Backlog Club: Week Zero - Hello (Again), And Welcome (Again) To Backlog Club

Earthbound hits hard because I'm still in Twoson after four years of forgetting to play it on Wii U.

Vote for Moon and you're a good person.

This is a neat idea! Too bad I don't have enough time to finish a game in a week, but I'll try to follow when a game on my backlog shows up. Right now I have FE:3H, Sniper elite 3 and Deltarune waiting for me to get bored with MH Rise.

Voted undertale only because it’s been in my own backlog for years lol

@FishyS I think you're meant to play Slay the Spire. Sounds like it's meant to be structured like a book club, and at a book club everyone reads the same book.

I should go back to this game. It is a good game which I (cardinal gamer sin) broke off from to play other games. I voted Undertale for the next game, but all 3 are good choices for the next backlog game.

It's a deck-building game, a rogue-like and it's super ugly... This game seems specifically made to not appeal to me.

I've already played Slay and Undertale (both excellent games) but I'll give Moon a go if that wins the vote. I presume it's Moon Remix RPG Kates referring to. Might even give Earthbound another go if that wins, though I didn't really enjoy it the first time. I think I got as far as the 4th town.

There should be a retro edition of this for us vintage gamers..

I took a chance on Slay the Spire awhile ago when it was on sale. I've never tried a deck builder game before but I figured I'd give it a shot. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it (even though I'm not that good at it). I'll have to redownload it and get back too it this week. Good looking out Kate Gray.

Looks like I'm a couple weeks early to this feature. I intend to play Slay the Spire in a few weeks, but my rule for my backlog is to play out 1 or 2 games at a time until I beat them (currently on Dragon Quest XI and Kirby and the Forgotten Land). Slay the Spire is next though, so I can say that I'm definitely excited to finally play it. Although roguelikes are hard ones to intentionally knock out of a backlog. Since I'll have caught all up with my backlog after these 2 games, I'm going to juggle Slay the Spire, Going Under and Dicey Dungeons. Not expecting to beat any of them, but I'll just be playing them for fun.

Oh god, the backlog.... I'm up to about 200 unplayed on my Switch, and have 10 PS5 games I've not started.

Backlog Club! The club I wanted all my adult life and never knew it!! Thank you Kate!

Although I imagined it would be more like AA, for people trying to stay clean, and less like a book club. As it is, Slay the Spire and Earthbound (and Undertale) are all in my barely played pile, so I’ll join your happy circle.
I may not have time to make much progress in StS this week, but I’ll jump back in.

@xiao7 I picked Moon because I find it very hard to believe this person is in the video game industry and hasn't played Earthbound or Undertale.

Funny I just got slay the spire with playstation plus as well, it's an OK game but after an hour I just find the gameplay loop a bit boring

@NinChocolate I mean, Earthbound is on their list so I highly doubt retro games are off the table..

This is a great idea! I’ve started tracking my backlog lately. Started with about 50 and it’s down to about 30 now!

Slay the Spire is amazing. I have over 900 hours into the game and still loving it.

I love this idea, Kate! Not sure I'll ever be super active if it's done weekly, though. I don't have a lot of time to divert from from the games I'm actively trying to finish. Something like a monthly format, or every two weeks even, would probably work better for me. But it's a fun idea and I'll try to be there.

I can vouch for Slay the Spire, it's my most played game on my current Switch at around 275 hours. I was playing it last night and I'll probably sneak in a run sometime this morning. Currently I'm running the Silent at ascension level 1.

I play a lot of deckbuilders, mostly in tabletop, and STS is simply one of the best I've played. It's perfectly balanced, you unlock powers at just the right rate, and you have a lot of agency in building your deck. It looks like so much luck, but it's really not. There's an enormous amount of mitigation at your disposal. There are multiple viable strategies for every character, and a really nice range of characters and encounters.

I hope they make a sequel or DLC for this at some point, but honestly even after all this time I still feel heavily engaged with STS.

In fact... (turns on Switch)

If you are age 25 or under, having a game backlog is fine. If you are approaching middle age, better get on it. That’s what I started doing when I turned 35.

