2018 - 12 Month Pile Program

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So, 2017 is almost done, and we approach the prospect of another 12 months with our long term companions piles of unplayed games. Love them or hate them, this thread is designed to help us come to terms with them, reconcile our differences, and either make peace with them, or seek support in negotiating the Videogame Long Term Relationship.

Whatever way you view your relationship with your pile, this thread is for those want help/guidance/encouragement to dig deeper into the "whys, and hows" of pile management over a long range, long term commitment to reduce, remove, or re-motivate their respective assaults on the pile.

Join us (if you dare), as we try to find a way to be at peace with our pile, and have fun doing so.

After all, isn't this all just meant to be "a bit of fun"?

Tools available to you:

Online management sites.
Some of us use sites, like Backloggery, or newcomer Grouvee to handle our piles. Pros and cons of each take up some discussion, but the main downside to Backloggery is that it has no batch modifications, and no 'export' function. Grouvee does a really nice job of auto loading your Steam Library, so if your Pile of shame resides primarily in that space, it's a good place to begin. I'll add more, as we find them.

Spreadsheets, spreadsheets, and more spreadsheets.
Be they Google, Open Office, or Xcel, making and maintaining lists has never been easier. Fully customisable, to meet your every need. Garden Ninja has also been hard at work creating a tracking spreadsheet for those that want to get really down and dirty with their respective piles. Feel free to make a copy of that file, and modify it to meet your own needs if necessary.

Using what you've already got.
Never underestimate the power of your own apps. Some of us have modified Steam's category features to help organise our piles. Hide, Long Term, Gifts Received, pick a category title, and work your own magic.
Danopian has some tried and true categories listed in our 2014 thread.
Kamakazi010654 prefers stealth management in their Steam list, using the 'hidden' feature to avoid clutter.

Things we've made
This section is dedicated to those who have taken up the challenge, put their money where their mouth is, and have actually given it a go at making an App that works for managing the pile.
Our inaugural contribution to this section is Garden Ninja, and an App affectionately known as Gomer.

Garden Ninja wrote:

As a reminder, here is the one I made and am using. I'm pretty happy with it now, and am about ready to release a 1.0 version (like, I'll probably do that tonight). I made it because I was sick of the spreadsheet, and wanted something that did just what I wanted. I don't really envision it changing much at this point, but I'm certainly happy to take feedback if people find it useful. It is a .NET exe, so probably Windows only, though I can look into making it work with mono if there is demand for it.

Community Support.
Hemidal has a Monthly Pile commitment thread, we also have a Monthly Game Club run by SallyNasty, an RPG club that runs Quarterly thanks to Damnable Bear, and a Gaming Goals thread for 2018 set up by Skraut.

Monthly Pile Thread: This 12 month thread doesn't replace Hemidal's monthly thread, it just complements it for those of us that want that long term plan in place, some realistic dissenablement and to stop the impulse purchases (links will be added for each monthly pile thread here).
January: Coming soon
February: Coming soon
March: Coming soon
April: Coming soon
May: Coming soon
June: Coming soon
July: Coming soon
August: Coming soon
September: Coming soon
October - December: Coming soon

Monthly Game Club as run by SallyNasty (Супер Sassy!) can be found here, "Where the Games come monthly, but the cheevos are forever!". Games are chosen through discussion in the main thread, and then breaks off each month into smaller nominated game threads. Spoilers/discussion guidelines are set each month, but the main ones are as follows.

1. Games should be at least 1 calendar year old. That makes it easy to find games that are either a) on most people's piles or b) cheap to pick up(I am thinking 10-15 bucks max).
2. Games should be either episodic or broken up into easily agreed upon stopping points (i.e. achievement for ch.1 or reaching certain checkpoint). I would like it to be about an hour to an hour and a half for each "assigned" session, no more than 5-6 hours a week needed to participate.
3. Games shouldn't be more than 20 hours.
4. No console exclusives. Has to be on Microsoft/Playstation/PC platforms.

January: TBA
February: TBA
March: TBA
April: TBA
May: TBA
June: TBA
July: TBA
August: TBA
September: TBA
October: TBA
November: TBA
December: TBA

Quarterly JRPG Thread as run by Damnable Bear (and his naked bingo calling, dood) can be found here. The thread has a running list (thanks to its members) of games they'd like to see completed! Each quarter, users will be given five (5) votes each to spend on these choices, or to add a new game to the list. Based on the number of votes each game has at the deadline, a cutoff will be put into place. (This is based on how many Bingo Balls Damnable Bear has.) Games above that cutoff will have one Bingo Ball placed into the Bingo Cage per vote. They then run the lottery and play the game that gets picked!.

