Dammit it seems my fear is true. I left a bit in my paypal account, equivalent to around 3-4 dollars and cannot buy a $2.99 game.

I couldn't resist the Bioshock Infinite GMG promotion. Also planning to buy the BTA Humble Humongous Mobile Bundle.
My 5 year old is really enjoying the games, even though he doesn't understand English.

It won't track you if your Steam account is private. But you do need it to track you if you want to get the credit for the purchase. So I'm going to make mine public, run the game a little, then turn my account private again.

I don't have a problem. I could stop whenever I wanted to. I just don't want to.

I'm sure awalterj couldn't resist "sinning" today. =)

Hey just got back from loading my card for the weekend sales. Wish me luck!! lol j/k

No in all seriousness, I tell people all the time that complain their kids play games too much or complain that their kids want more games. You know what? There's much worse things out there than games. Drugs, gangs, politicians etc.

Not that I'm trying to encourage a life of solitude gaming, but it's better than a life of solitude in prison or death. If you really want to stop buying games (online) chop up the cards and get rid of them, Do a password reset with only your best(trustworthy) friend (preferably a family member) knowing the password. Be a completionist in your games. Don't allow yourself to buy another game until you have done anything and everything there is to do in your current games. I prefer the last solution though since games are so easily accessible today. Even with a 99 cent game it's hard to say no. I've found them for 15 cent on my cell phone before. You could also try to stick to free games, but even those usually have cash shops which are sometimes needed in order to progress through the difficulty ramp.

I also don't like people trying to make me into someone I'm not so, if gaming is your thing, that's just you, don't let someone change who you are. If people can't enjoy being around you as you, then they are not worth being around to begin with.

Last but not least, think of it this way... Eventually, the buying spree will resolve itself. You will be broke and homeless. It's not the prettiest way to look at it, but it's the most real. I still recommend completing each and every game you have (even if you dislike the game) before buying another. Make a FAQ/Walkthrough guide if you have to. Anything to slow it down.

EDIT:: Last thought, computer savvy? Put a small 40GB HDD in your computer, or just get a weaker dinosaur computer to begin with, surely you wouldn't buy a game your computer couldn't possibly run.

Time for an update!

Yes, indeed :) The top men did this on purpose, to sabotage my noble quest! I had no choice. They carefully softened up mental resistance with various supreme releases like the Anno games, Archimedean Dynasty, Albion, Revenant, The Elder Scrolls games, Doom/Quake, they even resurrected the Fallout games from the Dead. Ok, I already had all the Fallout games on my GOG shelf from before but I resisted all those other releases, as unimaginably hard as that was.

Good news:
I managed to stay clean for a record length of 69 days between June 19 and August 27. That is a 265% improvement over my previous record of staying clean for 26 days. On average, I've bought one game every 10 days this year compared to 0.5 games per day last year so despite 26 relapses in 2015, I'm still doing 5 times better than last year.

Edit: I miscounted something, my previous record wasn't 26 days but 53 days (forgot to count February) so the new record of 69 days is only a 130% improvement


Good news™:

Between August 28 and yesterday, I bought 3 games (Fran Bow, Stasis and Shadow Watch so I guess I have to to update my list in OP. I managed to resist all the games listed above because they're classics most of which I already played years ago and I can always wait for them to go on sale but the key combination of Fran Bow and Stasis was impossible to resist because they're new and exciting and I've been waiting for Fran Bow for months. Played the demo and instantaneously knew that I'd like the game. And I did end up liking it! --> review