I currently have around 150 games in my backlog between consoles, steam, and retro games.

I started compulsively buying games starting during the wii-u's generation after I saw how some games from the ps2-thru-ps3 generation would become insanely hard to find and get massive mark ups. So my brain started to rationalize--if I have a fleeting interest in this game, buy it while you can and play it someday and if you don't like it, sell it if its rare and make some money.

regardless though, I've had to stop myself around 2020 because money was tight.

Still though, I'm glad I bought the games that I did when I could, I own some seriously rare games now, including one for the original DS that sells for 200 bucks without all the special edition stuff that I still have.

So there must be some logic to my madness.

I don't own Slay the Spire. I'll grab it and add it to the backlo-wait...am I doing this wrong?

You missed that Slay the Spire is available on mobile. Much cheaper on there.

Anyway this is a great idea. Unfortunately I’d have to add this week’s game to my backlog to play it, which is defeating the object.

Current backlog count: 774 games

I was introduced to Slay the Spire on my last day subscribing to PS Now many months back. I’ve never been one for deck-building card games at all whatsoever, but this game instantly hooked me! Ended up buying it on sale on Switch and put about 200 hours into it until the added difficulty challenges became a bit much for me. It also has long runs as a rogue-like since there’s some careful strategy and math to be done each twist & turn. Great game overall. Would love a sequel.

… Wun can only hope!

If Octopath Traveller comes up in one of these weeks, I AM DONE FOR.

I’m not playing any of my backlog this weekend, but I may add to it

I voted for Earthbound, but be warned it is NOT a quick game. Expect 40 hours minimum to finish

I have slay the spire through UGP and PS+ but sadly I’m working through some ps4 first party games atm in my backlog. Have owned a ps4 sinde march of 2014 now but barely played any exclusives on it throughout the years, especially after I got a switch at launch. I beat concrete genie, uncharted 1, ratchet and clank, infamous second son, infamous first light, LittleBigPlanet 3, spider-man (ps5 version), spider-man miles morales (ps5), astro’s playroom (ps5), astro bot rescue mission, VR worlds, gravity rush and tearaway. Most of those I beat last year. Still a lot left. Currently playing horizon zero dawn.

Also doing the same with my 3ds backlog.

But the idea is nice.

Is the discussion guided or is it just this comments thread? I actually have played Slay the Spire recently but am happy to play more of it - it rocks.

Also, is this really going to be weekly? Slay the Spire is a game you can "beat" relatively quickly, but most games will require more time. I don't personally have a ton of gaming time, especially gaming time that I wouldn't use on my Elden Ring playthrough I feel like this might work better monthly, with new discussion threads for a single game weekly until the following title starts.

Slay the Spire was awesome, one of the few really good games I ended up picking up in the last year, have beaten the main campaign at least once with each character and the super boss a few times, I think I got at least a few "acsencion" runs under my belt too. Only thing I really wish was that there was just.. more of it, events, different enemies, new characters, cards etc. It felt like I ended up seeing what the game has to offer way too quick.

I bought it on Steam, but I also got a copy on my phone because I figured its a rare case of a game that actually works on the platform, it's been nice to have now and then when I'm on the move and need to kill some time.

Does it count as backlog if I've played it a bunch and never finished it? I might try a few lore runs this week, but since Chrono Croas just came out, its unlikely. Plus Rain World is on sale. And that only happens about once every two years.

Odd you completely neglect to mention Slay the Spire is on mobile.

If Earthbound wins the votes for next week's game, I'll join you in playing it. I've been meaning to play it for many years.

Lovely idea. I have a little folder of games I'm trying to force myself to finish before I buy anymore. They're mostly JRPGs so it could take a while.
Hope Earthbound wins - it's golden!

I've completed all 20 Ascension levels with the Defect (17 with the Ironclad and 15 with the Silent... only like 4 with the Watcher... she's not my fav)

Can't quite say this is in my 'backlog' since I've played it in between other games off and on for years now.

Such an addictive game.

Undertale is a comparatively short game so you can knock it out quick and it wouldn't really add to the backlog and is a great experience.

Fun idea for a running column and discussion!

