2020 - 12 Month Pile Program

February update:

Added:
Nothing!

Finished:
Nothing!

Played:
God of War (PS4)

I have to be getting close to the end of God of War so almost done with this one. With FF7 Remake and Last of Us 2 coming in the next few months, I want to finish this game and clear a few shorter ones off of the pile. After the big releases, I expect that it will be back to the file for the rest of the year.

I went back and completed the latter half of Ori and the Blind Forest this month, and finished off Silence while it was still February for part of the world, anyway - both very good choices. It's been a rough start to 2020 with no definite improvement in sight, but even with letting myself off the hook for my initial tracking plan, I've been much happier with how I've spent my gaming time the last few weeks. Hoping to keep that trend going!

This year I've tried doing something a bit different with how I've been buying games. Instead of buying games with cash, I decided to buy a little bit of store credit here and there to add to my account. In this way, I've slowly saved up enough to buy a full price, new release game on both the Switch and the PS4, but I've found that I'm really reluctant to actually spend any of it.

In the past, I'd have picked up some things in the latest PSN sale without a lot of second-guessing. But now that it's coming out of my stash I've saved up, everything is getting a much more skeptical look. Do I really want it? Do I really have time for it? Is Game X the best thing to spend my credit on, or should I wait and get Game Y?

I don't know why it's happening, but I'm grateful for it.

ClockworkHouse wrote:

I don't know why it's happening, but I'm grateful for it.

This is the textbook definition of the mental accounting phenomenon. You have mentally classified the gift card money in a separate mental account than your other discretionary spending. Since that account has a lower referent value, spending money feels more significant. You can read all about it here.

You've actually hit upon a great idea - I might try to do the same thing.

Fascinating! That certainly does sound like what I'm doing. Not only do I have less spending power via the gift cards, but it also took longer to accumulate. $10 or so a week means that if I didn't like what I bought, it would be quite a bit of time before I could buy something again.

Lots of time off this month which helped me to make some good progress. Have definitely confirmed that soulsborne games are not for me.

Feb 2020:

Added:

  • Fire Emblem: Three Houses
  • Children of Morta

Played:

  • Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
  • Cytus Alpha
  • Bloodborne
  • Dishonoured: Definitive Edition
  • My Time at Portia
  • Nioh
  • Alienation

Finished:

  • Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
  • Dishonoured: Definitive Edition
  • Cytus Alpha

Dropped:

  • Bloodborne
  • Nioh
  • Alienation

So here's my report as of March 21:

Completed:

Frostpunk
Star Wars Old Republic: Shadow of Revan

Added:

Age of Conan

I find it really interesting reading through this thread and seeing all the different approaches that folks have for managing or dealing with their backlogs. I too fall into the category of being unable to resist a good deal an picking up games when they are cheap.

I feel that backloag management is too much like work so take a slightly novel approach, after using Trello (Kanban) in a work setting I decided to setup a board that highlights my wishlist (still to buy) backlog (not currently playing) In Progress, Completed and Done.

Generally this is enough to keep me on track, and allows the flexibility to not be railroaded into playing a game simply because I put it on a list. This setup provides a birds eye view of everything that I have up and coming. The difference between Completed and Done is for games that finish when you complete them vs games that you keep playing after "completing" i.e, rougelikes or Sim games.

This is still currently sitting at over 50 games with a further 30 in my wishlist, but it doesn make me take measure of my current inventory and whether I really need to buy that game on sale or not

I still have Persona 5 that I havent played for more than 10minutes of and with P5 Royal edition coming out at the end of this month I really need to make a conscious effort to not just go crazy and start buying it.

Do you also use the "done" category for games you have had enough of, but didn't actually finish?

Not going to be finishing anything new, so let's have a report.

GAMES COMPLETED:

  • 428 Shibuya Scramble
  • Tokyo Xanadu Ex+
  • Halo 5

GAMES PLAYED:

  • Ring Fit Adventure
  • Final Fantasy VII
  • The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Master Quest)
  • Bloodborne
  • Trials of Mana (via Collection of Mana)
  • Persona 5 Royal
  • Destiny 2

SHORT AND SWEET:
So how about this quarantine, eh? Managed to beat a 75-ish hour game in like, two weeks! That's unheard of for me. And whaddya know? There's a From Software game I actually enjoy after all.