If it was just Fran Bow alone, I could have resisted and waited but when I found out about Stasis, I knew that I wouldn't be able to pass up that one. It's a game I never heard about until a couple weeks ago so I downloaded and played the alpha demo and was very pleased. Someone actually made an isometric sci-fi horror point & click adventure game, it's as if untold desires had materialized. This is a great niche that hasn't been filled so far. All the other sci-fi horror games are FPP like System Shock/Dead Space etc and in terms of isometric point & click adventures with prerendered 2D graphics, I can't quite remember any since Sanitarium.
I've always been a big fan of isometric SVGA graphics and greedily gobbled up games like Syndicate, Sim City 2000, Transport Tycoon, Crusader No Remorse, Little Big Adventure, Diablo, Arcanum etc. But I've never seen anything with such beautifully prerendered isometric graphics like Stasis (resolution is limited to 720p though so don't expect miracles), almost couldn't believe this was made for the most part by just one person, Chris Bischoff. That's a hugely impressive achievement and deserves to be supported with more than just words which is why I decided to buy the game at full price rather than wait for a discount. If the money goes towards another project like this, I consider it money very well invested. Had a great time with the game, here's a short review

So knowing that I would end my record clean streak anyway, I bought Fran Bow a couple days before Stasis but at least I downloaded and finished both games already so it didn't add any backlog. And now that Shadow Watch has finally been added to the GOG catalog, I couldn't have kept going with my clean streak anyway. After all, this is the very first game I voted for on the wishlist 2 years ago because I had trouble getting the original CD version to run on Windows 7. It worked but the scrolling was choppy as hell and the GOG version runs without problems - so far. I've only played one short mission to test things out, hopefully I'll have more time tomorrow. Going to take my sweet time with this one, must savor it!

I'm terribly backlogged in terms of giveaways but they'll all happen in due time, as they have happened so far and shall happen henceforth. With the exception of Fran Bow and Stasis, I already have extra gift codes for every game I bought this year (including Shadow Watch). On release, Fran Bow was one of the games which GOG didn't allow gift code purchases for but that restriction seems to be over so now I have no excuse, except for this big one: It will break my finances if I buy gift codes for Fran Bow and Stasis right now so I'm going to have to think of something. Stasis is definitely out of my reach, it was 20% off initially but that was still $22.79 - it's a regionally priced game so $2.79 of that was store credit, meaning I only had to effectively pay $20 but that was already above my usual pain limit of $15 per game even if it's new games. This is the first time I've spent this much money on a game since buying No One Lives Forever 15 years ago (paid $70 for that one and still have it on CD, one of the few games I didn't get rid of).

Anyway, I just realized there's a loophole in the small print of my OP in this thread, it says I have to "make a giveaway as punishment" but it doesn't say it has to be a giveaway for the same game I sinned with. So I could cheat by buying something expensive and then "atoning" for that sin with peanuts codes I already have....Mohohoho!
Then again, that would be counter productive to my therapy as it drastically reduces the hurdle this rule was meant to provide, thus making me not fear my own punishment. Not good, not good. Either way, by the time I've worked down the list of backlogged giveaways, maybe Fran Bow and Stasis will go on sale but if that's not the case then I might have to use codes for other games even if that's a lousy cop-out. I have to look at things pragmatically: If I go broke completely then that's not so good. The old saying panem at circenses is more like "aut panem aut circenses" in this case, if you know what I mean. It's really fortunate that I formulated the rules in a way that it says I must report my deeds immediately (I guess within days is okay-ish) but that I didn't set a time limit for the giveaways. Of course, this shall not be an excuse for stalling. Ideally, there would be no excuses at all! But then again, if I was so perfect that I didn't need to make excuses, I would be perfect enough not to buy games when I set out not to buy games and then no one could profit off my misfortune, so things are better for everybody if things are the way they are right now. This sounds oddly illogical, but it's not that illogical if you think about it.

Curse you (no pun intended) for reminding me to play the demo, I installed it a while ago because and [url=http://www.gog.com/forum/general/games_finished_in_2015/post1413]leroux both recommended this game in their reviews and I thought it looked like an appealing game. Now I finally tried out the demo which is just long enough to give an idea about the gameplay mechanics. They seem rather simple and I'm curious to see if the puzzles get really in-depth or not but if one has to use the magic marker under time pressure, that's a no go to me. I tried playing with an XBOX controller which works perfectly fine for the platforming part but for the magic marker, the mouse works better just like leroux pointed out. But switching between controls is too inconvenient for me, plus frame rates aren't 100% smooth with integrated graphics so I'm giving this game a pass. Maybe the game gets more exciting later but the demo didn't have anything that made me insta-addicted and eager to unlock the full version. It was on sale over at Steam just a couple days ago - I kindly mention this after the sale is over so as not to tempt any group therapy members. Dropping in to say what is currently on sale is already your specialty! I don't mind though because it tests my resolve more if I have to resist more sales.

