six months, not "sometime."

I do not buy AC: Valhalla unless I have finished AC: Origins.

Uhhh, there's also this game called AC: Odyssey... If you still haven't gotten around to Origins, though, then it isn't real likely that you'll play any of the series.

 

[Ryzengang]

An important thing that I do that, (imo), is required to tackle a large backlog: be quite strict with games when you're giving them a shot. I know some people get caught up in the need to see a game through, but if something isn't grabbing you within the first couple of hours, just straight up uninstall it. There are too many great games to get to.

Another thing I've started doing is create a short list that I pin to the top of my steam library (a "collection"). This helps with choice paralysis and mindlessly scrolling through my entire backlog at a time. I pin a selection of games that I want to get through and I finish those first before moving on. This is something I recently started and it has indeed helped me.

 

[Pifanjr]

Another thing I've started doing is create a short list that I pin to the top of my steam library (a "collection"). This helps with choice paralysis and mindlessly scrolling through my entire backlog at a time. I pin a selection of games that I want to get through and I finish those first before moving on. This is something I recently started and it has indeed helped me.

I did the same thing, both with Steam and with GOG Galaxy and it's pretty amazing how few of the games I own I'm actually excited to play. I agree that having a short list really helps prevent the choice paralysis.

 

[Johnway]

I'm sure i've mentioned the process here on these forums. The criteria is:

When i bought them.: The oldest ones i play first. These days i organize my games by year. A good way to measure how many games i bought each year. So far this year 43 games...

Genre: If i play an RTS game i pick an action, platform, shooter etc. Longer genres like RPGs i would switch to an action game as a palette cleanser. After a glut of action/shooters i play an RTS/puzzle game.

indie/AAA: If i play a AAA game i usually go on a indie game spree to clear the pile.

Gut feeling: If there is a game that i absolutely must play i'll override the previous criteria and play it. Typically it might be a multiplayer game. But usually i play a multiplayer game and have a SP on the side as well. Recently it was the division 2 when they released an timed update and felt that i might as well play and finish it.

 

[MrShadow]

tbh,i dont really have that problem so much with my steam account, i got a ton of games and both game and music production software,but i do use almost all of them.

my pile of shame is my living room, its absolutely full of NTSC and PAL games consoles plus the games,and to add to my deepened shame i bought an old 'fat' PAL playstation last week and decent enough condition case/game final fantasy VIII. not that i doubt anyones intrested but ive also got a ton of specialist sensory equipment including a huge fibre optic 2 metre bubble tube/a huge wall mounted fibre black optic rug (it has stars that light up) and 3 metre (i think) jumbo bamboo fibre optic strands,and a specialist light source (an engine that runs specialist fibre optic equipment, stupidly expensive and at the time i coud only aford one when ive got three things that need one so they all have to take turns),ive got a shedload more equipment,oh im wearing one now-a bespoke weighted sleeveless hooded vest i had made for me.......and i mustnt forget a record box full of my vinyl,all my cats food stuff ,and my artwork lying around, so i have a lot to be ashamed about more than my games collection LOL,i call it organised chaos,my support staff call it a mess.

 

[Brian Boru]

if something isn't grabbing you within the first couple of hours, just straight up uninstall it

Good advice, which I'm woefully bad at following usually.

pin a selection of games that I want to get through

Also good, why didn't I think of that? I have a bunch of fancy genre collections top of my Steam list, which have proved as useful as wings on a trout for getting thru my games. You heavy RPG players, is there a spell to dissolve all those silly categories—Obliterato Dumbo Collectio, perhaps?

Another option maybe for the weaker willed like me might be to continue messing around like you currently do, but commit to playing one from the TBP pile every week. A little win without much pain, should be psychologically more sustainable than a mad burst which won't last the month. If that works, play 3 every 2 weeks, if you want to make a bigger dent.

I haven't looked back over them now, but @Yggdrasill might find something of interest in these threads:

Page 2 - Finishing Games

Page 2 - Love gaming? Join the PC Gamer community to share that passion with gamers all around the world!

forums.pcgamer.com

Page 2 - Finishing Games

Page 2 - Love gaming? Join the PC Gamer community to share that passion with gamers all around the world!

forums.pcgamer.com

How long to beat your TBP pile?

Suffering gadzooks Batman! I went to HowLongToBeat Your Steam Collection and: 1. It was amazingly fast, almost instant. 2. It says it'll take me 518 Days 9 Hours :eek: for the 633 games it measured. Given those are 24-hour days, and I'm lucky to get a couple of hours a day, that's looking like...

forums.pcgamer.com

 

[Yggdrasill]

Thanks for all your replies!

The big mental difference there is that you're buying a game you're pretty sure you'll be playing in the next six months, not "sometime."

That's a very good point. I really buy too many games for "sometime". I have to think it more through.

Uhhh, there's also this game called AC: Odyssey... If you still haven't gotten around to Origins, though, then it isn't real likely that you'll play any of the series.

