Anyone feel guilty about having a huge backlog of unplayed games?

As someone that (I'm guessing) has a much larger backlog of games than most people, I have been randomly wishing for something that would go through my library and do a better job of re-hyping me up to play the thing. While a bunch of it is probably just bundle trash, many games are hiding in there that I thought would be fun to play at some point and I've just forgotten about them. I own more games right now that I will be alive to play... and yet, I'm still looking forward to new releases in the future too.

Do I feel guilty about it? Sometimes, sure... though I'd say that waste is something that's pretty inherent in most people's lives. There are tons of things that we spend money/time/resources on that is ultimately a waste (and I'm not getting into weird things about games being a waste, I'm specifically talking about buying things that we never consume in a backlog sort of situation)... so I encourage people to take a different turn if they're feeling like that, but at the same time... give yourself some slack. Unless you're causing irreparable financial damage to yourself (in which case, seek professional help please), I wouldn't worry about it too much.

No, but I also don't view it as a backlog, I view it as a library, as it's also called in Steam. Having a library full of stuff you've already read (or played, in this case) defeats it's purpose, doesn't it? So I don't stress about it or feel guilty in any way, if I get to stuff then that's cool, if I'll never install some of the games, so be it.

No.

No I don’t. But I also play warhammer and have a closet full of unpainted miniatures I got no more guilt left for digital games.

Kinda, but I started playing them, so even tho my backlog is still growing, I'm actually not upset anymore. I've finished so many games this year already, that I no longer feel guilty.

Nope. In fact I've been adding to that backlog.

Just buy the games u know u will play. It's really simple as that

hahahaha

collecting games is a hobby in and of itself, playing them is just a bonus :oP

Nope. I very very rarely buy something full price. So the vast majority of my backlog was bought on massive discount. The few that I bought new or at 20% off? They get played as soon as I get them.

However, the flipside to that is I'm basically only buying at the major Steam sales and even then massively limiting it to what I think I'll at least try if not finish by the next sale. I got 5 at the latest one, one major AA, one LEGO game, two transit games (aka easy to pop in for 5 minutes then out) and one of the deep discounted games to see if I like the genre. I tend to bounce between games so I'm playing a couple at one time and I favor single player story driven games. Thus, I'll get through it all in my own time.

play those games... But I feel guilty for my wallet

Yes...it's a snowball that never stops growing. What I do is dedicate 3 hours to everyone and from there decide whether to continue, not continue or pause it.

Thanks to this, I have played 97 of my 286 games (it is not such a large collection but it is still 300 unplayed games)

Nope. I know I don't have infinite time to play stuff. Pick your "battles", do what you can, when you can, and move on.

I stopped my subscription to humble monthly ages ago.

More and more every day.

I bought four things in the Summer sale and I am doing my damndest to buy nothing else the rest of the year.

The backlog was long enough without 'em.

I am way too tempted to buy more games, despite playing the same 3-10 most of the time. Even though I have around 200 games.

Nope. I paid for them so developers aren’t missing out financially if i don’t play them. I’ll get around to them eventually but it may take a few years.

yes.

I still have some decades ahead of me to try and play them all, so... no regrets!

I remember trying to conquer my backlog last year (over 150 games), and this was my strategy.

When starting a game, give it 2-3 hours (depending on how long the game is) to hook you. If you aren’t feeling it after that much time has passed, put it down for a while and move on to another game.

Also, don’t force yourself to finish games. I’d much rather give up on a game a few hours in instead of wasting 20 hours playing something I didn’t even enjoy. Those hours could be put towards a game you do enjoy.

I don't feel guilty at this point, I embrace it

As someone who actively makes and keeps lists of things to do, buy, etc., I do feel a certain way when those lists become massive.

I don't feel guilty, but it feels like I've got an overwhelming amount of work that is piling up around me.

Set a rule that you have to finish x number of games before you can buy a new one. That's how I cut down the size of my backlog. It's currently at 14 games, probably closer to 20 after this sale, but the next goal is to get it to single digits.

