Overworked PC gamers got a serious reality check when a widget called SteamLeft calculated exactly how long it would take to finish all the games in a player’s library. Thanks to frequent sales, many players had tens of thousands of hours of unplayed material.
And Steam users aren't alone; the same backlog exists for gamers on every console. It's the flip side to the ever-growing number of smart, creative games being created by teams big and small.
With new titles coming out through the spring, plus all those games you’ve been meaning to get around to, how do you go about making progress? It's especially tricky when commitments like work, family or school take a large chunk of time. Here are a few suggestions for how to start making some headway in clearing out your ever-growing backlog.
1. Start by making the time
When you love a TV show, you set aside an hour or two every week to watch. When you have a book you’re enjoying, you spend some time reading before bed every night. So when you’re serious about getting through your backlog, it’s crucial to make regular time to focus on gaming.
Depending on what your work and life already demand of you, try to make a regular commitment to your gaming. This can be any amount of time you want, from multiple hours over the course of a week to a half-hour on weekends. The point is to make it as consistent as possible so that you build the routine. It’s no different from making the habit of going to the gym or doing the dishes. It’s just a lot more fun.
2. Pick your genres wisely
It you have a bunch of games in your queue, it’s important to recognize which genres are going to be huge time sinks. This means bad news for fans of MMOs or RPGs. Runtimes on those games will likely start at 60 hours and only go up. That’s not ideal when you want to start checking titles off your list.
Take a divide and conquer approach, especially at the beginning. Start small. Take on one or two bite-sized projects first. If you’re not sure about a game’s duration, check out resources like HowLongToBeat.com and see what other gamers are clocking in at. Checking a few titles off your list entirely is a great way to jumpstart your efforts. It also shows you just how much gaming time you can reliably find in your schedule, and you’ll be able to adjust your expectations accordingly.
3. Don’t finish everything
Your gaming time is precious. Don’t waste it on a title that isn’t really thrilling you. Slogging through a game just because it’s gotten great reviews or because your friends loved it probably won’t make you feel any happier. If you haven’t gotten hooked within the first couple of hours, then set the game aside.
Besides, “finished” doesn’t have to mean “100% completion.” Here’s the good news for the MMO and RPG players: just because some games take a long time doesn’t mean they’re off limits. But try setting some goals for what counts as done. Maybe play to a certain level or dedicate a set number of weeks to a title. After you hit that goal, you can decide whether you want to make the time to continue. If you don’t, then at least you gave it a fair shot and can move along to something new.
4. Cut back on the ongoing games
Lots of games have components that offer infinite replayability, like multiplayer shooters, MOBAs or games with endless modes. When you want to make serious progress on a backlog of games, you’ll need to apply some discipline in your choices. Every Call of Duty deathmatch to every challenge in Angry Birds is gaming time that could go toward something new.
Although it’s hard to ignore the tried and true favorites, sometimes we need to put them down in order to make time for other projects. It doesn’t mean you’ll never play those well-loved titles again, only that in order to make headway on new ones, you may want to give them a break. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, after all.
5. Don’t discount mobile versions
More and more game developers have started to embrace the power and potential of mobile platforms. Since many major titles are available on multiple platforms, don’t forget about the option for playing on a phone or tablet when you’re ready to make lots of progress on your backlog.
Mobile is especially useful for taking out those short games on your list. Puzzles and action/adventure games often translate well to these devices, so keep in mind that your phone might be more helpful than you’d expect in making progress.