New member question: How do you deal with your backlog?

[Adenocaulon]

Hello, I am new to the forum. I was not related to PC gaming until the pandemic, only played a few recent videogames on ps4 like Witcher 3. When I was younger used to play more PC games, especially Real Time Strategy, a bit of Diablo/FATE and some free mmos like Runescape. The last PC game I beated (many years) before the pandemic was maybe Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic 2.


The last year you know, other people may have been in a similar situation and re-discovered videogames. I created my accounts for Steam, GOG, etc. My first surprise was the clearly lower prices of pc games in comparison to ps4 games. Being able to also claim free games from GOG and Epic Games Store, etc.


First i used obtained First Person Shooters like and action-platform games, just to have fun. However as time went I was more interested in rpgs. You know, a full adventure in an alternative world is more and more attractive during the confinement.


So, first I started with cheap during sales like Divine Divinity or games that I obtained for free like Eye of the Beholder, so I started to obtain similar games. I realize that I like dungeon crawlers and hack and slash rpgs, so I started to accumulate these types of games during Steam and GOG sales.


After playing Might & Magic X (my first MM) i discovered that I enjoyed more the turn based mode in dungeon crawlers, so why not to try other turn based rpgs?


Also between hack and slash rpgs I prefer games like Divine Divinity and Grim Dawn, with more worldbuilding and exploration in handcrafted levels instead of randomly generated dungeons of Torchlight and Path of Exile. So I started to be interested in other rpgs with these features.


Now I have obtained a lot of rpgs from the 90s to this date and I realized that I maybe will not be able to beat all of them. It is not the same as playing all FPS, because rpgs are usually longer games.


So, in what order I should play them? I know that maybe I can enjoy all Might and Magic from 3 to 8, but perhaps If I do that for example I will miss the oportunity to try other types of games.


When I know if I should drop I game that I am not liking? For example I uninstalled Eye of The Beholder near the beginning, almost like a rage quit, but later I returned and enjoyed it. Divine Divinity was not great at first, but is now one of my favorite games. I played a little of Dark Souls 3 in ps4 and i do not get used to the controller, but with mouse and keybord in PC Dark Souls 1 I learned fast and it is one of my favorite games because of level design. Baldur's Gate is different, I played it because it is stated as one of the "best rpgs of all time" but it is the first rpg that I have beated that I do not like. However I still have similar games in my library, including the sequel, that I think should give an opportunity because maybe the problems of BG1 where just a product of its time and can improved in recent games.


Could be a good idea being switching between different categories of rpgs ? games like Wizardry, games like Ultima Underworld, games like Ultima VII, games like Gothic, etc.


Then I choose between each category which game I should pick first? This may be the most difficult question.


If I search "best rpgs of all time" i will find many pioneer games that are there for this reason, but perhaps they are overcome by posterior ones. When do you start with the pioneer, and when do you try the most modern ones first?


Others may be just more popular, it if difficult to compare them with more obscure or indie games that you do not know if they will be better or worse. For some reason I usually try the more obscure ones, but is not the same to try a game with 10000 reviews on steam vs with 100 reviews, is more difficult to not know what you will find.


I know is a difficult question, but maybe some of you have though about this so I will appreciate any advice.

 

[Abu Antar]

I have come to the conclusion that I will never complete my backlog.

Current backlog: 403 unbeaten games.

I just play the game(s) that I am in the mood for. I might complete 200 of those games, or I might not.

 

[Butter]

You can have fun with a lot of these games even if you never beat them. Certainly in the 80s with no GameFAQs there was no expectation of beating everything. It's really satisfying when you can see a grand adventure through to its conclusion, but that doesn't mean you wasted your time if you only play the first half of something like Ultima V.

 

[Louis_Cypher]

After 15 years, ive completed most of what I wanted to - what you will realize is most of your backlog is shite.

Just play what actually draws you in, not what the propaganda machine says is important.

 

[d1r]

Don't force yourself to play something you might not like.