If you can afford and find joy in it, what’s the issue? Though as other commenters have said, steam deck has been great getting through my backlog.

I used to but not anymore the way I see it it’s just a huge list of games I can play at any time worlds just waiting to be discovered

I have a large backlog of games and have decided to start playing them! First step was to start organizing them into buckets: favorites, completed (does not have to be 100%), multiplayer, DNR (games that are unplayable, games I do not like or junk), rotation (handful of games I am currently playing) and uncategorized.

I have about 100 games I haven't played installed on my PC. I play 2 at a time and I try to get as far as I can with each game. I don't expect to be able to get to all of them. Even if I stopped going to work and school and ignored my family for a couple of years, I'd still have a lot to get through.

That's like saying I feel guilty for having a full refrigerator

Not guilty but I try not to think of the amount of money I'd have saved had I not needed just 1 more game just because it's on sale.

Got a lot better this year I've only actually bought like 2 games this year.

I'm a weird case. I play each game in permadeath. When a character dies on one game, I go to another game. I may have not finished all of it but it's more memorable because every play through is a different experience even though I'm cycling through some games repeatedly.

In the past, yeah. Nowadays the sales are meh so usually I don't get anything new and half the games I wanna play are on gamepass that I have.

Nope. I’ll get to them and if I don’t I don’t.

No. I'll spend my fun money however I want.

Nah, not at all. I just can't resist a good discount if I have the money. I might eventually come back to them later, so it doesn't feel a waste.

I've decided to go through my backlog, try them for a few hours at least. If I like it then keep playing but if not then I move onto the next. This way I'm playing a variety of games and getting through my backlog

No.

It’s similar to having a sub on consoles. You basically have or can play all the games that come with the sub. But you don’t own them all. And you will not play all games.

With steam, you own all of them and you never know what life will throw at you. But then you still have games, you might even have forgotten, left to play on a rainy day.

Guilty no.

Slightly anxious yes.

I track all my spending on hobbies, so for video games i have a row for each game, date bought, price, etc.. After finishing games, I got back and highlight rows green, yellow, or red based on how i felt about the money spent for the experience. Maybe it's just me, but gradually filling out the sheet with colour is satisfying and a good reminder that even a great game can be a so-so purchase if the experience was too short or not worth the money.

I like having a bit of a backlog so I have options to pick from for my next game, but if the backlog gets too long I tend to get analysis paralysis and overthink my next game. Only having a couple of games downloaded makes it alot easier to tackle. Pick 3 that are most enticing right now, uninstall the rest so you shortlist your options

I'm way past tracking it, pretty sure there is no possible way I could "finish" all of them in a lifetime at this point, and I keep returning to the same handful of games that I have thousands of hours in. Yet I keep wishlisting stuff and buying them if they get cheap enough and I have humble choice going (but frequently skip months because I already own a lot of the stuff on there).

they dont tell u this, u can just start playing games in ur backlog. no one is stopping u

You own your backlog it does not own you - Confucius 

Yeah but sometimes you need to capitalize on the sales. Then you look at your unplayed games section and feel guilty. I feel that way too. It actually stopped me from getting hollow knight at 50% off. I already have castlevania advanced collection and FlipWitch The Sex Hex when I need to play some Metroidvanias. Maybe I’ll just wait until the next sale.

Yeah sometimes I do but I know I'm getting through them slowly 😔

Guilty? Not at all, it’s my money and my games library

No. I buy games I like, or have good reviews, or just cause I want to.

Then when I’m in a lull, I’ll go through library. I never would have given persona5 a second chance if I didn’t do that, and it turned out to be one of my favorite games.

I am going to have one hell of an retirement in the senior home decades from now.

Yes. I must have started eating memory boosting foods or something because I’ve stopped myself from buying a bunch of games because they were somewhat similar to something in my backlog I haven’t played yet.

I have like 30 VR games waiting to play once I get my BSB2.

I never understood having a backlog, why buy games you're never gonna play

I don't buy a new game until I finish my current one

At this point I think the only game I actually play is "collect the game".

I just decided that my backlog is an investment for when I retire... Hopefully.