How would the comments for the game of the week be kept separate from comments about next week's game? Separate posts/threads?
It's too bad that this can't be done in real time over Discord or something, but I get that it'd be challenging with the time zone differences.

Love this feature, such a great idea! I've been trying to get better at actually playing and beating the games I buy, rather than just hoarding them like a gremlin.

I've been running something similar myself for the past 4 years https://bblc.beebs.xyz/ It's good to have a community effort to tackle the backlog beast. It's hard sometimes to get the impetus to play That One Game You Bought At 95% Discount, hope this helps a lot of people!

Torn between tackling XCDE or MH Stories 1 this week. Thoughts?

I could not get into Slay the Spire. Deck building games are anyway not my favourites, I thought this one will be different, but did not like it much even after playing 10 hours or so. I didn't find the point of dungeon crawling with hardly any story (I don't like the pretentious "find the lore" mechanic at all - hated Hollow Knight for that).

@Desrever I run about the same way. The Watcher is the only character I don't have a lot of fun with. I struggle to build a reliable engine for her, and she's the only one I've never won a run with.

The Defect is my favorite by far.

Hmm… this is interesting… but it’s a big commitment to play a game from your backlog EVERY WEEK…

I voted for Earthbound, because it’s one of the few games actually in my backlog.

I did buy a wiiu (it supose to arrive today) for the sole purpose of playing some retro games on the big screen so Earthboud it is fro me

This is perfect. Slay the Spire is definitely in my backlog and with it on PS+ now, I really ought to give it a try, finally! I think it will be playable on the backbone, so no excuses.

Oh boy our backlogs are so bad that they made a club for it.

Even though I've already beat it, I'm voting for Undertale for Alex Olney to finally play that game and discuss it with Zion and Felix. But really I should vote for Earthbound, I have no excuse not to play it now that it is on NSO online.

Clever idea with the backlog club but maybe extend it to every two weeks? There's no way I can finish a game in a single week anymore

With my Switch library alone sitting at ~975 titles, I have to clarify: what is this "shame" thing I'm invited to dig into a pile of?🤔😄

Despite adding Slay the Spire last night (my friend who usually stations the console - no pun intended - might find time and interest for it), I don't see myself starting it on PS4 when it should eventually join my Switch ranks, and the only title on the poll I've got is Earthbound which I wouldn't play ahead of Earthbound Zero either. But when it comes to nibbling at backlogs, I may turn to a personal routine instead when in the mood - using my collection app's "pick random game" option and giving the first five valid options (namely, the currently installed ones) at least a brief session. Tried this for the Switch stash alone and for the general licensed collection (which, ironically, rolled me some NSO titles for the most part on the very same Switch, but also Suikoden and Driver on Vita), and I can see myself doing this time and time again on top of the other plans and moods

Love this cozy community club idea, it’s just that… a week to play a game? I’m not nearly that fast. 😭

Well, maybe one of these weeks you’ll all hit a game I’m already working on and I can double down and finish it in time. 😁

Also, please post a cover image for Mystik Belle so my collection here on NL looks better… and then maybe play/review it closer to Halloween. 😃

My backlog is like 400 games or something. If you factor in games that are still releasing, well... life just isn't long enough to get through them all, even if I played 24/7 with no food or sleep. Sooo... pick the best, the most important and the ones that call to you the most, and sweep the rest of that detritus away. NO REGRETS!

Oh that's a very nice new regular article! Looks like I'm gonna enjoy!

When they mentioned Moon I was thinking of an FPS game from the DS but realised they're referring to the PS1 game.

"Every week we'll choose a game from our backlog that takes dozens of hours to complete"

Sounds like a good idea, but a week is nowhere near long enough like many say. Also it might be a good idea to include games that are on sale that week, gives people a chance who haven't got the game to get involved by buying a discounted version.

I have zero backlog. I had a massive backlog for years but then finally caught up a few years ago. I am in the middle of Forbidden West and that's it. Anything else I'm just replaying for fun.

This is an interesting idea but I echo a lot of other folks in the comments... a week is wayyyyy short to play .. any game? Speaking for myself, a 34-year old gamer who has a 50hr workweek, loving partner, and a dog hahah

Also.. does NintendoLife have a discord? It seems well-suited for something like this, especially if that "week" becomes... fingers-crossed... a month?