Jan/Mar: TBA
Apr/Jun: TBA
Jul/Sep: TBA
Oct/Dec: TBA

Gaming Goals for 2018 as run by Skraut can be found here. The thread's purpose is best described in the author's own words.

Skraut wrote:

So, last year I started a thread to talk about what I wanted to accomplish in games. I felt it was different enough from a Pile of Shame list to warrant its own thread, because I had a goal of wanting to get back into RPG games. I had a plan, and while it turns out that I didn't totally follow that plan, I do feel I was ultimately successful in my goal, and really enjoyed my time in Witcher 3, a game that had intimidated me due to my previous struggles with RPG's.

So, how do I start this process?

Pile depletion/acceptance can be a very personal thing, but here are a few good questions/processes to keep in mind.

Trueheart's Quartet of Contemplation (where it all begins).

trueheart78 wrote:

Hemidal's Law: Anything that can be added to the pile will be added to the pile.

I love the pile of shame threads, but I'm contemplating starting a support group of sorts that goes hand-in-hand with it.

It would comprise of 4 parts:
1. Listing the games in our collections that we want to finish.
2. Looking forward to the game releases for the year/months ahead and taking note of the games that we're going to buy and at what price.
3. Looking behind to the previously released games and take notes of the games we're going to buy and at what price.
4. Committing to certain games via and making sure we take part in the Pile of Shame threads.

Clockwork's Addendum (alternatively known as the remedy for recurring transgressions).

ClockworkHouse wrote:

I will not shop for games unless I actually plan to buy something and play it right away.

But remember Minarchist's musings...

Minarchist wrote:

Tackling the pile is a good thing, but taken to the extreme it can impede fun.

beeporama's pile dieting tips.

beeporama wrote:

m0nk3yboy (and all): like with diets, it seems like the best motivator varies by person. So, try some things and see what profoundly affects you.

For me, I found it most effective to plan out a year. I said "I can average X games a month, so I'll list the 12 months for 2013, and schedule games for each of them based on my pile and release dates." Things moved throughout the year, but the important thing was, the schedule had to be "ONE IN, ONE OUT." Can't add a new game without removing one. Can't just toss a game on the pile without knowing it would be at least 2014 before I played it.

Shoptroll's affirmation

shoptroll wrote:

Everyone say it with me: Friends don't let friends have Steam Wishlists.

Pinkerton's Posted Pick

Pinkerton wrote:

My "game of the month" would have to be…

Sometimes, just "upvoting" a game you got around to playing on your own backlog can inspire others to try it if it's in theirs. Several long term offenders have decided to add this to their own end of month updates, after Pinkerton posted their Pile pick.

And finally, the internal ramblings of one haunted by the pile...

trueheart78 wrote:

Conversation with myself
Gamer: "Ooooh... [game] is on sale?"
Brain: "Are you ever gonna play that?"
Gamer: "I might..." / "But people say it's great" / "But that's a fantastic price"
Brain: "When?" / "Do you even like that genre?" / "Wrong answer!"
Gamer: "Well..."
Brain: "No [game] for you! Come back 1 year!"

Been working out pretty well for both of us ;)

So, whether you are here to decimate your pile of shame, or have it over for dinner for polite conversation, and a discussion on "where they're at", this is the thread for you.

First!

I actually already started my 2018 spreadsheet. However, everyone seems to be keeping release dates close to the chest, so the usually helpful Wikipedia page of release dates is less helpful than typical for planning.

Even so, I've decided that I'm going to follow some goals as per the Gaming Goals 2018 thread. Each rule is focused on ensuring I only purchase games that have my undeniable interest. Sometimes, a game I'm wishy-washy on can result in a surprising new favorite. However, I have spent too much time playing games that, sure, they were alright, but could have been better spent playing something great.

For me, at least.

Hopefully that means more time for games I already own and replaying games for the YouTube channel.

Here's my plan for 2018. Hopefully my purchase abstinence will actually hold out longer than it has before.

