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General discussion6 tips for managing your video game backlog!(101 posts)(101 posts)
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Posted January 11, 2021
So many great games to play and so little time – we’ve all been there, especially when the holiday shopping spree is over. If the growing list of must-play games in your library stresses you out, we’re here to help. Just read our list of 6 useful tips to reduce your gaming backlog in the upcoming months!

1. Slow down
Like an ancient wise man said once (and all life coaches since) – a big journey consists of small steps. It may sound a bit strange, but maybe you’re trying too hard to finish all the cool titles you own. Instead of rushing into games, and being frustrated by the lack of progress, try a more systematic approach. Shortening your gaming sessions may help them become more satisfying. There’s really nothing chasing you here. For example, if you spend an hour a day with one title that needs 10 hours to finish, you can beat it in just 2 weeks.



2. Start with shorter games
Another popular saying states that you should always tackle obstacles from their easier side. If your gaming backlog keeps growing, start chipping away at it by choosing to play the shorter, easier titles first. Just visit sites like HowLongToBeat and make a list of owned games in order of their length. After beating shorter titles, you can take on the longer, more elaborate ones without having to dwell on the other games you still haven’t finished.

3. Find a co-op friend
One of the popular bits of advice to all gym-avoiders is to take a friend with you. Many activities are more fun when enjoyed in bigger groups, so check if the game you’ve been avoiding for some time has a co-op mode. Even if you invite your friend for a gaming session just once a week, it will still help you take down overdue titles in a social and very enjoyable way.



4. Use tools to keep order
Make your gaming life easier by creating a convenient, easy-to-access list of games to finish. Apps like GOG GALAXY let you add bookmarks to your game collection across all platforms. Just create a bookmark titled “The Pile of Shame”… just kidding – “Games to Play” (let’s remember to stay positive), and watch as it gets smaller with each day.

5. Give your favorites a break
We all have them – games that are evergreen, ones that we love to return to from time to time. Well, if we want to make that game to-do list disappear, those darlings will have to sit in the back row for a bit. It’s time to open up to new experiences and, let’s be honest, those golden oldies aren’t going anywhere, right?



6. Take it easy
Ask yourself, do you want to beat a specific game quickly or do you just want to explore its lore and story. If the second answer is the correct one, you can just as easily choose “easy” or “story mode” in the difficulty section and simply have fun. If the game really draws you in, you can always revisit it in “nightmare mode” in the future.

How about you? Do you have any games that you wish to finally play and finish in the upcoming months? Write about them in the comment section below, and remember – fresh or overdue, the main goal of playing every game is to have fun!
Posted January 13, 2021
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Anamon: #1 rule should be: while playing, keep checking if you're still having fun. Sounds obvious, but it's easy to get swept away and forget. Remember why you play games in the first place. It's a pastime, not a list of chores. If you notice you're not fully enjoying the game anymore, dump that thing and do or play something else, it's not worth your time.

That also implies that I disagree with GOG's #5 (give your favourites a break). Why would you, if you're having fun? Why force yourself to play something you enjoy less?
This is interesting. Many apps and websites on mobile devices are designed with an addiction factor taken into account. Actually people who design slotting machines have been called upon to participate in the design of said apps. So, the idea is to hook the user and make them anxious about staying there, even if they are not enjoying it that much.

Ask yourselves: have you ever found yourself scrolling at some app/website on mobile, reading things that really you did not enjoy or are interested in that much? Yet you keep scrolling for more?

Jeff Vogel has mentioned repeatedly in his blog how (nowadays standard) game mechanics intend to hook the user as well and produce the same effect. So, yes, it is entirely possible that people finds themselves playing something without really knowing why, since they are not enjoying it that much. A bit of reflection might help there.
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op-si: Well, I have a friend, who does have a GOG account with some games also some on Steam, yet he still plays only an browser type game and that since years. He is addicted to it*. Something with building cities or what... greek mythology and such.

He even installed the app version to his smartphone. So when he is not at home at his computer, he can play it on the phone.

*In that game he has (ten)thousand of hours invested. He plays it still every day... hours after he gets home from work.

How can such a person even finish his backlog? :p
Ditto. Additction is not good, by definition. One thing is the tongue-in-the-cheek "addiction" we might have for movies, books or games, and another, the fact that someone is be unable to quit something, even if they so wished (think smoking).
Post edited January 13, 2021 by Carradice
Posted January 13, 2021
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Oisin: Choice paralysis is real. But, I would say games are a beautiful escape from the mundane and can let your thoughts wander off for a while. I would also say if a social event is up for grabs, go for it first. Games will be there for you when you need a bit of self-reflective solitude. Great topic GOG
+1 Sound post.

Agreed that games are primarily an escape. Secondarily, they might have attractive by themselves, when they actually help you learning something. Like, dynamics that happen in the real world, or human experience via a good story that unfolds like that of a good movie or book. Or they scratch a particular itch, like love for problem-solving, cars or whatever.


