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[BossLackey]

Something I need to constantly remind myself of.

I'm a collector. Of many things. Some of these things are immaterial. Video game genres are one of them.

I play the major games in a genre or subgenre and then feel the need to somewhat "complete" these genres by buying and playing the remainder of what I personally deem to be the must-haves or best in said genre.

It's not really "healthy" as you can imagine and it's a recipe for insanity.

Games are simply too long and too large of an endeavor most of the time to simply "collect" as full genres as I've been doing and yet I cannot shake the compulsion.

Some of these are absolutely doable. Character Action Games, Action RPGs, Shmups, Metroidvanias, 2D platformers. I've played a lot if not most of the best of these. Yet more are released faster than I can consume them (well, except for Shmups lol).

It's all been somewhat manageable until the last few years when I introduced JRPGs into the mix. A black hole I've slowly circled until now where I'm hoovering up just about any JRPGs that looks even halfway decent. How many have I actually finished? Not many.

Why can't my brain be normal? I just want to play what I want to play, yet I feel as if games must be categorized and placed in spreadsheets to be cataloged so I can find the optimal mix of genres that are complimentary while also being manageable.

At 34 years old, I find my free time at an all-time low while my income is at an all-time high. Combined that with my collector mentality and the hours of potential play time are accumulated faster than I can possibly complete them.

I need some way of limiting my options. I like limitations. I fear I may have to divorce my newest wife. JRPGs.

And yet I love her.

 

[ChazAshley]

I fear I may have to divorce my newest wife. JRPGs.

If you do, can I have her?

 

[jshackles]

Watch me try, OP

 

[SJRB]

 

[Last Hearth]

You need t get rid of that spreadsheet, and just play what yo feel like playing, and feel free not to complete games, if a game is not doing it for you. Move on to something else.

 

[Deerock71]

 

[Kupfer]

 

[TexMex]

Is this a parody thread

 

[gaming_again]

Games aren't a job. Nobody is judging you on the list of games you completed when you die. I get it - I 'stress' over certain games being split across systems so my true play time isn't easily available, we all have these weird little hang-ups. Just gotta remind yourself that if you're not having fun then walk away from whatever game is driving you crazy.

Changing the language helps. Ditch 'backlog', 'got to', 'beat'. etc. Just play.

 

[Warnen]

I just play one thing, yes back into Destiny….

I got a problem

 

[Bry0]

Just remind yourself that most jrpgs are actually pretty mediocre, free yourself!

 

[THE DUCK]

I feel this thread, I feel sometimes I'm buying games just to have my collections seem complete vs actually playing games.....

 

[MagnesD3]

Im still going to try

 

[SmokedMeat]

Embrace the backlog, it’s a good problem to have.

Play what you feel like. Pick a game to focus on and a side game that’s not as involved.

 

[saintjules]

I feel this thread, I feel sometimes I'm buying games just to have my collections seem complete vs actually playing games.....

Yeah seems to happen to me. Get them on sale and then never touching. Sometimes though it's to wait for a potential patch update when hearing an issue about them.

I think I have like 5 games still sealed.

 

[Deerock71]

Embrace the backlog, it’s a good problem to have.

Play what you feel like. Pick a game to focus on and a side game that’s not as involved.

You remind me of my ex...

 

[BossLackey]

Just remind yourself that most jrpgs are actually pretty mediocre, free yourself!

Luckily, I've noticed this! lmao

Makes a potential breakup easier to swallow.

 

[BossLackey]

If you do, can I have her?

Just don't break her heart.

 

[nush]

Why can't my brain be normal?

You're autistic, deal with it.

 

[IAmRei]

Something I need to constantly remind myself of.

I'm a collector. Of many things. Some of these things are immaterial. Video game genres are one of them.

I play the major games in a genre or subgenre and then feel the need to somewhat "complete" these genres by buying and playing the remainder of what I personally deem to be the must-haves or best in said genre.

It's not really "healthy" as you can imagine and it's a recipe for insanity.

Games are simply too long and too large of an endeavor most of the time to simply "collect" as full genres as I've been doing and yet I cannot shake the compulsion.

Some of these are absolutely doable. Character Action Games, Action RPGs, Shmups, Metroidvanias, 2D platformers. I've played a lot if not most of the best of these. Yet more are released faster than I can consume them (well, except for Shmups lol).

It's all been somewhat manageable until the last few years when I introduced JRPGs into the mix. A black hole I've slowly circled until now where I'm hoovering up just about any JRPGs that looks even halfway decent. How many have I actually finished? Not many.