Games to play through or finally finish main plot:
Xenoblade Chronicles X (yes, I still haven't beaten this)
Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel
Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II
Persona 4
Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker
Final Fantasy XIII-2
Borderlands 2 (an evergreen for me that I have yet to beat)
Super Paper Mario
Punch-Out!!
Divinity: Original Sin
Suikoden III
Torment: Tides of Numenera
Persona 5
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona (VITA)
Odin Sphere Leifthrasir (VITA)

Replays:
The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker
Persona 3 FES (pending/mid third replay)
Psychonauts HD (thechnically a replay, since I had played it back on PS2 ten years ago or so)

Platinums/Completions:

Dark Souls III (Would you believe I haven't completed the DLC at all, let alone gotten the few trophies I'm missing?)
World of Final Fantasy
Dark Souls II (trophies)
Dark Souls II Scholar of the whatchamacallits (trophies)
Ni No Kuni (trophies)

Intended Purchases Allowed:

Nier: Automata
Horizon Zero Dawn
Pillars of Eternity (for PS4, since I couldn't finish it on PC before it died)
Ni No Kuni II
Monster Hunter World

Gaming Goals added to the OP. Thanks for the link Chris

So game wise

To Play
Tales of Berseria
Evil Within 2
Etrian Odyssey 5
Finish Trails in Cold Steel

While I don't expect to clear out the backlog this coming year.. it's not entirely inconceivable either. Here's what's on my plate:

PC

  • Baldur's Gate
  • Else Heart.Break()
  • Fallout 4
  • Final Fantasy XIII
  • Final Fantasy XIII-2
  • Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood
  • Kentucky Route Zero
  • Kingdoms & Castles
  • King's Bounty: The Legend
  • King's Bounty: Crossworlds
  • KOTOR II
  • Mafia III
  • Observer
  • Oxenfree
  • Pillars of Eternity
  • Planescape Torment
  • Quadrilateral Cowboy - Abandoned
  • Stardew Valley
  • Tyranny
  • Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War II: Retribution
  • Warhammer 40K: Space Marine
  • Watch Dogs 2
  • The Witcher III: Blood and Wine

PS4

  • Tales of Berseria
  • Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age

A few must-buys this year will likely eat into that, and some of these games are absurdly long, but we'll see how I do.

Hoooray!!! It’s still a bit early for me but looking forward to Pile Management 2018!!

Eleima wrote:

Hoooray!!! It’s still a bit early for me but looking forward to Pile Management 2018!!

Plans to percolate, spreadsheets to create...

Bubblefuzz wrote:
Eleima wrote:

Hoooray!!! It’s still a bit early for me but looking forward to Pile Management 2018!!

Plans to percolate, spreadsheets to create... :)

Nah, the spreadsheet is all set and ready to go, I just want to actually finish 2017 before I jump into 2018.
But yeah, plans. I plan to replay the Mass Effect trilogy.

Eleima wrote:
Bubblefuzz wrote:
Eleima wrote:

Hoooray!!! It’s still a bit early for me but looking forward to Pile Management 2018!!

Plans to percolate, spreadsheets to create... :)

the spreadsheet is all set and ready to go

I figured you'd be sorted on that front

Myself I think maybe I dive a little too deep into pile theory

I only really know how to use the adobe design suite in any depth, I'm useless at the microsoft collection and especially excel! If I hope to make a spreadsheet it will mean the use of a pen and paper, maybe a ruler...

Started on a rough 2018 list yesterday. Will have to get rid of some of it however, just so I can falsely convince myself it is merely semi-unrealistic.
And of course, there is so much time to finish some of those games before 2018...

Wait, we have to make a list? Well then...

  • Bone - Episode 1: Out From Boneville (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Sam & Max: Season 3 - Episode 2: The Tomb of Sammun-Mak (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Sam & Max: Season 3 - Episode 3: They Stole Max's Brain! (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Sam & Max: Season 3 - Episode 4: Beyond the Alley of the Dolls (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Sam & Max: Season 3 - Episode 5: The City That Dares Not Sleep (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Bone - Episode 2: The Great Cow Race (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Puzzle Agent (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Puzzle Agent 2 (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Tacoma (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Zen Bound 2 (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Oknytt (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Alan Wake's American Nightmare (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Jotun (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Broken Sword 2: The Smoking Mirror (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Gods Will Be Watching (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Just Cause (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Omikron - The Nomad Soul (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Hector: Badge of Carnage (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Remember Me (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • The Talos Principle: Road to Gehanna (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Sang-Froid - Tales of Werewolves (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Thimbleweed Park (PC) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Shadowrun Returns (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Alan Wake (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Bayonetta (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Minecraft: Story Mode - A Telltale Series (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Jurassic Park: the Game (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Heroine's Quest: The Herald of Ragnarok (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • The Banner Saga 2 (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Sid Meier's Pirates! (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Aquaria (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • State of Decay (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • The Talos Principle (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Just Cause 2 (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • XCOM 2 (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Torment: Tides of Numenera (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind GOTY Edition (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)