Not at all. I have games that have 0 minutes play time on this purchase. I have played all of my individually purchased games at least once on other accounts or through CD installs and I don't have the discs anymore so I rebought them on steam on ridiculous sales. Those that I got from bundles, I don't really care about. I bought the bundle for a couple of the games at a really good price. I have tons of codes for worthless games that I will never activate or install. I do like to prank my friends with them. Tell them I bought them a new game key on G2A, and send them a dumb anime jigsaw puzzle game code first. Classic bait and switch. They have so many games that they hate me for.

I collect games like I collect Pokémon. I only try those backlogs games only when I am utterly lazy or when there are videos on YT talk about it.

I don't understand this mentality. I have absolutely no guilt about having a large backlog and I'm not sure why you would? I jump around and play different games all the time, sometimes a few months or years after I buy them. I bought them, I own them, and if I ever want to play them, it's not an issue.

Having a backlog doesn't bother me nearly as much as games that I bought years ago that are unplayable on modern hardware, and the developers don't do anything to make them playable.

Not at all. I play what I want when I want to because life is already to stressful without being stressed out by your hobby too.

I don't have a backlog list per say, but I have been trying to balance out buying new games and playing old games. Sometimes I really wanna try something new, other times I'm happy I bought something previously on sale. I've considered writing it down but that's too much effort. I like doing the PlayStation and Switch year in review to see what I played the year prior and what trends I see in what I play.

I suggest watching the Backlog series by Daryl Talks Games. It was really interesting to see someone document their backlog over two years and what they learned from the experience. (Hopefully the link works) Backlog Project

most are giveaways so.. not really.

also bundles where it's sometimes cheaper than the lowest price for that one game you wanted. almost feels they gave you money to take those extra games

My backlog is on EGS and no I don't feel guilty for I didn't pay for them. As to why someone would buy a game and not play it is beyond me, sounds like some kind of compulsion disorder.

I don’t really think of it as a huge backlog but rather that I’m still gonna have good games to play next year. I have about 110 games rn and I plan to play most of them (some are freebies from Epic Games Store).

I don’t understand why you people buy so many games and don’t play them. the only time I’ve bought games without immediately playing them is when I bought the half-life and metro series and played them in order

No because now I don’t have to pay for gamepass because I have my own and mine is (hopefully) permanent

No.

I have a backlog that I won’t be able to finish in my lifetime. That being said I have a family of gamers from my children to my wife that all play games and they have access to thousands of games.

yeah

I used to, but not anymore. I’m only 27, and God willing, I have plenty of time to play them all. Most of the big releases that come out these days are bad anyways, so it’s not like I’ll be adding too many games to the backlog.

“Shut up you not my momz!!”

Dude I have had a Steam account since the Orange Box and I was constantly buying from Humble Bundle for 1 or 2 games. I don’t think Valve is able to list everything I own.

The new Family sharing has my kids goofing on me for some games in the collection. “Shut up! How many hours played?!”

I used to stress now I just play what I feel like playing. Top 3 games on Steam (hours played): Project Zomboid, Left for Dead 2 and Table Top Simulator.

Huge backlog of unplayed games? More like a huge supply of gaming content to keep me entertained for years to come. 👉 😎👉

I am guilty of 2 games in my library that I bought long time ago but haven't played past 2 hours.

The Witcher 3 Quantum Break

guilty? no, disappointed cause everyone i tried so far isn't fun? yes.

I just buy games I am going to play, just ask yourself if you are going to play that game when you're about to buy it.

No.

Maybe play them when you are retired in your 60’s.

No. I know what games I'd like to play in my lifetime. So when I see good sales on said games I buy them. If I never get around to playing some, so be it. But if/when I do, it's ready to go and I'm not stuck where I have to buy it full price to play or I have to wait for a sale and not play it when I wanted to.

I have over 1000 games, mainly due to bundles. I stopped buying games except a couple ones per year, and have been playing backlog games that I would never have otherwise, just to try them out. Most aren't interesting but sometimes a great one appears that I wouldn't play otherwise and I'm glad I did.