Outside GOG, I never picked up any bundles so far but I almost bought a Humble Bundle once or twice. It is better than a more expensive addiction, for sure. But it still needs therapizing :) If a title that already is on your wishlist shows up in a bundle for cheap then I guess it's ok to buy such a bundle and give away the other titles in it. But if it's something that you only want to buy because it's cheap and not because you already strongly wanted something in the bundle beforehand then it's only going to sit on your backlog because you probably won't play the game immediately. Try to imagine how soul draining that cumbersome and dreary extra backlog will feel like and use that imagined non-happy feeling to prevent yourself from buying the next bundle, it's only one strategy but it can work.

Curse you again, this time without the pun from above! I didn't know about that bundle but I saw your post and went to check out the bundle immediately. Face Noir was one my wishlist once, I kicked it off because I thought it looked like a typical 3 star unmemorable adventure that I didn't really need but when I saw the bundle and realized I could get it for only $1, I almost bought it. Fortunately, I was able to resist by using fake future visualization: I imagined myself playing the game and tried to picture how bored I would be because it looks like a drab game. In reality, I'd probably enjoy it at least mildly and enough to finish it and not regret a $1 purchase, after all that was the case with Alcatraz 1954 (which I bought for cheap on GOG) and Face Noir is probably in the same 3 to 3,5 star ballpark. Face Noir looks more boring though, Alcatraz 1954 isn't a bad adventure at all, it's just overpriced (like practically everything published by Daedalic after they raised their prices).

Who knows what the current fall sale will bring, probably nothing huge but the constant low to medium level assault on willpower from the fall promo games is not to be underestimated. In the summer, I fell prey to this type of temptation on quite a number of accounts and most purchases were not even from my wishlist.

It was a nice surprise to see those games here, what can I say. The only thing keeping me away from the Elder Scrolls games is that I don't have the time for them anymore and Morrowind is way overpriced. It's a great game but it's also old. $22 for a game that's 13 years old?! Someone has been smoking too much Dagobah Green?? If Morrowind goes on a super steep sale, I might pick it up. But only "very maybe"

Hopefully, you got this Paypal issue sorted out by now. The silver lining is that you didn't absolutely need anything and were thus saved from adding even more backlog to your already insurmountable collection.

Ah, classic denial :)

Leroux shares your sentiment:
http://www.gog.com/forum/general/official_stop_buying_games_selfhelp_group/post70

Politicians in particular, yes indeed! An beware of hipsters, too (communists with i-phones)

That sounds like radical detox methods but for heavy addicts, this might be an idea worth trying

That won't work for people (like myself) who play games for fun. If I -have- to complete a game even if it's not fun, it becomes a chore and I would suffer. I plan to install and try out every single game I have but I don't finish most of my games. For the most part, I only finish adventures and stuff like that where playtime isn't all too long. Adventure games are also the only ones where I continue even if I'm temporarily stuck and not having fun, because I know it will be fun again once I'm unstuck. Can't see how I could tackle a 30-100 hour RPG anymore these days, not just time but energy-wise.

If a gamer is not the same weight as a duck, than he or she is not made of wood and therefor not a witch, even if people say otherwise!