All this is on the Pile, and I'm planning to replay the ME trilogy... Got my work cut out for me!!

I assume you are starting from the bottom.

As I mentioned in the other thread, I'm trying to whittle my pile for the year down to about 20 or so games. I've gotten it down to 24 or 25, but it's wildly over-ambitious in terms of hours.

1. Persona 5 [PS4] (JRPG)
2. Xenoblade 2 [Switch] (JRPG)*
3. Cyberdimension Neptunia: 4 Goddesses Online [PS4] (JRPG)
4. Wasteland 2 [PC] (WRPG)
5. Torment: Tides of Numenera [PS4] (WRPG)
6. Blackguards [PC] (WRPG)*
7. Tyranny [PC] (WRPG)
8. Skyrim [Switch] (Open World/WRPG)*
9. The Witcher 3 [XBO] (Open World/WRPG)
10. Breath of the Wild [Switch] (Open World)*
11. Metal Gear Solid V [XBO] (Open World)
12. Obduction [PC] (Puzzle)
13. Opus Magnum [PC] (Puzzle)*
14. Stephen's Sausage Roll [PC] (Puzzle)
15. FEZ [PC] (Puzzle)
16. Antichamber [PC] (Puzzle)
17. Hollow Knight [PC] (PEG/Platformer)*
18. Dark Souls [PC] (Action)
19. Doom [PC] (Action/FPS)
20. Dishonored: Death of the Outsider [XBO] (Action/Stealth)
21. Prey [XBO] (Action/Horror)
22. The Evil Within [XBO] (Action/Horror)
23. Wolfenstein 2 [XBO] (Action/FPS)
24. Rise of the Tomb Raider [PS4] (Action/Adventure)

(Asterisk is a game in progress. My assumption is that most of my pile growth this year will come from my Switch.)

Current list, somewhat ordered. Tagging (new) for games I've added since the 2017 list, and (old) for the ones that has been transfered from my 2017 list. So I can feel bad about pushing all those games to the bottom yet again.
Decided not to remove any games from last year. I will conquer the pile (episode 1) in 2018! Believe.
Not adding replays to the list. Replaying is not pile clearing, and thus it does not exist (likely going to replay Divinity OS2, Nioh, and other greatest hits from 2017)
Things might change whenever I get hit by a steam sale (tomorrow you say?). I actually dont own a few of the games at the top yet...

  • Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus [PC] (new) - January
  • Xenoblade Chronicles 2 [Switch] (new) - January
  • Dishonored: Death of the Outsider [PC] (new) - January
  • Life is Strange: Before the Storm [PC] (new) - March
  • Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice [PC] (new) - February
  • Tacoma [PC] (new) - February
  • Subnautica [PC] (old) - February
  • Tales of Berseria [PC] (new) - July
  • Cosmic Star Heroine [PC] (new) - July
  • Rimworld [PC] (previous)
  • The Witness [PC] (new)
  • Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun [PC] (new) - July
  • Finding Paradise [PC] (new) - June
  • Total War: Warhammer [PC] (new)
  • The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky [PC] (old)
  • Fran Bow [PC] (old) - May
  • Lightning Returns [PC] (old)
  • Deus Ex: Human Revolution [PC] (old) - July
  • Homeworld Remastered Collection [PC] (old)
  • Momodora Reverie Under the Moonlight [PC] (old)
  • Europa Universalis IV [PC] (old)
  • Underrail [PC] (old)
  • This War of Mine [PC] (old) - April

Upcoming games likely to suppress the pile:

  • Monster Hunter World [PC]
  • Civilization VI: Rise and Fall [PC] - February
  • Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom [PC] - skipping
  • God of War 4 [PS4] - May
  • Detroit Become Human [PS4]
  • The Bard’s Tale IV [PC]
  • Vampyr [PC]
  • Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire [PC] (not sure it is 2018, but whenever it arrives, it will probably consume my life, edit: omg May!) - May

Other games added later:
Doki Doki Literature Club - January
Night in the Woods - February
Pyre - March
What Remains of Edith Finch - March
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter - April
The Beginner's Guide - June
Uncharted: Lost Legacy - June
Northgard - June

Ugh, I keep thinking of more games I want to add to my pile for the year. This is how the damn pile started to begin with.