THE OVERWROUGHT NAVEL-GAZING:

Spoiler:

Unemployment still stinks, and I've been drifting through this past month in a way I haven't drifted before. I've been trying to sort out responsibility versus hobbies I find productive (namely writing) and fighting the urge to dive right into escapism, but the escapism keeps on winning. "I'll get back to a proper schedule after 428 Shibuya Scramble" transformed into "I'll get back into a proper schedule after Tokyo Xanadu Ex+", a game that had more endings than Return of the King. By that point it was basically just a week spent waiting for Persona 5 Royal with very little productive time spent whatsoever.

I want to get my head on straight, but it's tough. I first need to finish up the obligation of working on my Church's website, but even once that's done I'm going to need to rebuild my resume and start job-hunting, despite feeling as if it's just not going to happen for now. I feel like I'm dragging my own unemployment out as long as I can, which is perhaps one of the reasons I hesitate to file my taxes. Last I checked I was going to owe the state $1,700, and while I plan on swapping to TaxAct instead of TurboTax, I'm afraid that it's just going to be the same thing. What's more, the prospect of finding a new job means it's likely not going to be Work-From-Home, which means I gotta wear business-casual again, and yeah first-world problems and all, but it likely means buying new clothes to fit my overweight form that I was hoping to trim down with Ring Fit Adventure but I just haven't had the guts to return to that game now that everyone is home (did I mention that I try not to be ashamed of living with my parents because the economy blows and it's about to get worse but no matter what I'm almost 35 and living with my parents how can I not feel ashamed).

The coronavirus has effectively acted as a perfect excuse to just binge on games, but that means I simply prolong my depression. A depression that's deepened because the very act of writing about games has been difficult, especially after having read some of the stuff I wrote years ago for the front-page here. It's amazing that, despite having a lot of the same issues of self-esteem embedded deep inside, I somehow had enough courage to believe in what I was writing. I've been looking to some of those older pieces as inspiration for a new approach, but there's always the question of "why bother" lingering.

I have a lot of thoughts as to why, but I try to follow my therapist's advice and avoid over-thinking. All I know is I still feel inspired to discuss games, I do enjoy writing, but I need to just not think about "who it's for" or making up counter-arguments others might have every sentence I hammer down. Just write what I feel and believe, and this goes for my video scripts too.

What is my goal for April? I dunno. The dream of having an FFVII video done before the Remake releases is gone. If I could have just gotten over myself I could have easily had so much completed by now. I don't think it's a problem to enjoy more game time right now, but moderation in all things, and I need to get my important stuff done.

Let's hope end of April I can report far more positively than end of March.

March Report~

Added:
A Short Hike (Epic)
Untitled Goose Game (Switch)
Animal Crossing New Horizons (Switch)

Beat:
(nothing)

Made Progress In:
Ring Fit Adventure (Switch)
Animal Crossing New Horizons (Switch)

Planned Games To Beat In 2020

Spoiler:

Overcooked! (Switch)
Control (PS4)
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (Steam)
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair (Steam)
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (PS4)
Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth (PS4)
Kingdom Hearts 3 (PS4)
The Witness (Steam)
God of War 2018 (PS4)
Horizon Zero Dawn (PS4)
Resident Evil HD remaster (PS4)
Black Mesa (Steam)
Paper Mario: Color Splash (Wii U)
Star Fox Zero (Wii U)
Star Fox Guard (Wii U)
Assassin's Creed: Origins (Uplay)

Good news is I pretty much caught up on my show backlog. Bad news is I hardly made any progress on my gaming backlog and Animal Crossing is addicting..