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Sarafan: Generally I like RPGs and the fact is that they're very time consuming.
Having little time, the best are games were you can easily play for a while, then leave it for another ocassion. Playing mission by mission might help, especially if taking some quick notes (on a text editor or on your mobile device).
Post edited January 13, 2021 by Carradice
Posted January 13, 2021
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Carradice: Ditto. Additction is not good, by definition. One thing is the tongue-in-the-cheek "addiction" we might have for movies, books or games, and another, the fact that someone is be unable to quit something, even if they so wished (think smoking).
You are absolutely right.
Posted January 13, 2021
7. Don't have kids.
Posted January 13, 2021
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Carradice: Having little time, the best are games were you can easily play for a while, then leave it for another ocassion. Playing mission by mission might help, especially if taking some quick notes (on a text editor or on your mobile device).
When it comes to RPGs it's not that easy. If you stop playing a certain title it's often hard to remember all of the key information that you gathered during your playthrough. Quick notes can be helpful, but usually they're too quick to be useful after a bigger break. :) Some of the RPGs have a decent journal that helps in such situations, but it's still not the same as playing without a break.
Posted January 13, 2021
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MarkoH01: ...since you destroyed the GOG downloader - a more convenient download possibility (at least for me) than using the browser...
For those of use who Liked GOG downloader, there is a GOG repo whic you can always use ;)

I have discovered it only recently and it´s a godsend tool, especially for big games with lots of files to download.
Posted January 14, 2021
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MarkoH01: ...since you destroyed the GOG downloader - a more convenient download possibility (at least for me) than using the browser...
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Tarhiel: For those of use who Liked GOG downloader, there is a GOG repo whic you can always use ;)

I have discovered it only recently and it´s a godsend tool, especially for big games with lots of files to download.
GOG repo is of no use for me personally (I don't say that it is a bad script and I am well aware that it is a godsend for several others) since it does not offer the possinility to download only specific updates. Also it is not just pushing a button ... I tried it and decided to use Galaxy in the end... neither Galaxy nor GOG Repo is a 100% replacement for the Downloader fo rme though ...but that's OT and is already discussed in length in one of those other threads.

(Edit: Apparently I was wrong with my statement about GOG repo not being able to download specific updates)
Post edited January 14, 2021 by MarkoH01
Posted January 14, 2021
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MarkoH01: GOG repo is of no use for me personally (I don't say that it is a bad script and I am well aware that it is a godsend for several others) since it does not offer the possinility to download only specific updates. Also it is not just pushing a button ... I tried it and decided to use Galaxy in the end... neither Galaxy nor GOG Repo is a 100% replacement for the Downloader fo rme though ...but that's OT and is already discussed in length in one of those other threads.
I've not used it, but from what I have read, the DEV version of the gogrepo.py fork by Kalanyr does allow you to target specific files.

Or if you prefer a GUI, my GOGRepo GUI now provides that feature with the original gogrepo.py ... this is via a right-click option for the selected game. You get presented with a File Selector window with all listed files for the game and a checkbox alongside each, and a single DOWNLOAD button. That said, there is no resume feature with the original gogrepo.py, so if you have a poor connection you are better off with Galaxy or a 3rd party program like Free Download Manager 5, certainly for large files.
Post edited January 14, 2021 by Timboli
Posted January 14, 2021
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Tarhiel: For those of use who Liked GOG downloader, there is a GOG repo whic you can always use ;)

I have discovered it only recently and it´s a godsend tool, especially for big games with lots of files to download.
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MarkoH01: GOG repo is of no use for me personally (I don't say that it is a bad script and I am well aware that it is a godsend for several others) since it does not offer the possinility to download only specific updates. Also it is not just pushing a button ... I tried it and decided to use Galaxy in the end... neither Galaxy nor GOG Repo is a 100% replacement for the Downloader fo rme though ...but that's OT and is already discussed in length in one of those other threads.
That's fine, of course, but in case others are reading this, I will point out that gogrepo does allow you to download specific updates.
Post edited January 14, 2021 by mrkgnao
Posted January 17, 2021
So if I play a game through GOG will I get achievements that are on Steam? Does GOG Galaxy even come with an achievements system?
Posted January 18, 2021
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pferreira1983: So if I play a game through GOG will I get achievements that are on Steam? Does GOG Galaxy even come with an achievements system?
If you play a GOG game through Galaxy you will get the Galaxy achievements. Yes, of course Galaxy has it, as you can notice when I complain that a game that has achievements on Steam doesn't have them on Galaxy XD
In every game card on the right on the game storepage you can see if there are achievements.
If you mean to ask if Galaxy can track your Steam achievements, yes, but you need to launch the Steam version.
Post edited January 18, 2021 by Dogmaus
Posted January 18, 2021
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pferreira1983: So if I play a game through GOG will I get achievements that are on Steam? Does GOG Galaxy even come with an achievements system?
If you care about that, yes. Not sure if all games do though. You'll have to check the games page to see if it does or not.


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Haven't played a game for a couple months, but what I do is grab a few games (up to 5 or 10). Those are the ones I can play. When I ultimately beat one or dislike a game to the point I don't want to play it ever again. I'll replace it with another game.

Can also add a game or two that you can just jump on and off to play to kill time...FTL, ToME, Super Hexagon, etc. Or a game you just like to play now and then. But the main goal is to focus on the 5 to 10 games. The reason I have it be a high number (5 to 10 games) is because it will allow you to have an assortment of genres. And you will possibly get tired or frustrated with one game for a bit and you can just jump on another for a time (RPG to shooter to whatever). Plus, while playing games shouldn't be work. The hope is for me at least, to actually beat it instead of just try something for 5 or 10 minutes and then try something else for another 5 or 10 minutes.
Post edited January 18, 2021 by lepke1979
Posted January 18, 2021
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Timboli: or a 3rd party program like Free Download Manager 5, certainly for large files.
Does this actually work with gog downloads??
Posted January 18, 2021
this is all wrong. the best way to manage ur backlog is to stop buying videogames. ps. never slow down. you ever play a game one day and the next time you pick it up you forget everything in it. yeah bad idea right. if you like the game and your engrossed in it, you'll probably want to keep playing it till you beat it.
Posted January 18, 2021
#1 tip to manage your video game backlog: Start playing your older games, stop buying new ones! :D
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This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussion6 tips for managing your video game backlog!(101 posts)(101 posts)
(101 posts)