If you like turn based dungeon crawler for example, then the Shin Megami Tensei or Wizardry (6-8) series are a good starting point.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1413480/Shin_Megami_Tensei_III_Nocturne_HD_Remaster/

 

[Grokalibre]

Hello, I am new to the forum. I was not related to PC gaming until the pandemic, only played a few recent videogames on ps4 like Witcher 3. When I was younger used to play more PC games, especially Real Time Strategy, a bit of Diablo/FATE and some free mmos like Runescape. The last PC game I beated (many years) before the pandemic was maybe Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic 2.


The last year you know, other people may have been in a similar situation and re-discovered videogames. I created my accounts for Steam, GOG, etc. My first surprise was the clearly lower prices of pc games in comparison to ps4 games. Being able to also claim free games from GOG and Epic Games Store, etc.


First i used obtained First Person Shooters like and action-platform games, just to have fun. However as time went I was more interested in rpgs. You know, a full adventure in an alternative world is more and more attractive during the confinement.


So, first I started with cheap during sales like Divine Divinity or games that I obtained for free like Eye of the Beholder, so I started to obtain similar games. I realize that I like dungeon crawlers and hack and slash rpgs, so I started to accumulate these types of games during Steam and GOG sales.


After playing Might & Magic X (my first MM) i discovered that I enjoyed more the turn based mode in dungeon crawlers, so why not to try other turn based rpgs?


Also between hack and slash rpgs I prefer games like Divine Divinity and Grim Dawn, with more worldbuilding and exploration in handcrafted levels instead of randomly generated dungeons of Torchlight and Path of Exile. So I started to be interested in other rpgs with these features.


Now I have obtained a lot of rpgs from the 90s to this date and I realized that I maybe will not be able to beat all of them. It is not the same as playing all FPS, because rpgs are usually longer games.


So, in what order I should play them? I know that maybe I can enjoy all Might and Magic from 3 to 8, but perhaps If I do that for example I will miss the oportunity to try other types of games.


When I know if I should drop I game that I am not liking? For example I uninstalled Eye of The Beholder near the beginning, almost like a rage quit, but later I returned and enjoyed it. Divine Divinity was not great at first, but is now one of my favorite games. I played a little of Dark Souls 3 in ps4 and i do not get used to the controller, but with mouse and keybord in PC Dark Souls 1 I learned fast and it is one of my favorite games because of level design. Baldur's Gate is different, I played it because it is stated as one of the "best rpgs of all time" but it is the first rpg that I have beated that I do not like. However I still have similar games in my library, including the sequel, that I think should give an opportunity because maybe the problems of BG1 where just a product of its time and can improved in recent games.


Could be a good idea being switching between different categories of rpgs ? games like Wizardry, games like Ultima Underworld, games like Ultima VII, games like Gothic, etc.


Then I choose between each category which game I should pick first? This may be the most difficult question.


If I search "best rpgs of all time" i will find many pioneer games that are there for this reason, but perhaps they are overcome by posterior ones. When do you start with the pioneer, and when do you try the most modern ones first?


Others may be just more popular, it if difficult to compare them with more obscure or indie games that you do not know if they will be better or worse. For some reason I usually try the more obscure ones, but is not the same to try a game with 10000 reviews on steam vs with 100 reviews, is more difficult to not know what you will find.


I know is a difficult question, but maybe some of you have though about this so I will appreciate any advice.

You should start with Pitfall and Jet Set Willy, they're great adventure games.
It's important you finish all these games people tell you are great, even if you dont enjoy them, otherwise you'll be a failure and shame your imam.

 

[just]

i buy games, install, ignore them and go back playing the same 10 rpgs i've been playing for 20 years, uninstall few weeks later and forget

 

[0sacred]

i buy games, install, ignore them and go back playing the same 10 rpgs for i've been playing for 20 years, uninstall few weeks later and forget

 

[Hobo Elf]

I don't have a backlog. I spontaneously come up with games I wanna play and then I play them for as long as they are fun. Sometimes that means to the end, sometimes not.

 

[catfood]

I just keep replaying the same games from 20+ years ago over and over.

 

[ferratilis]

There is no such thing as a backlog, this is not a job, it's a hobby. I also discovered the Codex top 70 RPG list some years ago and wanted to play all of those games, but that's not enjoyable. Don't let others decide what you should or shouldn't play. When you enjoy something, play it. Eventually, you'll find something you really enjoy and start looking for similar games. It was like that for me with blobbers.