March report:

Added:
Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Switch)
Bravely Second: End Layer (3DS)

Finished:
A Short Hike (PC)

Dropped:
Nothing

Played:

  • Monster Hunter World Iceborne (PS4)
  • Ring Fit Adventure (Switch)
  • Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Switch)
  • Dragon Quest V (DS)
  • Stardew Valley (PC)

I bought Bravely Second for the JRPG Game Club (and will start playing at some point, possibly after I'm done with Dragon Quest). Animal Crossing was totally an impulse purchase. I love it so far, but I know that means I won't progress in Stardew Valley at all. (Also there's a weird and annoying issue with Steam Link and Stardew Valley.)

Two long games this month. Not really from my backlog.

Finished:
Dragon Quest XI (Switch)
Borderlands 3 (PC)

Added:
Nioh 2, and starting today

Oh, boy. Time for the March Report.

Beat:

Tesla vs Lovecraft
South Park: the Fractured but Whole
South Park: the Fractured but Whole: Bring The Crunch
South Park: the Fractured but Whole: From Dusk til Casa Bonita
The Witcher III (Main Game)
The Witcher III: Blood and Wine (expansion)

Added:

New: Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits (PS4)
New: Ape Escape 2 (PS4)
New: Gurumin (PSVita)
New: Shadow of the Beast (PS4)
New: Agony (PS4)
New: Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones (PC)
New: The Whispered World (PC)
New: Time Gentlemen, Please! (PC)
New: Ben There, Dan That! (PC)
New: The Longing (PC)
New: Gibbous (PC)
New: Jurassic World Evolution (PS4)
New: Control (PS4)
New: Kingdom Hearts III (PS4)

Played/Progressed in:

Little Nightmares
The Witcher III: Hearts of Stone
Control
Gibbous
The Longing
The Last Guardian

What's my plan for April?

There are three purchases lined up: FF7R, RE3 Remake, and Trials of Mana. I intend to finish up both Little Nightmares and Hearts of Stone within the week, and likely Control by the time RE3 arrives on my doorstep. This last I hope to play through by the time FF7R arrives, and I'll keep peppering that possibly massive playthrough with little games here and there.

How did I miss that Twilight of the Spirits is available on PS4? I played that game between college and the start of grad school, and it was a blast.

ccesarano wrote:

There's a From Software game I actually enjoy after all.

I bounced off all of the other From Software games until I played Bloodborne. It's far and away the best game they've made, and it gave me a way "in" on their other releases. I had previously tried and disliked all of those, but Bloodborne helped give me a way into them.

If you haven't tried it yet, I'd check out Dark Souls 3 after Bloodborne. It's the best of the Dark Souls games and has a similar look and feel to Bloodborne.

Despite all appearances, I most certainly did NOT get extra gaming time in March.

Added:
None!

Finished:

  • Grim Fandango (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif) - For the GWJ adventure game club!
  • Draugen (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif)

Dropped:

  • The Division 2 (uPlay) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/null.gif) - Played a couple of sessions, but it's not my cup of tea.

Played:

  • Guild Wars 2 (PC) IMAGE(https://backloggery.com/images/mastered.gif)
  • Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif)

Six mobile otome games are still on the docket.

Remaining games: 53 IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif) (51 IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif))
Progress (Games): 5 IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif) + 1 IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/null.gif) - 3 IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif) = 3
Est. remaining hours: 657 IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif) (749 IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif))
Progress (Est. total hours): 35 IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif) + 25 IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/null.gif) + 115 played IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif) - 58 IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif) = 117

Backloggery is at 6, a bit better, but I feel like I got free points for replaying Grim Fandango which was already in my library. I need to make more progress, but I moved in March, work is kinda crazy at the hospital right now, and I'm in two DnD games, a Borderlands 3 regular playdate, and now a GW2 playdate too.
When do I sleep, you say? I don't know, says I!

ClockworkHouse wrote:

I bounced off all of the other From Software games until I played Bloodborne. It's far and away the best game they've made, and it gave me a way "in" on their other releases. I had previously tried and disliked all of those, but Bloodborne helped give me a way into them.

If you haven't tried it yet, I'd check out Dark Souls 3 after Bloodborne. It's the best of the Dark Souls games and has a similar look and feel to Bloodborne.