I can say that I honestly have no idea whatsoever about the games coming out in 2018.

I used think that was a bad thing, but now, not so much.

Every year I reflect on what I managed to find time for the previous year, and plan the new one. This year, I want to make things more interactive; and solicit opinions and must-play and really-should-drop games.

If you want to message me (or discuss here if that won't be too noisy), this is a combination of my wishlist and backlog. To my dismay, realistically, I can only hope to get to maybe half of it.

Cosmic Star Heroine
Dear Esther
Dishonored 2 (NG+ with Emily)
Dishonored: Death of the Outsider
Dragon Fantasy: The Black Tome Of Ice
Far Cry 5 (never played a Far Cry game)
Get Even
Grim Fandango Remastered (good chance I'm giving up on getting to this)
Horizon Zero Dawn (replay with The Frozen Wilds)
Icey
Inside
Jotun: Valhalla Edition
The Last Guardian
Lili: Child Of Geos
Little Nightmares: Secrets Of The Maw
Lost Sphear
Monster Hunter: World
Murdered: Soul Suspect (good chance I'm giving up on getting to this)
Ni No Kuni II (based on reviews, the original had promise but got tedious)
NieR: Automata
Night In the Woods
Oxenfree
Pyre
Republique
Shadow Of the Colossus HD (I’ve played the original)
Tales Of Xillia 2 (good chance I'm giving up on getting to this even though I enjoyed the first one)
Thomas Was Alone (good chance I'm giving up on getting to this)
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
What Remains of Edith Finch?
The Witness

If you don't know my tastes: Exploration, style, and sound are particularly important to me. I can forgive significant flaws if enough else is done really well. Favorite games ever include Resonance Of Fate, The World Ends With You, Ico, Resident Evil 4, Final Fantasy XV, Star Fox 64, Xenoblade Chronicles X, and Parasite Eve.

beeporama wrote:

Grim Fandango Remastered (good chance I'm giving up on getting to this)

Noooooo! That makes me sad.

(not that you HAVE to play it, obviously, you do you, but I love that game so much )

Played Grim Fandango for the first time about a year ago. Uh yeah, the world and characters are neat, but the "gameplay" and controls was painful at this point in time. I should have watched a playthrough or something.

beeporama wrote:

Ni No Kuni II (based on reviews, the original had promise but got tedious)

Yep.

beeporama wrote:

Thomas Was Alone (good chance I'm giving up on getting to this)

Really didn't like this.
(but then I have only played 1½ of your favorite games ever, and disliked most of it, so my opinions here are likely more irrelevant than ever)

beeporama wrote:

The Witness

Noo, I had forgotten a game on my list. Added.

Quote is not edit.

I think you can safely drop the JRPGs other than Ni No Kuni II. They're all fairly buttoned-down, traditional experiences, and while I know you're a fan of the genre, I haven't gotten the impression that you're pining for the fjords of '90s Squaresoft.

The Witness is amazing if you like puzzle games, but it's a puzzle-ass puzzle game. The setting is gorgeous, and there's a nice walking sim vibe to it, but know that it's a couple hundred maze puzzles and nothing more. One of my all-time favorites, but it's not for everyone.

If you liked Ico, then The Last Guardian is a shoe-in. Play it next, even.

I think you'd dig Inside's style and sound design. Did you play (and enjoy) Limbo at all?

Oxenfree is fine, but it's not something I'd carve out time for. You mileage might vary.

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is a fun, breezy, beautiful game. If you like the newer Tomb Raider games, it's worth a spin.

I don't think I can comment on the rest. This is a neat idea! I may have you all go through my pile, too.

Shadout wrote:
beeporama wrote:

Thomas Was Alone (good chance I'm giving up on getting to this)

Really didn't like this.

I couldn't find anything to like about it, either.

Shadout wrote:
beeporama wrote:

Ni No Kuni II (based on reviews, the original had promise but got tedious)

Yep.

