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Everyone has that stack of shame. To some it may seem overwhelming. Now you can tackle it with these five tips in handling a gaming backlog.

5 Tips in Tackling Your Gaming Backlog

Everyone has that stack of shame. To some it may seem overwhelming. Now you can tackle it with these five tips in handling a gaming backlog.
This article is over 7 years old and may contain outdated information

We all have that stack of shame -- the list of games we own but haven't played. You may have gotten them through Steam sales and Humble Bundles. These may be the Christmas presents you forgotten about while playing the hot new release. Your life may have been too busy to play games, making them just sit on a shelf while you work.

Whatever the reason, your library has gotten filled with games you simply haven't played. To some, the list looks unbeatable with not enough hours in the day, but with these 5 tips, tackling that backlog will become much more manageable.

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Make A List

With all goals, you must first plan. Make a list of all games in your backlog so you know what you have. This way, when you are looking for something to play, you can consult the list in finding the right game to scratch of your backlog. If you have a larger backlog, you can highlight games to focus on only a few games at a time.

This leads to the second tip...


Prioritize Your Games

When tackling your backlog, you must decide what games you play first. Obviously, you want to play games that appeal to you, but you must take the length of your games into account. You can complete multiple platformers and adventure games in the time it takes to tackle one RPG.

Understanding how your time is broken up will allow you to pick games that you not only can complete, but will enjoy immensely.


Limit Your Gaming Purchases

It is impossible to complete your backlog if you keep on buying more games than you can play. With digital sales and bundles, buying games is easier than ever, making it much harder to tackle your backlog. Just remember that with the abundance of digital sales, chances are those games you have been wanting will return cheaper than ever.

Waiting until you finish your games will not make that new release go away.


Use Guides and Maps When Needed

Some games are hard to finish because they lack proper directions. When this happens, using a guide to finish your game is perfectly acceptable. You purchased these games, and you can use any tool to customize your experience. If you want to explore, that's awesome, but you don't have to. These games are yours to experience.

This leads perfectly to the final tip...


Have Fun!

This is a hobby, not a job. The goal of tackling a backlog is to enjoy all the games you own. If you're not having fun, don't continue. Explore, learn, and play these games. There's no need to stress yourself out over these games, as they're entertainment. Have fun with your gaming backlog, and enjoy this wonderful hobby.

Have you got any more hot tips of tackling your gaming backlog? Let us know in the comments below!


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