I'd actually like to go back and try some of the Demon's/Dark Souls stuff again, but more to see if I can better figure out what works in Bloodborne (aside from co-oping boss monsters with a pal) that doesn't work in their other games. It's definitely helped me better understand why I bounced hard off of Sekiro. It also clarifies some of why Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order just doesn't work as well as an action game, or even as a Souls-like.

Still feel like I enjoyed Darksiders 3 better than Bloodborne, but I need to go back and replay that again to get a more firm understanding of why.

Regardless, maybe I'll snag Dark Souls 3 on sale at some point and give it a whirl, but for now I think I have a better idea of what to look for in gameplay videos in future From games from now on.

March Report! Can't believe we've made it through a quarter of the year.

Prior posts:

 

Added: 1
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif)Sid Meier's Civilization 6: Rise & Fall (PC). About time.

Finished: 3
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif)Ys Origin (PS4)
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/completed.gif)Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (PS4)
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/completed.gif)Gris (PC)

Also Played: 5
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif)Bravely Second: End Layer (3DS)
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif)Fire Emblem Echoes (3DS)
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif)Might & Magic: Heroes V (PC)
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif)Sid Meier's Civilization 6 (PC)
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif)Overgrowth (PC)

Dropped: 1
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/null.gif)Overgrowth (PC) - Came in a bundle, and I didn't jive with it.

2020 Progress: 5

Current backlog state: IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif)88 / IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)23 

Q1 2020 Goals: Not bad! I did most of what I wanted to do, though finishing Disco Elysium proved too adventurous.

Spoiler:

A Short Hike (PC)
Gris (PC)
God of War (2018) (PS4)
Ys Origin (PS4)
Disco Elysium (PC)
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (PS4)

Q2 2020 Goals: Based on the two quarters I've been doing this, so far, I've found that it's worked better for me to aim at goals three months than across one. This is going to be a weird quarter, with so much time practicing isolation and social distancing; it'll probably a good quarter for gaming. So, here's what I'd like to aim at:

Spoiler:

Definitely Finish:
Bravely Second: End Layer (3DS)
At least one game of Sid Meier's Civilization 6 (PC)

Maybe Finish:
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia (3DS)
Might & Magic: Heroes V (PC) - Cultist Campaign
Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel (PC) - Anticipating that the sequel will win a JRPG Club vote in the future, assess exactly what I'd need to do to get the carry-forward bonuses, and whether I actually want to put in the effort.
3 other games (TBD, probably short ones) - I don't know what I'll want to play

Remove at least one game from the Backlog

Trophy Hunting:
A Short Hike

If I did all that, I'd knock the backlog down by 6 or 7, less whatever I inevitably buy in a Steam or PS4 sale.

LastSurprise wrote:

How did I miss that Twilight of the Spirits is available on PS4? I played that game between college and the start of grad school, and it was a blast.

I'd played it back in the PS2 days, then lost it in a move so I never got to beat it. It was pretty cheap so I figured I might as well get it now.

No progress for me this month, and not really expecting any for April. This is shaping up to be the worst year for tackling the backlog in a while, though I'm not upset about it. Just a little surprised how things have turned out so far!

Added:
none!

Finished:
Evo Explorers
Apollo 11 VR

Played:
Witcher 3 Blood and Wine
Rune Factory 4 Special
Icewind Dale

Not much to show for during March, but in reality I actually made a lot of progress in a few games. I'm a bit late for March report, but April already looks better for game progress! Only thing I finished was a Monument Valley rip off Evo Explorers and a quick Apollo 11 VR experience.

March wasn't super productive for me, video-game wise. Schools here closed mid-March and, with the kids being home all day, my wife and I are both pretty exhausted in the evening. So we have been trying to go to bed earlier which has left little time to play games. I'm hoping to get into a better rhythm in April.

Finished
Frostpunk

Played
Pathfinder: Kingmaker
Persona 5

Yeah, those are two really meaty RPGs, but I'm hoping that this time of social isolation will allow me to make some progress in both.

Added
None

Dropped
None

March report

Purchased
...

Finished
...

Played
The Division 2 - PS4
Animal Crossing: New Leaf - 3ds
Sky Force - PS4

Time for the April report.