I stopped feeling guilty since.

Steam sales are the best times. Who cares if you have a backlog, enjoy what you do. You'll get to it in time. Just make a list of priority and do that.

Not at all. The vast majority of Steam users are under 45 years old. Theres a lot of time left to try stuff, even factoring in new releases each year.

I don't feel quilty at all. So what if it takes months or years to catch up and play them. Getting them while they are on sale also helps, because you never know when you have the urge to play that one specific game and end up seeing it's expensive.

I did for the first year. But now it's over 10 years later and I have atleast 200 games I haven't played yet xD

No, I feel I do a great job of managing which titles I play and finish. I've actually been going back and finishing one's I've set aside too.

It dose😭 and they're mostly Assassin's Creed, fallout, Far cry ones because for some reason I have to play them in order 😭 I know I don't have to but it itches my monkey brain in the right spot

No.

I have all the games I actually want to play on my HLTB backlog. I keep a semi-dynamic list of games I'm playing for the year. First, I figure out how much time I play games per week and total it out over the course of a year (15 hours per week x 52 weeks = 780 hours these days). Then I add games from my backlog list in HLTB to my active list for the year until the time ~matches.

It works out great and I never feel like I don't know what to play or that my backlog is being neglected because it's actively being worked on.

I also just don't buy digital games unless I'm about to play them anymore.

No. Granted i buy games in waves and pick at them over a year or 2. My current wave is from winter of last year. I did get a couple during the summer, but that's mostly coop stuff so that's a different list. The solo games I did get I won't see for another 6 months if not longer 😆

Yes.

Not anymore. I use to feel guilty and beat myself up over it, but I’ve started playing more and 100%ing them. Even if I do 1 game a month, in my mind I’ll get to the other 2,000 games eventually (even if I never do)

Nope. Mainly cause I gather games that are cool, and I have no problem supporting good devs. I get games for free, from humble bundle etc. There are plenty of times I can't afford new games or I am just not interested in anything so I go back to beat games. Hell I just finished Hades last month (and I mean got that additional ending). So no problem with that.

Nope.

No. I used to worry a lot about it. Then i had a sudden enlightening: i don't actually have to play games i don't enjoy or finish games i don't want

Then i just started playing those games. It got a lot more organized and fluid since i started Backloggd, almost up to 300 played games

Of course the size of my backlog also grows since there are new games released every day. But it feels really nice to log a game, even if it was a dud and dropped it in 15 minutes

But i also don't buy games i don't play so there is that. Also i stopped treating my backlog like something i need to destroy/demolish. I'm not getting through it

It's a treasure chest, i'm savouring it. Sorting the goodies from the duds. Sometimes i enjoy the process itself more than playing games

I used to, but dont care anymore. Have 2k game, playing civ5 and balatro, still buying cheep staff.

Yeah im making my way through them though although im an adult so it's not as easy

Not really, I only really grab games when they are dirt cheap and I know I’ll get to them eventually. I usually play through 20-40 game a year.

Na, I'll play them eventually

No. I want to have them. I want them close and available. Playing games is for children. Now, let me tinker with my Steam library in peace. *changes artwork *makes new collection

Guilt is a strong notion for the feeling.

Last year I completed 3 games that had been in the backlog for 10 years.

I am currently working on another game that is 10 years this year.

Feeling guilty doesn't help. You gotta make a list, decide on an order and get to playing.

No. Because I know what kind games I like, just not what Im the mood for. So when I'm in the mood to play a survival game, I have options, or a crpg or fps. And it's nice having a good selection to pick from when the time is right

Not at all. Mostly because most of the games I've got in my library and never touched were part of bundles that I bought specifically for one or two games, when said bundles were cheaper than the games I was after.

I’ve been trying to at least open every game I own for 10 mins to see if it grabs me. If it doesn’t, it’s off the backlog for now. I do the same with streaming videos otherwise I just browse forever.

No, it's my money, I can spend it how I please, and there's no reason to be guilty about it.

I feel guilty by having any backlog at all. Right now, I have 5 games I haven't played. Those games were dirt cheap but I still feel anxious about it.