Why can't my brain be normal? I just want to play what I want to play, yet I feel as if games must be categorized and placed in spreadsheets to be cataloged so I can find the optimal mix of genres that are complimentary while also being manageable.

At 34 years old, I find my free time at an all-time low while my income is at an all-time high. Combined that with my collector mentality and the hours of potential play time are accumulated faster than I can possibly complete them.

I need some way of limiting my options. I like limitations. I fear I may have to divorce my newest wife. JRPGs.

And yet I love her.

I to rarely finish jrpg now...

getting old and have lot of responsibilities which often held my hobby at hostage. But one thing i can still playing games ( im working as game dev) but only at research level, and only limited as my reference, unless if the game is have to be played because its needed for sake to keep references for newer games.

But ability to play games at my own leassure is kind of limited now compared when i was younger.

 

[BossLackey]

You're autistic, deal with it.

Sucks, man.

 

[TheStam]

I can't but what I can do is buy everything and then feel bad about the games I never play.

 

[March Climber]

OP I've reached a similar point I've had to contend with, but mainly with RPGs in general lately. They are all simply too long. I can finish a ton of indie games, or quite a few AA games, or a few linear/straightforward AAA games by the time it takes me to finish one 80-100 hour RPG.

It makes choosing one really important because it has to be high ranked and highly regarded amongst fans and reviewers alike. Most other genres don't have this problem too much aside from a few high profile franchises like GTA.

I think it might be time you consider a new genre to be your favorite. I had to change my favorite as well.

 

[Gamer_By_Proxy]

As someone with helldivers 2, rebirth, outcast, and rise of the ronin on hand, while planning to get stellar blade and eventually circle back to granblue. I sure as hell am trying.

I find myself switching more games to easier modes to get through games quicker. Playing Ronin on easy so far. I also switch Rebirth to easy from time to time.

 

[Soodanim]

I'll buy a lottery ticket. Then, if I win the jackpot, I will play everything I want to play just to prove you wrong OP.

I wrote the above before reading the OP. Even if I won the lottery I wouldn't play every game in a genre just because. And who decides if a game is in a genre or not?

 

[Power Pro]

I sometimes think games are only gonna take a turn for the worse in the future, with focuses on GaaS, and always online bull shit that'll make some games unplayable. I figure I might not be able to complete my collection of games right now, but maybe someday if I'm lucky enough to retire, I'll have plenty to keep me busy. Meanwhile everyone else will be strapped into some live service bull shit like an even more predatory version of fortnite, or roblox cuz all the younger generations are being conditioned to prefer that shit.

 

[cireza]

Modern RPGs is too challenging. Games are padded to no end. If you don't finish a game, then maybe it isn't as good as you think ?

In any case, I can really help you with this.

Square-Enix : FF aren't RPGs anymore, and the rest are shit, skip.
Atlus : extremely overrated, skip.
Namco-Bandai : I don't think they ever knew how to make RPGs to begin with, skip.
SEGA : do they even make RPGs these days ? skip.
Nintendo : they only make one series (Xenoblade) and it is always the same game being re-released, they simply change the number, skip.
Falcom : simply watch a couple videos of guys showing their nice boxes full of useless shit, then skip.

No more RPG to play, you are good to go.

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

I stopped suffering from FOMO a while back, and I feel much better about my gaming habits these days. The key, for me was indulging in other hobbies. I still love gaming, but only the parts I truly enjoy.

I couldn't imagine trying to juggle DD2, FF7R, UO and other games at the same time, kind of like I use to try to do in the past. Now I tend to focus on a single game until I beat it or give up on it. Keeps my wallet in a happier place as well.

 

[A.Romero]

I like collecting a bit too but none of that retro stuff unless it somehow comes my way. However, I relate to your situation. I play less and less these days but my backlog somehow keeps growing. I tend to be very selective with what I play now and I know beforehand I most likely won't be able to finish it.

Gamepass has helped. I can try games now without comitting a lot of time and I don't feel bad if I drop them after an hour or two.

 

[ReBurn]

The good news is that even though you can't play everything you can buy everything and look at it from time to time.

 

[Skifi28]

I'll die trying.

 

[BossLackey]

OP I've reached a similar point I've had to contend with, but mainly with RPGs in general lately. They are all simply too long. I can finish a ton of indie games, or quite a few AA games, or a few linear/straightforward AAA games by the time it takes me to finish one 80-100 hour RPG.

