Buying Less Games: 2023 Edition

Who's up for buying less games this year?

Buy none? Buy only a designated few? Simply see how long you can go? Go for it!

Previous threads:

Buying Zero Games in 2018 (Or One or Two, I'm Not the Boss of You)
Going the Longest Amount of Time in 2019 Without Buying a Single Video Game

My goal is buying nothing this year.

I mentioned in the 2019 thread that I over-indulged once I got a Switch. That habit persisted thanks to the pandemic and the sunsetting of the 3DS.

I have enough games. I have great games I haven't even touched! Time to turn this ship around (again).

Had to replace the HVAC system in my Mcmansion just before Christmas so my gaming budget is basically zero for this year.

Even just turned off the Game Pass spigot, but Epic have been knocking it out of the park with freebies lately, and my backlog game is strong.

That has been my standing goal for the last couple of years.

I rarely buy a game at full price on release day. Perhaps 1 or 2 a year.

I have so many games it is absolutely ridiculous. 3/4 of them have never even been installed and most likely they never will be.

Last year I only bought Midnight Suns for full price at release, and at the moment the only thing I might be interested in this year is Baldur’s Gate 3, though I am expecting a Civ VII announcement and Firaxis likes to minimize time between announcement and release.

All of which is to say I’m probably good till the fall at least.

I am up for it. My "rules" will be all games on deep sale - under $20 only. Except for Hogwarts legacy (if reviews are good), Jedi: Survivor, Tears of the Kingdom, Spider-Man 2, and Final Fantast VII - next installment. That seems like a lot but if I can do that I will be happy.

Games I'm planning on buying this year are

  • Starfield
  • Assassin's Creed Mirage
  • Final Fantasy XVI
  • Diablo 4 depending on reviews

Additionally, my wife and I have been trying out various couch coop games which is good quality time together so I have no problem buying some of those as the desire arises.

Other than that, I'm okay attempting to keep my purchases to a minimum this year. We'll see how I actually do.

Oh -- forgot about Tears of the Kingdom. I can loophole that purchase though since it's near my daughter's birthday and she's really looking forward to it.

So, I keep joining these threads and keep failing early on hahaha. This year, my intention is to buy only the following:

Octopath Traveler II
Trails to Azure
Hogwarts Legacy (for my significant other)
Trails into Reverie
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Hollow Knight: Silk Song
Baldur's Gate III

Aside from those, I will likely purchase Elden Ring's DLC - assuming it comes out this year - and also Pokemon Scarlet/Violet's DLC for my kid and I.

I have around a dozen Kickstarted games that have been announced to be coming out this year, as well, so I should be pretty well sorted for that "New acquisition" dopamine kick. Will do my best to steer clear from sales.

I whittled down my wishlists and deleted my bookmarks for dekudeals, etc.

Looking ahead, I'll be tempted if Elden Ring goes on deep discount next holiday season.

I skimmed the latest Nintendo Direct and so far, so good.

I'm delighted to see things like Ghost Trick and Etrian Odyssey come to the Switch but I already have them (not to mention EO5 and Nexus still on my backlog). I would have been greatly tempted by new episodes.

The updates in Metroid Prime Remastered look interesting but it can wait until I'm done with other things.

And as far as BotW2, I've owned the first one for three years and haven't touched it yet. I think I'll finally do something about that this weekend.

I did give in to temptation and buy Fallout 76 on sale. But none since then!

I'm sitting pretty with the purchases and pre-orders I'd already factored in for the year. Might add one or two titles I had not known about once release dates are settled for some of those announced in the Nintendo Direct, though.

Too late already bought Fire Emblem Engage.

Will buy Zelda day 1. But nothing else for sure yet. You people will probably talk me into Starfield or something though. Filthy enablers the lot of you

My plan for Starfield is the $1 month of gamepass.

Joining this. I’ve been good so far. I’ve been using the library for different games/media. The last thing I haven’t stopped yet is the Humble Choice. They have been pretty bad so it might be easy to lose my classic plan.

Backlog count. I’ve been playing Hedon. It’s really good. The backtracking is sometimes too much. Put 4 hours and I put it in the love pile.

Alina of the Arena. Fun little rogue lite.

Ted wrote:

And as far as BotW2, I've owned the first one for three years and haven't touched it yet. I think I'll finally do something about that this weekend.

Or... not. But I got a good start on AC: Origins, though!

Reporting in, my only spend this year so far was January's Game Pass sub, which I've since cancelled. Remains to be seen how tempting it is to re-up the sub, but given the immensity of my backlog, I should really be able to resist that siren's song.

Well so far I am doing ok. I broke down and bought Metroid Prime Remastered which wasn't on my list and was $40 but I am really loving it so at least I don't feel I bought a game that I won't play.

Otherwise just my list and nothing above $20

Jonman wrote:

Reporting in, my only spend this year so far was January's Game Pass sub, which I've since cancelled. Remains to be seen how tempting it is to re-up the sub, but given the immensity of my backlog, I should really be able to resist that siren's song.

Phantom Brigade got me. The demo was so strong, and the 20% off launch discount combined with the reasonable $30 price point feels OK.

First purchase of the year so far. Should keep me busy for a while, and no further plans to splurge.

The show got me to purchase the remake of The Last of Us on sale. I’m planning to play it pretty soon, at least.

Jonman wrote:
Jonman wrote:

Reporting in, my only spend this year so far was January's Game Pass sub, which I've since cancelled. Remains to be seen how tempting it is to re-up the sub, but given the immensity of my backlog, I should really be able to resist that siren's song.

Phantom Brigade got me. The demo was so strong, and the 20% off launch discount combined with the reasonable $30 price point feels OK.

First purchase of the year so far. Should keep me busy for a while, and no further plans to splurge.

I can't find a demo. Of course I need another strategy game like I need a whole in the head.

but here is a lets play

The demo got took down as the game went live. No idea why, it was a great demo.

I think I made my save throw and the desire to buy has passed. It was probably helped because I looked at my strategy back log and saw - Divinity: Original Sin 2 (sure RPG but very tactical combat), XCOM: Chimera Squad, The Dungeon Of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet Of Chaos, and Phoenix Point

It got added to the wishlist and if it drops enough I will get it but for now I will resist.

Chimera is so good. Play it!

I need to play it again just to use some characters I didn't get the first time

farley3k wrote:

I think I made my save throw and the desire to buy has passed. It was probably helped because I looked at my strategy back log...

I've been doing the same when temptation strikes. I remind myself that I can go shop my backlog for "free."

Jonman wrote:

Phantom Brigade got me. The demo was so strong, and the 20% off launch discount combined with the reasonable $30 price point feels OK.

First purchase of the year so far. Should keep me busy for a while, and no further plans to splurge.

Or not!

Turns out that the game hangs every time I try and start a campaign, so Steam refund to the rescue and my unbroken run of not buying any games is restored!

Stele wrote:

Chimera is so good. Play it!

I need to play it again just to use some characters I didn't get the first time

Alright. I watched a bit of Odd's lets play and I will get past the tutorial in Chimera.

I just bought Baldur's Gate 3 early access. It just looked to fun to pass up. And Octopath Traveler has just been getting such good reviews I couldn't resist.

* well I returned BG3. I could not get it working on the Deck. Hopefully it will be tweaked in the next 5 months and I can pick it up in August.

Trails from Azure is coming out soon. Hmmm. I really want a portable version .

It is reasonably priced too Of course I really should finish Trails of Zero first!