Anyway, regarding being yourself during free time, I agree. At work, that's obviously not entirely possible in most jobs as you have to stick to certain standards of behavior, usually of the extroverted and conditioned nature. For example, I can't be my introverted absent-minded self when working jobs with e.g. tourists etc, obviously one has to talk to people and be approachable, dynamic, assertive, present-minded, communicative and positive etc fancy schmancy. It's not hard to do if you turn off certain parts of your brain but it costs me a lot of energy. As I grow older, I'm bothering less and less with adapting because as age increases, the amount of f*ck given decreases. But one still has to follow certain standards and that's good to a degree. Because what some people see as individuality, one can just as well see as over-eccentric and simply annoying. I can be eccentric myself at times but I don't walk around town loudly reciting crap poetry while wearing a Spongebob costume and getting on everyone's nerves by purposely trying to "be myself" , or more likely a misfit. It's the tragically boring types that need to try so hard, if someone actually -is- different than they are more likely to tune it -down- rather than up. But you can never quite tell for sure which is what makes it interesting to figure out people. Do they try to be normal but are batshit insane, or do they look crazy and are crazy, or do they act crazy and are stinky normal, or what. Lots of possible combinations.

I think some people already suggested something along the lines of quickly spending all your money so that you'll be too poor to buy anything more and therefor protected from shopaholicism but I don't think it was meant as a serious strategy. More like a scare tactic, a boogieman story one tells kids: "If you don't stop picking your nose, your entire brain will flow out of your nose and you'll die etc"

I'm using that approach, it is very cost effective. My laptop can't run modern 3D games so all those games are not an option until they are several years old and can run on the next budget laptop, and by that time those games are cheaper, too. My backlog is ample nonetheless, not possibly going to run out of stuff to play even if I kept this system for another 2-3 years. Classic releases see to it that my backlog actually grows. This year, my goal is to finish more games than I buy. Still not quite there as I have bought 26 games and finished only 18 (not counting all the games I played partially and short free games and demos etc although that is all gaming, too, and makes up a large part of my gaming time)

awalterj is becoming a master tinkerer in this thread, damn! :)

I know it's kinda creepy but I wonder if those of us who have children already are thinking about leaving our backl...., I mean, legacy for them. Yep, I'm (not yet) dead serious.

This week I bought the base level Total War bundle, which I probably will never play, and bought Greyfox using Steam credit (it's $0.19 now on Steam), and while I'm more likely to play it at some point, it probably won't happen any time soon.

Also bought a bundle of RPG Maker (and GameGuru) DLC at BundleStars. Another not that necessary expenditure.

Edit: And I'm going to buy the top level of the current Humble Weekly Bundle. Don't know if I'd ever do anything with GameMaker Studio Pro (and I might already have it, but not with the Android export module), but getting that many game source codes is just too tempting.

I have sinned. After nearly 4 months of no backlog feeding, I caved and added one little log to the fire. That would be the newly GOGged System Shock Enhanced.

Since I already own SS2 I thought I'd complete the series, taking advantage of the 40% discount.

My other reason, as always, was to support the publisher's decision to release a highly requested title here. I mean, dude, that was the #3 most voted wishlist game of all time. :o

This week I bought the entry level Groupees Space Bundle #2. Bought it for the comic book, but it does contain games.

I also bought the Indie Gala Hump Day #9, and that was because about a day before it ended my 5 year old asked me to play Toki Tori. He had played the Toki Tori 2+ demo once and remembered it, and when he finished the demo again he wanted the full game (he asked for the first one, actually). So I looked up prices, was kind of disappointed that I missed a Steam sale for $0.25 just the other week, but found that the bundle with Toki Tori and Toki Tori 2+ is available for $4. After verifying with my son that he plans to play the games (not a real guarantee, of course) I decided to buy the bundle. He did play several levels of Toki Tori.

So anyway, I feel only half sinful. I didn't really set out to buy games for myself, but I did end up with a larger backlog.

I've resisted buying games at the frequency I was a few years ago, but it's more because I've already bought a large majority of the classic titles I want so the pickings are slimmer now. I also perceive the games offered on the various bundle sites to be much lower quality and/or uninteresting to me whereas a couple of years ago lots of bundles had games I was interested in. The remaining games I want to get either never go on sale, or they don't go on deep enough discount compared to what I'd like to pay, which is less than in the past due to having a huge backlog. So a game has to be generally cheaper now for me to buy it, and I have to want to own it or be very enthusiastic about it or want to play it immediately or I am more likely to pass on it and wait for a future promo. As such, my game buying frequency has went way down over the last year.