Funny thing is... I bought Origins for the full price when it came out. I loved the graphics, the theme, I was convinced I'd like it.

I think my mistake was to go in with the mindset "Yup, 100 % completion it will be". Because it got boring pretty fast, just doing the same thing over and over again. Sidequests seemed mostly dull, main story wasn't a huge win either for me.
That's why I'm hesitant for Odyssey. I'm not that much into that greek setting (sorry), but I know I definitely like the viking setting of Valhalla. Some say the open world of Odyssey and Valhalla especially are much better than Origins. So....

An important thing that I do that, (imo), is required to tackle a large backlog: be quite strict with games when you're giving them a shot. I know some people get caught up in the need to see a game through, but if something isn't grabbing you within the first couple of hours, just straight up uninstall it. There are too many great games to get to.

That's also a very solid point! I did that with Horizon Zero Dawn and Final Fantasy 15, but maybe I should have given up on Origins a long time ago as well. Well, the difference with HZD and FFXV is that I didn't buy them, but had the chance to try them out for a little while.

Another thing I've started doing is create a short list that I pin to the top of my steam library (a "collection"). This helps with choice paralysis and mindlessly scrolling through my entire backlog at a time. I pin a selection of games that I want to get through and I finish those first before moving on. This is something I recently started and it has indeed helped me.

I tried that, just to have 20 games in that list. So I looked over it again and asked myself: which of these games are you actually going to play (and enjoy)?

Now I have 7, most of them are really long ones, so I will reduce it even more.

Origins is still on that list. I've decided to give it another shot. Focus on the main story and do other bits only when I'm nearby anyway, but not going out of my way anymore. If it's not getting better, I'll deinstall it and move on to the next game.

 

[ZedClampet]

Hi, I'm Zed, and I have a problem...

But I've solved that problem. I no longer care if I get through my game library. For one thing, I go through phases where I'll love a niche genre and buy a bunch of those games and then suddenly I'm not interested in them anymore. Usually what happens is I'm window shopping in Steam, a game captures my attention even though I don't normally play that type of game. I buy it, play it, love it and start looking for more in that genre that I actually don't really like.

But the real problem is Bundles. I'll get a 14 game bundle when I want just two of the games if it works out to a good price. Fortunately, I've stopped adding those other 12 games to my Steam account, but there are a ton of those on there.

So unlike a normal, sane person, I have a bunch of games on my Steam account that I'd rather not play, so I've just given up on it.

Another thing is that I tend to get stuck playing games that have no ending or have endless replay ability, like TWW2, Warframe, Farming Simulator, etc. These end up taking most of my gaming time. But I'm enjoying them, so why stop playing just so I can try out that visual novel I bought when I was in a weird mood 4 years ago?

Backlogs don't matter. Stick to the games you really want to play.

 

[Brian Boru]

Backlogs don't matter. Stick to the games you really want to play

Well said! I've just started my 3rd Far Cry 5 foray—altho the 1st was a bust, doesn't count. I was thinking about backlog, and then another FC6 drip dropped and I decided to check out THE mod for it—and lo & behold, it makes it totally playable to my requirements now. Since I never finished it, and love the series, that's for sure the one I want to play—just got Boomer!

I'm Zed, and I have a problem

No worries pal, we've all known that for a while.

I've stopped adding those other 12 games to my Steam account, but there are a ton of those on there

New Rule:
If you hide games in your Steam library, they don't count as backlog!
Or go nuclear, delete 'em.

How to Hide or Remove a Game From Your Steam Library

Got a Steam game you don't want to see anymore? Here's how to hide it---or delete it from your account entirely.

www.howtogeek.com

games that have no ending or have endless replay ability

I keep resisting Civ, because there may be no way back…

 

[Yggdrasill]

Another thing is that I tend to get stuck playing games that have no ending or have endless replay ability, like TWW2, Warframe, Farming Simulator, etc. These end up taking most of my gaming time. But I'm enjoying them, so why stop playing just so I can try out that visual novel I bought when I was in a weird mood 4 years ago?

I had the same feeling. "I'm missing out on games because I've spent 1000hours in Sims!" But I've enjoyed these 1000 hours, otherwise I wouldn't have played it for so much (and still do). "If I start another session with CK3 I'll be nowhere nearer to finish a different game!"

I would tell my old Self to relax and just enjoy.

Backlogs don't matter. Stick to the games you really want to play.

Zed, truer words have never been spoken. I can see why you're cured.

New Rule:
If you hide games in your Steam library, they don't count as backlog!
Or go nuclear, delete 'em.

Or: "Show only ready to play games". That's what I went for. (+ adding the games I want to focus on to "Favorites")

But to be honest: I know it's just in my mind. I'm making my life hard because of certain mindsets I have/had. I miss out on so much fun because of that. Talking about it here and getting some input really helped me to identify and break out of this. Thanks, everyone.