I'd say wait and see on the sequel. The one area of the first game that got so much criticism (the combat) has been completely redone for the second game.

I'm already getting (and appreciating) the good advice. Like, Thomas Was Alone was more a peer pressure buy than desire to play it.

ClockworkHouse wrote:

I think you can safely drop the JRPGs other than Ni No Kuni II. They're all fairly buttoned-down, traditional experiences, and while I know you're a fan of the genre, I haven't gotten the impression that you're pining for the fjords of '90s Squaresoft...

I think you'd dig Inside's style and sound design. Did you play (and enjoy) Limbo at all?...

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is a fun, breezy, beautiful game. If you like the newer Tomb Raider games, it's worth a spin.

I don't think I can comment on the rest. This is a neat idea! I may have you all go through my pile, too.

Indeed, not pining. My tastes are evolving.

I played Limbo and enjoyed the art design, but felt it a little lacking as far as puzzles. I understand this one has more narrative. And is short. So it's likely I'll get to it. (By the way, if *YOU* liked that kind of thing, have you looked at Little Nightmares? Not that I should be enabling, but, it is short and gorgeous.)

I quite enjoyed Uncharted 4 and the newer Tomb Raider games, so Uncharter:LL seems like a good pick.

And, since you suggested it...

You just have so many really long games on your list that even if they were all wonderful, it would be impossible to get through them all. I'm sure you know that already. But, I think it's a good excuse to get a little arbitrary. I tossed Persona 5 and Xenoblade 2 because of their problematic elements. If I had plenty of time, I might have overlooked the minor tropes. But I can afford ridiculously high standards for games asking 100+ hours of me.

I used to think I had a fair idea of your tastes, but you've surprised me several times. Nonetheless... both Prey and The Evil Within are games that I liked, but neither of them did any one thing particularly well. A lot of people were more impressed than me at the way Prey lets you try to "break" it, but to me, Dead Space and Deus Ex did the two things it was trying to do a little better. The Evil Within was Resident Evil 4 with "dream logic" instead of a story, and when I'm talking about how your narrative is inferior to Resident Evil, you're doing something wrong.

I'm wondering if I want to try and create a sort of pile of indies to get through. I have plenty in my Steam library, some of which have been gifted to me, and they sit there incomplete and unplayed. So I'm considering coming up with ten or so games like Undertale, Aviary Attorney, The Deadly Tower of Monsters, and Dust: An Elysian Tail so I can begin clearing up the backlog, and also to help encourage the playing of more indies into the new year.

I know I'll be repurchasing Hollow Knight in 2018, and my Switch code for BattleChasers should be rolling in soon. So in an effort to play more indies I may end up missing out on others. This is also not going to be a year in which I'm lacking in AAA games, I imagine.

Just something I'm considering.

m0nk3yboy wrote:

Whatever way you view your relationship with your pile, this thread is for those want help/guidance/encouragement to dig deeper into the "whys, and hows" of pile management over a long range, long term commitment to reduce, remove, or re-motivate their respective assaults on the pile.

On the topic of whys and hows; what has worked best for all of you for conquering the pile? I am thinking this year to have a game of the month where for one month I just work on one game in my pile. I get so little game time (an hour or so a night at best) that I feel like when I spread myself around to whatever game calls to me on a given day that I never really make much headway on any game.

It feels logical to me that if I just put time into one game I would be able to enjoy it more. For example I have no idea where I am at in Zelda: BoTW because I haven't played it for months. I conquered the 4 divine beasts and then kind of lost interest. I think if I just would power through the game I would enjoy my hobby more.

The way I did the last year was to just play what called to me on any given day. I reasoned it was my hobby and I should just enjoy it but I feel like I missed out on some of the deeper enjoyment of some of the games.

farley3k wrote:

On the topic of whys and hows; what has worked best for all of you for conquering the pile? I am thinking this year to have a game of the month where for one month I just work on one game in my pile. I get so little game time (an hour or so a night at best) that I feel like when I spread myself around to whatever game calls to me on a given day that I never really make much headway on any game.

There's a reason why, every year now for several years, I've broken the coming year into months and assigned certain games to each month. I never stick to it exactly, but starting from that structure works for me.