It makes choosing one really important because it has to be high ranked and highly regarded amongst fans and reviewers alike. Most other genres don't have this problem too much aside from a few high profile franchises like GTA.

I think it might be time you consider a new genre to be your favorite. I had to change my favorite as well.

Well my favorite is absolutely 3rd Person Action RPGs ala Dark Souls and their ilk. Luckily as it's a fairly new genre, I've played pretty much everything as it's come out.

JRPGs are just the newest.

 

[Boss Mog]

Well, these days Western devs are making it very easy not to have too much to play.

 

[buenoblue]

I've already played everything

 

[Danjin44]

 

[March Climber]

Well my favorite is absolutely 3rd Person Action RPGs ala Dark Souls and their ilk. Luckily as it's a fairly new genre, I've played pretty much everything as it's come out.

Soulslikes are one of the few RPG subgenres that still have games that aren't too bloated and don't overstay their welcome. I assume this is partly because of the exclusion of traditional side quests in favor of exploration and discovery.

I think soulslikes have also made me grow to accept that maybe I don't need to do every little thing in RPGs like they're a checklist.

 

[cormack12]

It doesn't help that everything has rpg mechanics these days. Pretty much every game now has abilities, levels, xp, unlockables etc. Even if the gane would be better without them.

 

[funking giblet]

Well not now anyway, Steam is down

 

[Gaelyon]

Marry a real woman and problem solved, you won't have any enough time to play seriously.

 

[TastyPastry]

you're definitely overthinking things. sure there are good games you miss out on but how many of these games do you truly love? for me there are only a handful series that i feel like i need to collect and be there day 1: resident evil, gta and naughty dog (also maybe the next cyberpunk game from cdpr).. everything else i'll play when i find the time but i don't stress out about it

 

[justiceiro]

Well, my solution is laziness. The thought of starting a new game is so tiresome for me that end up playing the same games over and over again. Free games allow me to keep increasing my collection, but I rarely acquire new games now.

 

[RagnarokIV]

Mate, transition to film and book.

Seriously, they respect your time a hell of a lot more and the story telling is on another level compared to how shit games are.

As for games, stick to AA. They are shorter, better and labors of love.

 

[Guilty_AI]

You can't tell me what to do

 

[El Muerto]

According to the steamdb calculator, i have yet to touch 1165 games out of my steam library of 1783 games. I also still have sealed PS3/PS4/PS5 games that i havent touched yet. I'm not going to attempt to play everything, that's unrealistic. If i'm not having fun in the first hour i'm moving on.

 

[Guilty_AI]

Mate, transition to film and book.

Seriously, they respect your time a hell of a lot more and the story telling is on another level compared to how shit games are.

As for games, stick to AA. They are shorter, better and labors of love.

I respectfully disagree, tons of shitty books and films out there. Large books or book series that you'll have to spend months reading aren't uncommon either so they don't exactly respect your time also.

But its true you'll find good stories more often in books and movies... after all there are thousands of years worth of literature and more than a century of cinema vs 30-40 years of games. But it's also true there are certain types of narratives unique to games that books and films can't replicate as easily.

 

[Kerotan]

I read your thread title in Arthur Morgan's voice.

You can't play everything but you definitely can play everything you're interested in especially single player. I cleared 70 game's off my backlog last year and about 10 so far this year. I'll probably have it cleared by GTA VI.

 

[MikeM]

My heart… God damn girl.

This is why I ceased all subs. Just far too much of something I can’t keep up with with my current lifestyle.

 

[phant0m]

I feel this OP. And modern GaaS design makes it even harder.

As a kid I had no money myself so I only got to play things I was gifted or friends let me borrow. I beat and often 100% everything I could get my hands on.

Now I can afford to buy literally any release I want but have such constrained time. In the quest to play as much as possible I probably beat 25% of the games I start. 3200+ trophies on PSN and ONE platinum (Spider-Man 2018).

Steam Deck has actually helped quite a bit recently because it doesn’t require me to be in front my desk or the couch. I cancelled all my gaming subs at the end of last year and I’m staying away from live service games from now on. I just can’t keep up with metas or spend time catching up or reading build guides.

 

[AJUMP23]

Just ignore your family.
I am selective. I play most of what I want.

 

[Corian33]

My rule this year is that I only buy one new game per month. Still feels like I have more games than I’ll ever play. However, I am digging into the backlog very gradually.