I wonder where this 'backlog' thing even started?! Must be reddit, it smells like degeneracy only redditors could cook up.

 

[Nifft Batuff]

I have thousands of games in my backlog.

 

[Gregz]

9/10 games in most Steam libraries are not worth playing.

https://rpgcodex.net/content.php?id=9453

Start from the top.

If a game seems worth playing to you, look up its date of publication, screenshots, video gameplay, etc.

“Old” games like Jagged Alliance 2, X-Com, Bloodlines, Wizardry 8, Thief, Warband, Knights of the Chalice, Master of Magic, Diablo I, etc. are still the best in their respective niche.

 

[Jonathan "Zee Nekomimi]

Play whatever you want and one day perhaps the backlog shall be done; just like my animes...

 

[Smerlus]

I try to skip around different genres. I once replayed BG2, Drakensang, then NWN2 MotB and was pretty burnt out on isometric rpgs for a bit.

So I usually do rpg, shooter, rpg, point and click...

 

[TemplarGR]

There is no backlog. You don't have an obligation to play games, or finish them. Games are entertainment, they are not a goal, they are not a job, they are not a skill, they are not an important achievement in life. They are just time wasters, fun time wasters but still time wasters.

Play what you like. Ignore the rest. The point is to have fun. And always start from the better games in each genre. If you liked the gerne, try some more, but never leave the best games for later. And ignore oldies. Oldies, most of the time are not better than modern decade games, despite what morons might claim here. Don't go too much back in time, play recent stuff.

 

[Melcar]

Playing games?

 

[TheMathmos]

Have a backlog of books, movies, trip destinations, lifetime achievements, personal demons, targeted billionaires, or anything else.

 

[0sacred]

Have a backlog of books, movies, trip destinations, lifetime achievements, personal demons, targeted billionaires, or anything else.

Codex backlog is a thing

 

[Mustawd]

realize is most of your backlog is shite.

This.

 

[Sranchammer]

Unless you have beaten it 7 times, you shouldn't be playing a new game.

 

[Night Goat]

Play games as the urge strikes you, don't force yourself to play something you aren't really excited for. And don't force yourself to finish something you aren't excited to continue. Even if it's something you paid for, time is far more valuable than money because you can get more money.

 

[vibehunter]

The idea of a "backlog" more or less stems from a sunk cost fallacy. You spent money on all these games so now you feel obligated to play them to justify your purchase. You'll be better off if you break out of this mindset.

I narrowed down my library to a fraction of its size by just identifying the games I want to play. I keep those games visible and bury the rest by hiding them or something.

 

[Mr. Magniloquent]

• Set a hard ratio of Completions : Purchase. Even if it's only 1:1, it will help tremendously.
• Raise your standards. There are more games now than there is time. If you're not very excited or motivated to play it, don't buy it. Curiosity should take a backseat to eagerness.
• Don't store your credit/debit card information in GoG, Steam, or any other service. Taking out the card and manually typing it in will inhibit impulse buys.
• Accumulate and learn how to stop fearing the abundance. I have a couple hundred games in my library, with a completion rate of about...50% if I were to guess. I calculated my average cost to something absurdly low like $5 a game. Definitely way under $10. At that price, I'm not going to worry about unplayed games anymore than I am about an unfinished entrée at a restaurant.

 

[Johnny Biggums]

If you are just now getting into RPGs in your mid-twenties, or perhaps later, please give up on the idea of getting a lot of 'the classics' or 'must plays' under your belt. Most people who have played a substantial percentage of them have been playing RPGs since they were 12. They played many of them as they were released, and during a 10 to 15 year period in life when they probably had few responsibilities, indeed avoided responsibilities like the plague, were probably huge losers anyway, and whose gaming habit contributed to arrested development and narcissism. In fact, anyone who has completed a large library of classic must-play RPGs should count himself fortunate if he did not wind up with gender dysphoria and obsessed with removing his own dick. But you can save yourself. There's still time. Forget about playing them all. Just pick a few games per year that you feel excited about.