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Do you?

  • Yes

    Votes: 115 23.4%
  • No

    Votes: 187 38.0%
  • Somewhat

    Votes: 190 38.6%

  • Total voters
    492

SprachBrooks

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
1,353
I care enough that I judiciously make sure I don't have a backlog. I only play a few games a year — and I'm highly selective over which I do play.
 
Nov 8, 2017
277
The ABSOLUTE BEST thing I've done in the past year is stop tracking my backlog 'games to play' and be concerned about getting time to work through the games.

They are in my backlog for a reason.

So, I sold the ones I could (physical), deleted the Google Keep checklist I kept checking (digital), and just focused on what I like to play.

Been a great year!
 
Oct 25, 2017
9,872
Hell no. I buy games on sale and play them when I have time. Time is by far the biggest limiting factor for me. Having a big library of games to play when I do have time is great. Do not care at all if I never get to some of them.
 
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Rogue Agent

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,529
I do. But those games that are part of my backlog are those I enjoyed playing or ones that I'm looking forward to play.
 

Min

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,073
I used to but it begins to fall into the sunken cost fallacy. More importantly is not allowing it to grow by not buying so lavishly.
 

fossi8

One Winged Slayer
Member
Apr 22, 2018
1,006
OH man, this question really hit me these days.

I have a huge backlog this year but there is one specific game that everytime I start to play I drop it like 5mins after: DQXI for Swtich. I dont know if the story or the linear map at the beggining is some kind boring but please someone sell me this game to really get interested.
 

Aphotic

Member
Oct 25, 2017
426
Not really. I typically have a mental list of 4-5 games that I'd like to get to, even if my actual backlog is much larger than that. If something new gets added to the mental list then something else is probably going to drop off of it. Also GamePass surprisingly changed the way I think/feel about my backlog in a positive way. I was already curbing my game purchases by only picking up games on sale, and since subscribing to GP I rarely buy anything. Once I stopped the habit of buying I realized I can live without that newest game or deep discount, and rather than chasing the thrill of the purchase I am just enjoying a nice catalog of games that I don't feel pressured by.
 

Pyro

God help us the mods are making weekend threads
Member
Jul 30, 2018
14,505
United States
Somewhat, I've just gotten a lot better at making sure it doesn't get too big. I know my tastes better and I don't feel the need to play or beat everything like I used to.
 
Oct 27, 2017
377
I really just like collecting, I own 1,300 games and have beat 430. I don't care to beat them all. I play what I want to play and the games that sit are at least nice to look at.
 

Pancakes R Us

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,344
I care that I own a backlog. I used to always worry about how I'll ever get through everything, but these days, I'm not so bothered.
 

Trieu

Member
Feb 22, 2019
1,774
depends on how much I spent on that game and what others say about it. I usually try to finish the games I bought, especially when those games are considered good game. I do have a lot of Steam games that I bought during sales that are very low priority and were 2-5€ games.

(I would consider myself to be pretty bad at playing games from my backlog though to be honest)
 

aiswyda

Member
Aug 11, 2018
3,093
I keep a list of my backlog for games I have an interest in returning to/game I've purchased but not started (Right now it's like..6 games?). I don't buy games very often without the intention of playing them ASAP (although I'm picking up a few on black Friday).

It's not a very long list because I don't really have an qualms dropping games I don't like after giving them a good try. Sometimes I'll leave things on there for a bit while I think about it but usually if I'm not sure I end up deleting them.
 

Roshin

Member
Oct 30, 2017
2,840
Sweden
I grew up with arcades and that's sort of how I view my backlog. I enjoy having loads of games to choose from. I play this for a bit, then this, and keep going like that. I don't feel the need to complete one game before I can play something else. That way lies madness.
 

Imitatio

Member
Feb 19, 2018
14,560
My backlog drives me insane and I was about to shut down my PSN account due to the amount of unplayed games, even though I invested over 1000€ into it up to this point.
It just feels like another to-do list. As if I hadn't already enough of those...
 

Orb

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
9,465
USA
No, I don't even have the concept of a "backlog." If something comes out and I don't play it shortly after release there's a very good chance that I'm never going to touch it.
 

TheUnseenTheUnheard

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
May 25, 2018
9,647
No but now I only buy games I know I'll play for sure. I only buy like 5 games a year indie/AAA because of this.
 

AndrewGPK

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,827
Yes, but I find that as generations move forward, sometimes backlogged games from previous generations never get played. I do try to go back and play some retro and LTTP games a year, but if I'm being honest, some of my backlog will never get played.
 

a916

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,836
I care about the games I missed this generation, but do I care enough to find the time to go back and play them? No, most of them will go unplayed, and I'm fine with that.
 

