Spring has officially arrived for those of us in the northern hemisphere, and what better way to start the season than with some classic spring cleaning? Usually we might tidy our house, tackle those chores we’ve been delaying since Christmas or refresh our wardrobe, but we’re thinking differently this year – how can we clean our gaming backlog?
The backlog has been plaguing gamers for decades, with every year delivering so many good games and with some of us having so little time to play them, it all just stacks up. It’s a great feeling to actually see yourself complete the games you’ve been meaning to get to, but it’s just harder than it should be to actually reach that point sometimes. We’re going to help you out, with our five simple and effective tips to finally tackle your gaming backlog this spring, so read on and get game-busting!
1. Clean up your gaming library
If we want to clean our backlog, first we need to make sure we have a clean space to do it in. Don’t worry, I don’t mean your desk, but the actual library of games we’re choosing from. Gaming backlogs are often full of impulse buys, recommendations made by our exes, free game keys we got from who knows where and also some real AAA gems we’ve just been too overwhelmed to try out.
Start your journey to tackling the backlog by trimming down your library and considering what you actually want to play. Make a list and remove the titles you’re not willing to check out now (or ever), and organise them. Maybe you could organize them by time it takes to complete by searching completion times online, or divide them up by genre or overall vibe. However you arrange them, organization is a crucial first step to setting yourself up for success when tackling your gaming backlog.
2. Know your limits and circumstances
The next step is to actually be realistic – it’s harder than it sounds! Try considering what type of game you are actually free for at this moment in your life. Do you have a school/work break coming up which guarantees you a block of free time? Are you in the middle of an intense study period or time at the office and find yourself with limited gaming hours? Use your current situation to guide your choices, and remove some of the games that won’t make use of your limited time, or won’t make the most of your longer free period.
Next, decide how many games you’re willing to play at a time. Grabbing one and dedicating everything to it will guarantee it’s completed quicker than if you’re juggling a few, but it also means you’ll be experiencing the same thing every day. We all have our own limits and preferences to decide on that. For me personally, I like to have one big RPG game going with either a shorter indie title or an online live-service shooter game at the same time. I dedicate my big free time to the RPG that requires those hours to complete, but when I only have 30-60 minutes free, I’ll jump into an online game, puzzle or casual game to just pass the time and unwind.
3. Set priorities thoughtfully
Once you know what your options are, how many you’ll be playing and what type of game you’re interested in getting off the backlog, it’s time to make your final decision by setting some priorities. If you don’t have a lot of free time, you can feel some immense satisfaction by choosing shorter games to play, thus giving you that ‘I did it!’ moment sooner rather than later.
Alternatively, are you trying to tackle your backlog ahead of an anticipated game coming soon? If it’s a franchise game then you could give a shot to another game in the series – I recently played Monster Hunter Stories in preparation for Monster Hunter Wilds for example! Alternatively, if you’re getting yourself hyped up for a massive open-world RPG, then it might be best to prioritise games that won’t hamper your experience of that game releasing. Maybe opt for smaller games if you’re waiting for a big release, or if you’ve not got any hyped games looming over you then explore some of the acclaimed behemoth games you’ve yet to try out.
4. Schedule gently and think small
Nobody likes scheduling, especially if you already have a job or study that requires management of a timetable. Don’t worry, we’re not asking you to make any spreadsheets, but doing some light scheduling will help you reduce your gaming backlog if you can set some small goals. For example, just committing to playing a game every day, even if just for 15 minutes, is enough to set you up to try and tackle those bigger games that can sometimes make us feel overwhelmed.
Another form of scheduling could be to set yourself incremental goals, rather than grand completion ones. Instead of forcing yourself to complete a game in a certain time, give yourself some grace and choose a smaller aspiration. For example, promise yourself you’ll try to complete Chapter 3 of the game by the end of the week, or maybe you’ll complete that optional dungeon today after work instead of doing the main story. Think small and more frequently in your goals, and you’ll soon be looking back at a long line of smaller achievements that led to a bigger one.
5. It’s just a game!
I know it may be annoying to hear after we gave you some serious tips to tackle the gaming backlog, but don’t lose sight of the fact that these are games. You’re meant to have fun! If you’re giving yourself trouble over tackling the backlog, or a game just isn’t fun to play, drop it! Tackling a backlog should feel like an adventure with a rewarding conclusion, not like you’re getting overstuffed at an all-you-can-eat buffet.
If you’re not enjoying what you’re doing, slow down and reassess. Could you get friends or family over to play with you? Could we drop the difficulty, search up some videos on tough sections, or for PC gamers, perhaps find some mods to reduce issues? Don’t be afraid to alter your goals or previously set rules if you’re not enjoying them. If you’re not having fun on some level then you’re not gaming right, so slow down!
With that, those are our five easy tips for beating your gaming backlog this spring. What game have you been putting off for the longest time? What game will you pick up next? How many more games are you going to buy on sale and increase the backlog further!? Let us know in the comments below, and keep your eyes on GameLuster for more gaming news.