Fun idea! I'm too darn busy to properly contribute weekly, but I'll certainly be reading along. This will probably put some more titles on my list to play.

Alright, I downloaded it

❗️I'll play none of these as I'm STUCK in Galar (PokéMon 🗡).

Levelling up all my Pkm takes sometime, especially with the Expansion Pass.

I've made a rule that I'll ONLY get my Starters to Level 100 (which I've done) and the Supers which I'm about 75% there.

Interesting concept, I'll be sure to check in on the Book Cub weekly. This week I'll have to pass, don't have the time or passing interest in this week's game, but Earthbound is something I can talk about (I see it's currently leading the polls). As a suggestion I'd like to see that short list expanded to 10 games instead of 3 to increase the chances of something more people would play being listed.

Slay the Spire catches my eye every now and then, but I have little experience with deck builders and unfortunately was scared off from roguelikes thanks to the earlier Pokemon Mystery Dungeon titles. Might give it a look someday....

Which moon? The anti-rpg or the survival horror from the ds?

Crysis is my backlog assignment.

My backlog.game.changed me to PS4 and Horizon Zero dawn. We don't talk about the Nintendo back log due to shame.

Switch is my one platform I am dedicated to having zero/minimum backlog. I got a few games for Christmas but then got sidetracked playing and catching up to Genshin impact after I moved house in January and all my new housemates played it.

Now I am up to date on Genshin, it now takes very little of my time and I was able to jump back to playing the Christmas games. In the last few weeks, I've finished Kyle is famous, piffle, Luna's fishing garden and beast breaker. Next up is Kharons crypt, then void terrarium, then dungeon encounters, then finally Luigi's mansion 3. After that, I'll be in the market for a new switch game.

I have Earthbound on my 3DS and I really should play it.

But if i play my back log wont i get poo on my hands??

I’ve been meaning to check out Moon. So, can I just play Moon next week?

If Earthbound wins, add Earthbound Beginnings to the vote list.

The best way to deal with your backlog is to accept and embrace that you can’t play everything that comes out.

nice idea, apart from the limited choice!
but one week it'll favor my backlog. oh yes...

as somebody with bad OCD (struggling with the botw korok madness) folders has helped my mental state with 'backlog'

@xiao7 Yay! I'm a good person apparently!

Okay
@kategray this is a cool idea! Love it.

Lovely idea. Slay the Spire is not in my backlog or on my radar so will give this week a miss. May have to give Earthbound on NSO a go the week after if it wins the poll as I’ve got a lovely week off work. Should be spent building wardrobes etc for my new house but I think playing as Ness coming off my bucket list is more important 😂

@jarvismp Although this will now create a further backlog of my backlog! Slay the Spire ready on GP

Oh, I love this idea! "Sadly" I played Slay the Spire already to death (sunk about 350 hours between the Switch and the Steamversion), but maybe I'm joining next week

I always strand around the monkey trading in Earthbound. I'm getting a guide and plowing through that bump to see what more that (amazing) game has to offer! Biggest gripe is the inventory management, and tough random encounters. I'm usually dead before I reach those though bosses at the end of the dungeons!

Played through Deltarune Ch.1&2 with my daughter and had a blast with it so we decided to get Undertale as well. I know lots of fans think Undertale is better but to me it doesn't click as much as it did with Deltarune. Anyway so there's my vote for next week.

I'll try to play StS this week. Haven't before! Voted for Moon because it's the only one I haven't played.

Earthbound is an odd one to suggest considering howlongtobeat has it clocked in at a little under 30 hours for the main story. Is the ideal of this club to finish the games or just play enough of it? Are you and everyone else just going to play enough to talk about it, like many a book report? The expectations should be a little more clearly laid out, but I really like this idea!

Slay the Spire works well on iPad - sunk well over 100 hours there, probably closer to 200. Would play in my phone too but sadly it doesn’t support cross saves and I’m not sure I can be bothered to unlock everything again

It's a nice idea, and as I had Slay The Spire still sitting sealed on my shelf I'll give it a go, though generally, I think the weekly tempo would be too much to stick with, and I'd prefer a wider pool of games rather a single game.

