If you, like me, are a sucker for Steam sales, you might also be a sucker for having a bunch of games you have never played. Honestly, it has come to the point where I look forward to a Steam sale to buy a couple of games I hear that I 'must' play and that playing them helps me further understand and fit into the cultural zeitgeist. But now the time of reckoning has come.
When I first got Steam, my library was barren. I can still remember having only maybe 4 games in my entire library. They stared at me on the sidebar and I stared back; each of them I have at least played or given a shot. Now, years later, the entire sidebar is filled. But with a majority of the games unplayed. It is not that I do not want to play them; it is just I have a million little reasons not to.
I am sure someone reading this has the same thought process. You have a single-player game you are wanting to play but keep putting it off because 'you need enough time to sit down and enjoy it' or you have a game you have tried to play but your PC cannot handle the graphics and you tell yourself 'when I upgrade I can play this' or it is something as small as a chore or show you want to catch up on and think that this is not pressing.
The problem: playing games isn't a thing to get done, but it is a thing that my money is being wasted on. Why do I buy these games if I never play them? Really, it is just that it is hard to ignore a good deal. Cyberpunk 2077 at over half off? Yes please. A game from your wishlist is now 10% of its original cost? Why not! By no means am I complaining about Steam sales; it is one of the best parts of PC gaming. I am complaining at my overall lack of self-control to not purchase something when I have tons of games unplayed.
When I had a DS, I had games I barely played. None that I never played. Part of that was the game was always visible, existing in my real world. The load times and ability to play the game were not hindered by my hardware. If you have a physical game, you cannot just go buy stuff at any time to satiate your desire for a new game.
That is probably what I miss most about physical games. They were there; I would just grab it, swap, and play it. Now when I turn on my computer, I do not have a game that caught my eye; I have 30 games staring at me and I cannot decide, so I open YouTube instead.
But now I want to do something different. I want to pick out a handful of games, put them in a 'play it' category on Steam, and play them either until I finish them or drop them if I truly do not like it. Then hide all other games until that is finished. This current Steam sale was the first time I have ever returned Steam games (something you can do!) and I never felt better. I did my habitual quick buy of games I wanted, but after I purchased them and then looked at my already full backlog, I decided to return them and instead focus on finishing what I already have.
The next step is to see if I actually do it. I suggest if you also have a large backlog, maybe try and join me on trying to spend this next year finishing your backlog. This does not mean 100% the games or finish something you hate. More or less just play them. It is the thing games are supposed to do. Plus, out of all the New Year's resolutions, this one is probably one of the more fun ones you will hear.