More than anything, forcing myself to manage "where do I put this?" when I buy helps me stop buying. But it also forces me to prioritize. After a certain pile size, "play what I feel like" means I forget about games because they weren't foremost in my mind. And I found myself paralyzed with indecision on what to play during my precious timing, frittering it away looking through my list.

Besides that, focusing one one or two games means less time re-learning controls. So I'd say, yes, focus is good. You don't want to be a slave to what you set in advance, but, the structure can help you get to the good stuff faster.

Oh, and... when time is precious, sorting things into months makes me give more thought to the length of games. When I realize that in the same amount of time I can play one RPG, two AAA epics, or four short indies, it brings the time/reward tradeoff front and center for me. I still get in my RPGs, but I'm appropriately more picky about them.

For me, assigning too much structure to clearing the pile turned it into an obligation. I didn't have much luck with the monthly pile threads, for example. However, simply cutting back on buying new games allowed me to put more time into the backlog games. When the games I have to play are simply what's in my to-play list, it makes it relatively easy to make progress.

This assumes of course that you, well, don't buy new games! Clearing out the vast majority of my Steam wishlist helped reduce temptation. I also decided not to feel guilty or worry when someone gifts me a game (in the sense of feeling bad that I'm "neglecting" the pile). There were also games I removed from the pile, or gave a try and decided not to force myself to finish.

It's not perfect, and your FOMO in the current gaming zeitgeist may make this easier or harder for you. But the last year has seen good progress on the pile with what I described above. I'll note that my natural play style is to focus on one game at a time, so I don't have the problem some others do of jumping from game to game in the normal course of play.

beeporama wrote:

(By the way, if *YOU* liked that kind of thing, have you looked at Little Nightmares? Not that I should be enabling, but, it is short and gorgeous.)

It's been on my wishlist for ages, but I haven't picked it up yet. Although maybe there'll be a good deal for the holidays...

I tossed Persona 5 and Xenoblade 2 because of their problematic elements. If I had plenty of time, I might have overlooked the minor tropes. But I can afford ridiculously high standards for games asking 100+ hours of me.

I don't think I'll drop those two, because I've enjoyed my time with them, but that may be the argument I need to kick MGS V off the pile.

I'd include The Witcher 3 in that, but the couple hours I put into it early this year left me with... something. I want to give it another chance, even if I really wish it weren't so fascinated by women's asses.

Prey and The Evil Within are games that I liked, but neither of them did any one thing particularly well. A lot of people were more impressed than me at the way Prey lets you try to "break" it, but to me, Dead Space and Deus Ex did the two things it was trying to do a little better. The Evil Within was Resident Evil 4 with "dream logic" instead of a story, and when I'm talking about how your narrative is inferior to Resident Evil, you're doing something wrong.

I played about half of Prey and loved it but got distracted. I'm starting it over because I lost the thread of it, but I liked it enough that it'll be on my GOTY list this year.

The Evil Within is a bit of a different deal. I got it largely because of the publisher, honestly. There was a moment earlier this year when I realized that every game I was playing was published by Bethesda, and that I liked the same things about them: a focus on a single gameplay concept prioritized over everything else.

Maybe I'll do with it what I did with Dishonored and play the DLC first to see if I want to play the rest of the game. That'll be faster.

ccesarano wrote:

I'm wondering if I want to try and create a sort of pile of indies to get through. I have plenty in my Steam library, some of which have been gifted to me, and they sit there incomplete and unplayed. So I'm considering coming up with ten or so games like Undertale, Aviary Attorney, The Deadly Tower of Monsters, and Dust: An Elysian Tail so I can begin clearing up the backlog, and also to help encourage the playing of more indies into the new year.

I know I'll be repurchasing Hollow Knight in 2018, and my Switch code for BattleChasers should be rolling in soon. So in an effort to play more indies I may end up missing out on others. This is also not going to be a year in which I'm lacking in AAA games, I imagine.

Just something I'm considering.

I too want to give indies/smaller titles a bigger shot this year, compared to last year I only played two that really stood out, Stardew and Rime, year before that was filled with Abzu, Firewatch, Unraveled etc.. I love those shorter artistic types of games.

ClockworkHouse wrote:

I played about half of Prey and loved it but got distracted. I'm starting it over because I lost the thread of it, but I liked it enough that it'll be on my GOTY list this year.

In that case, I completely give up on thinking I understand your tastes. They are frequently surprising to me. (Not bad, just that I don't see an obvious common thread.)

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