Keikaku

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,769
Subscriptions with free games made me not care about backlog anymore. I play what I feel like playing.
 

Deleted member 9486

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
4,867
I care about not having one and keeping in that way. Ditched the small backlog I had at the start of this generation and have kept from building one.

I'm not a collector, don't want a game library, rarely replay things and we aren't having kids so no children to share old games with. Thus I played games are just wasted money. Now I only buy things to play immediately, maybe one cheap game to play next.
 

Handa

Member
Nov 14, 2018
46
I used to care, but these days i have come to realize that my free time is sacred i work hard, so dammit if i only get to play a game for 3 hours its the one i want to. Even if that means dropping $60 and knowing full well i will very likely see it through to the end.

i will always finish a game if i want to, buti no longer have the time or patience to slog my way through.
 

psilocybe

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,402
I care because I like my library of games.

Sure, it bothers me a little to not have time for all of them. But I already accepted that some are too dated or not really my type of game. These were usually so cheap that doesn't really matter.
 

angelgrievous

Middle fingers up
Member
Nov 8, 2017
9,138
Ohio
I don't really understand the question. Do I care about it how?

I care about it in the fact that I'm glad I have it. I'm glad I have a backlog of games that I can thumb through like books in a library anytime I want and play something.

My backlog doesn't cause me stress. I know it's there, I'll add to it at times and other times I'll finish a game or two and clear it off the list.
 

Gush

Member
Nov 17, 2017
2,096
Somewhat.

If I buy something it's because I plan to play it eventually, but I stopped pressuring myself about the specifics of when and what a long time ago. At this point I just accept that I can't/won't finish everything and I'll get around to stuff when I get around to stuff, which could be never.

It is what it is. Sometimes I wanna blow through a bunch of my backlog in a month cos that's what I'm in the mood for, sometimes I just wanna play fighting games or co-op with my partner and don't even consider loading that stuff up. I could sit up all night wondering why I've never finished Arx Fatalis or Anachronox or whatever, or I could just accept that I haven't really felt like those kinds of games in a while and leave it at that. Seems better to leave the option open for the future and stop worrying about blitzing through stuff I'm not in the right mindset for.
 

FloBoJo

Member
Nov 5, 2017
214
Somewhat here.

Due to a major life event I did no gaming from '09-'17. I kept tabs on what was big and even kept a literal "To Do" list. Back home and busting my PS3 out of storage I soon realized most of that would go unchecked due to time and never playing any new games (thus further adding to backlog).

I still have the list but kinda cherry pick best of the best or what I'm in the mood for. Plus those games are always there (for the most part, this was pre-live games/GaaS). So I would like to play everything I liked but there is no timeline for that to be done. =-)
 

Deleted member 9486

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
4,867
I don't really understand the question. Do I care about it how?

I care about it in the fact that I'm glad I have it. I'm glad I have a backlog of games that I can thumb through like books in a library anytime I want and play something.

My backlog doesn't cause me stress. I know it's there, I'll add to it at times and other times I'll finish a game or two and clear it off the list.

I think the OP meant what you said at the end of your reply. The question is really "Does having a backlog bother you?"

For me it did as it was just wasted money buying games in sales I'd never have time to play as I have zero interest in having a collection/library. It was just poor decision making when I hit the life point of having plenty of money to buy all the games I wanted, but no where near the time to play them. Vs. lacking money and having a lot of time through high school and college (and to some extent, graduate school--though I was a lot busier then). I sold things off and wised up and now just buy things to play either immediately or as soon as I finish what I'm currently playing.
 

Gelf

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,309
I'd consider games I don't own just as much a part of any backlog anyway, if I have a desire to play it then it's in the backlog. While I'd love to have the free time to play it all I have to accept I never will. Thankfully I can enjoy what I'm playing right now, rather than focus on what else is out there.
 

Mekanos

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 17, 2018
44,171
I made a list of games to work on and I'm keeping track of how many games I've beaten but at this point I'm looking at it less like a backlog and more of a library of games to get to when I want.
 

bangai-o

Member
Oct 27, 2017
9,527
I have a bunch of DS games that I promise to start playing when I become an old elderly guy.
 

deltabreak

Member
Oct 29, 2017
1,321
Very much so, but I've been trying to downsize it and put some games that I'll probably never finish or play out of my "backlog" list.
 

jroc74

Member
Oct 27, 2017
28,995
Nope.

A new game will come out, and if it grabs my attention enough I'll just stop what I'm playing. Sometimes I won't get back to playing the previous game.

I have games from the PS2 era I haven't finished. And I got those games when they launched.

Backlog, smacklog. Whatever.
 

Huey

Member
Oct 27, 2017
13,194
It doesn't stress me out at all. I love having lots of variety to play, and I just play the games I'm enjoying at the moment.