Nah. Many of them were bought on the cheap or even free from the early days of bundles from humble, indiegala, etc. Some recent, too. I had several friends in a group that would give away free duplicate keys. Hundreds and hundreds. I was spoiled.

I still chip away at the pile of games when I feel inclined.

Nope. I'm not using resources that could have gone to others. I'm not hoarding something that someone else needs. I've paid for them so in fact I've contributed to the various economies of the areas where these people have created these games. I've helped fund the future of the titles and the developers and the producers. I don't feel guilty one little bit.

I don't really, I have a full steam family library so if any of them want to play them they aren't really going to waste

It's ok as long as it does not impact you financialy, just remember the video streaming subscription you paid for and barely used, I have used Amazon Prime more than Netflix and that is how I cope LOL.

Nope, I play what I find fun, if I buy a game and don't finish it that probably means my fun was running out. I don't buy games to check a box that says I beat it.

Yes… but I keep buying them. Oooooooh look, it’s on sale 90% off!!!!!

The backlog is meant to be there forever, not to be played. Accept it and move on 👍

i thought that i could kill more titles during the pandemic but it actually got worse. right now, i'm at 298 played out of 617 titles.

No. The majority of my unplayed games are bundle shovelware that were just bonuses for buying the 1-2 games I wanted from the bundle cheaper than their individual price. I also have some unplayed multiplayer games, but that's because I just haven't found anyone to play them with. I've played around 80% of the single player games in my library I genuinely wanted to and slowly working on the rest.

No.

Guilty? No, just excited to play them

hey if you dip in for 5 minutes its no longer 'unplayed'
*the more you know*

In Steam i Put all games i haven't played in a extra category in my library.

No for have buy the old day humble bundle and get more then 400 game for 100 buck no I just can't play all of them and keep play new at the same time and most of theme are mid

I created a collection of games called "Need to finish", and I will try to finish them all top to bottom. This might trigger me to add more games to the collection and finish them

Reason I have a backlog, I really want to play the game but then my friends play a online game and we play that for weeks on end and then I lost my feel and mood for the game... For example it took me 1 year to finish Ghost of Tsushima even though its a fantastic game.

No I just buy more games to put into the backlog

Sadly yes

Yeah, a lot. I bought a bunch of cool games on sales but don’t have much time or interest to play them nowadays. And even if I try to, I don’t finish the game if it’s like more than 30 hours. Recently fell in love with KCD2 but stopped playing somewhere after a 100 hours and can’t make myself finish it(

Across shop fronts I have probably about six hundred unplayed games. I still often buy something I fancy at the time. It's my money and it's my collection. Nothing to feel guilty about. I have lots of clothes and still buy a new tee if I like it.

My backlog on steam alone is around 400 titles so😂, I’ve got it sorted into one collection

I saw something comparing it to collecting Pokémon cards and it makes so much sense. You're buying things that look cool and interesting to you(people buy cards because they like Pokémon), even if you don't play with them(people who collect Pokémon don't often play the game), and you amass a worthwhile collection that you can show off to your friends(except binders of cards take up real space). It's not a library of games. It's a collection of experiences.

Nope. Just like all hobbies like reading or movies, the list will never end or be completed and just keep growing

I used to feel bad about my collection of games or my box of shame for my 40k minis, but then one day I sat down and added up a rough number of how much money I spent when I was an alcoholic and I realized I would never even come close to that number again and now I dont feel bad if I spend $200 a month on games. In case people wonder I use to spend roughly 3k a month on alcohol for a decade

I only buy games I'll play, thats my trick

Yes….. we’re not supposed to talk about it

No. I see it as a collection, and I will get to them when in the mood.

Zero Guilt. I consider game buying its own hobby with its own budget. I stay in that budget, and I hope to at some point play all these games.

For sure. I have thousands. Now limiting myself - finish 2 games before buying any new ones. Don't feel bad, but perhaps do reflect if it's a good use of time and money if you don't get to play them. They'll be cheaper if you wait too. Use wishlists more perhaps?