Topic: Eliminate your backlog!

I was reading an article the other day, and in the comments someone was saying that they use excel to choose what game in their backlog they should tackle next, but that it doesn't work very well. That got me thinking that I could build an app that does it better, and here it is! I just call it the backlog eliminator. Heres how it works;

-Extract the application and the text file into the same directory

-Write what games are in your backlog line by line just as the example text is written

-Save and close the text file, then load up the application. Hit "What should I play?" and theres your game!

Its nothing fancy, but thought I'd share! If you like it, throw me a tip at ko-fi.com/divinebovine

Download Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DBdPYB6LRitZrUL-Mj03qo6TglUI...

Let me know if anything breaks, or if you have any suggestions

Inbefore this thread will be locked due to make Exactly same thread...

@RedderRugfish do google drive links expire? ugh. what else can I use?

@RedderRugfish Link updated

This isn't going to lessen anyone's backlog. A lack of self-discipline and an excess of disposable income lead to backlogs.

I guess if you're genuinely paralyzed by excessive choice you could use this to make your mind up for you, but... that doesn't sound very fun at all. I just play whatever sounds fun.

I'll give it a try, though.

Enough of this backlog shaming!

Last night, amidst a backlog of probably 600 games, I played some turf war on Splatoon 2, some BotW (which I'd beaten about a year ago), and bought another game (Crayola Scoot).

Backlog now 601. And there's nothing wrong with that.

(To the theme of 'The Masterplan' by Oasis)
"Play what you wanna play
"Any game any day
"Just know we're gonna go
"Which way we wanna go
"All we know is that we don't
"Know how big it's gonna be
"Please brother let it be
"Games aren't a to-do list
"That's the lesson that you've missed
"Backlogs can go to hell"

@gcunit Not for you personally but I would be pulling my hair out over all that wasted cash 600 games for nothing what a waste, but its just different perspective.

Personally every game in my backlog ,is a must have game, must play game for me. No humble bundle trash or B rated indie but mostly at least 8/10 goodness so yeah so a backlog of 20/50 or 100 games is a problem because their all AA games or 10/10 indies

Every single game is a game I WANT to play right now

Also your method is great for gameplay games but what about story heavy games? Do you juggle between 6 tv shows at a time?

Just curious cause like I started by saying I see it as perception not some right or wrong attitude

@gcunit I like this approach.

Forcing yourself to play games and treating your backlog as a chore doesn't seem healthy to me. I'd rather play the games that I want to play than to force myself on something just because I've spent £X on it. Some of the games I've enjoyed most are those I've spent very little on, and vice versa.

That said, I do see some value in this as choice paralysis could prevent you from trying out games that you could very well like.

@Buizel Choice paralysis is basically my problem. I have a massive backlog of games from my teens (Gamecube/PS2/XBOX era) because I liked to collect more than play lol. I know its not gonna help many people, I just chose the name cause it sounded good lol

@Mince Thats a good approach, but for me sometimes I get a mediocre game that just hits me the right way abd I have to play it. Im wierd like that

Definitely not. I've got a backlog of 700 on Steam alone. That's 700 mostly good games I get to play in the future.

@Mince Bear in mind the following:

• I almost never spend more than £10 on digital purchases.
• I only properly got into gaming in 2014. The majority of that backlog consists of older games bought since then, from SNES, GameCube, DS, 3DS, Wii, Wii U, PS3 that I missed at the time - mostly all proven over time to be classics worth playing (as opposed to impulse buys at release) or family games I'd like to have on hand as my kids grow up in case we wanna play them (eg. I've bought about 5 Just Dance games primarily for potential family fun). I do have a fairly healthy Switch backlog, but I'm pretty careful with it (e.g. I've not yet picked up many Switch games I want such as Doom, Dark Souls, Street Fighters, because the price hasn't been right). Some I've bought due to perceived potential for scarcity - e.g. I own a version of every western-released Etrian game but haven't started playing a single one yet.
• I buy games to last - I'm not generally in it for 'blasting' through a game just to get it done and be able to tick it off. There seems to be a sub-culture of people who race to complete every new high profile game and then move on to the next to avoid a backlog. That's not for me. I want to give every game a chance to show me it's merits and find it's own space in my gaming heart. And as such, if I do ever beat a game e.g. Yoshi's Woolly World, I don't consider it 'finished with', because I've formed an attachment to it and can find myself replaying it from time to time for years to come.
• Most of my backlog consists of physical games, bought used. Many of which may lose value but some may gain value. But most importantly, they're mine and not at the mercy of digital licensing - I don't like the move to digital gaming and have therefore secured a library of classic physical games to last me many years. In 20 years it may all be completely worthless, but I've enjoyed researching them and enjoyed looking for good prices on them, and enjoy having all that cool artwork on my shelf. I probably have developed a mild addiction to the process - I often browse eBay when I should be working etc. but it's just about under control
• Every penny I've spent, even if it's on used games, supports the gaming economy. I used to pirate games and hardly play them. Now I buy them, buy the hardware, and actually play them.
• I watch very little TV, and story doesn't tend to be my priority in games, so it's unlikely I'll ever be juggling too many story heavy games at one time.

@Divinebovine Please don't create duplicate threads or advertise your products please.