And I'd probably want the post-game chat to be spoiler-free...

Love this idea, and will definitely be down if Earthbound wins the poll. Playing Moon would involve adding to my backlog, and I've already beaten Undertale - though if that wins maybe I'll finally play Deltarune Chs. 1-2.

StS is a really odd choice to launch this though - it's a fantastic game, but rogueli*es occupy a really weird zone. "Finishing" one is an even more subjective concept than with a more traditional fully scripted game. But in the spirit of the club, I can probably boot StS up for a few runs - it has been a while.

Might be better to increase the length of time you have to play a game. Like 1 game a month or 1 every 2 weeks, especially for longer games. But I love the idea!

I'll be joining in for Earthbound and Undertale!

Really great idea @kategray and a good way to engage everyone. Top job. Thank you.

I just accepted the fact I won't play every good game ever made.

This seems like a fun idea, but I've got a backlog of games I already own to catch up on, and a wishlist that's as long as the eshop will allow, so I'm not gonna go digging for extra hidden gems. I'll try to hop into the discussion if it ever lands on something I'm already working on.

Good idea extending the playtime, I’ll definitely get stuck into Earthbound if that wins the poll.

Current backlog count: 775 games

I don’t have any interest in Slay the spire and I’ve already played earthbound through about 4 times. This is a good idea though and I’d love to see a particular set of website features to allow discussions on games until the period has ended. Perhaps limited time group chat channels on the game being run and other community features. Everyone has a backlog so this would be a good way to get people involved in handling it together.

Slay the Spire is a fantastic game. Probably best on PC by its nature but great anywhere nonetheless.

Voted Moon because more people need to play it and the other two have been discussed to death.

Could the preliminary discussion be in April rather than before the club started?
More seriously, though, this seems like a good idea.

Okay, nice plan… but:
“ For this month, we'll publish the preliminary discussion on the weekend of March 16/17, and then our final discussion and thoughts at the end of April.”

It’s currently April 13…?

I like this plan. I'll try to join in where I can

@Bucket @BabyYoda71 oh no oops

Edit: I fixed it

In the words of a famous queen:
"Much bettah!"

Love the extended timeframe, especially if we're going to be working through longer games in this club.

Another dimension that might be fun to add would be a more freeform "side club" that just promotes and celebrates reducing backlog in general, rather than focuses on particular games. Maybe a monthly check-in where people can discuss how many/which games they successfully removed from their backlog.

Much better timeline! I look forward to jumping in when I can.

Kate, thank you for the extension! One thing I remember now about Slay the Spire is how >censored< addictive it is!

It's hogged all my playing time this week, so my backlog is just getting worse...

I plan to play some Slay the Spire this month. I just finished A Short Hike (highly recommended) and am playing Jenny LeClue, which is a high quality point-and-click. My daughter played it about 6 months ago and recommended it to me.

I like the new time frame better. Of course, just like a real book club, the time frame should adapt to expected time to beat a game. StS shouldn't need as much time as Earthbound. I know Moon won't be picked for the next week, but I look forward to hearing you guys talk about StS! I'm really enjoying it so far. Maybe too much. 👀

Genuinely curious as to why people keep buying games that they won’t play for ages ?

I make a list of games I want to purchase and once I’ve finished the one I’m currently playing I’ll buy one then off my list.

Saves money as 90% of the time they are reduced in price.

Also I only buy games if I’m currently still playing one if it’s reduced in price in a sale.

Why is this feature restricted to Switch?

Wouldn't it make sense for a system not currently in production because enough time would have passed to make it a backlog game and not a current game?

The Wii U / 3DS would be perfect.

This is such a great idea, and I finished my first run, such a fun game I don't think would have had the time to get back to had this post not existed. Thanks!

Really enjoying the Backlog Club! Slay the Spire wasn't in my backlog, but its great to experience something new with the community. Can't wait for the discussion!

Wonderful Idea! Happy to join in on this! Going to go home and download it tonight!