Added:

  • Devil's Kiss (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif)
  • Lair of the Clockwork God (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif)

Finished:

  • Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif)
  • Devil's Kiss (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif)

Dropped:

  • Syberia 3 (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/null.gif) - It's... not great. The story makes no sense after the last two games, the controls are super wonky, the portrayal of mental health is not great, and the protrayal of the Youkols is Not Great At All. After two sessions, I just couldn't get back to it.

Played:

  • Guild Wars 2 (PC) IMAGE(https://backloggery.com/images/mastered.gif)
  • Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif) - Only two suitors left.

Six mobile otome games are still on the docket.

Remaining games: 52 IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif) (50 IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif))
Progress (Games): 7 IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif) + 2 IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/null.gif) - 5 IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif) = 4
Est. remaining hours: 655 IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif) (715 IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif))
Progress (Est. total hours): 51 IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif) + 37 IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/null.gif) + 77 played IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif) - 67 IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif) = 98

Backloggery is at 9, slightly better. April was... not a fun month. My eldest got sick, so I took time off, because with the risk of coronavirus, I couldn't have my mother take care of him. And turns out I have whatever he had now. So I'm out of spoons, I cancelled most of my outstanding playdates and streams, and I'm in survival mode. We'll see if May is any better.

April report:

Added:
Assassin's Creed Revelations (PC)
Assassin's Creed Liberation HD (PC)

Finished:
Nothing

Dropped:
Nothing

Played:

  • Monster Hunter World Iceborne (PS4)
  • Ring Fit Adventure (Switch)
  • Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Switch)
  • Bravely Second: End Layer (3DS)

I was in the mood for more Assassin's Creed, so I went ahead and bought Revelations (I finished II and Brotherhood last year). I also bought Liberation, which I will be playing later this year (possibly right after Revelations, as it seems pretty short). If I finish anything in May, it will be Revelations. I started Bravely Second for the game club but, I don't know, not in the mood for JRPGs at the moment I think.

Two super long games this month. And a very short one. I need to begin playing some shorter games if I want to see my pile dwindle. I guess I could also try not to platinum those long games, but that seem wrong.

Added:
FF7 Remake

Finished:
Nioh 2
FF7 Remake
Untitled Goose Game

Not sure what to play next. The pile is paralyzing me. Pretty much everything I have played this year has been new purchases - even if some of those were "older" games.

  • American Truck Simulator
  • Disco Elysium
  • Else Heart.Break()
  • King's Bounty: Crossworlds
  • King's Bounty: The Legend
  • KOTOR II
  • Mass Effect Andromeda
  • Planescape: Torment: Enhanced Edition
  • The Sims 4
  • Watch Dogs 2
  • Yakuza Kiwami
  • Yakuza Kiwami 2

I made some small progress this month. Yakuza 0, which I'd been playing since November, finally sees itself off the list. Lair of the Clockwork God brought some laughs earlier in the month. And I finally got around to playing Art's Dream, the campaign included in MediaMolecule's Dreams, thought I don't think that was ever listed here.

April Report...

It's been a month. A very indoorsy month. The indoorsiest of months.

Added

Trials of Mana (PS4)
Final Fantasy VII Remake Episode 1 (PS4)
Resident Evil 3 Remake (PS4)

Beat/Completed

Darksiders III (PS4)
Resident Evil 3 Remake (PS4)
The Witcher III: Hearts of Stone(PS4)
The Witcher III: Blood and Wine(PS4)
Control (PS4)

Played

Divinity: Original Sin II (PS4)
Spyro the Dragon Reignited: Ripto's Rage (PS4)

Dropped

MediEvil (PS4)

April Report~

Added:
Just Cause 4 (Epic freebie)
Another month of Xbox Game Pass for PC..

Beat:
(nothing)

Made Progress In:
Ring Fit Adventure (Switch)
Animal Crossing New Horizons (Switch)
Alien: Isolation (Xbox Game Pass)

Planned Games To Beat In 2020

Spoiler:

Overcooked! (Switch)
Control (PS4)
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (Steam)
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair (Steam)
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (PS4)
Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth (PS4)
Kingdom Hearts 3 (PS4)
The Witness (Steam)
God of War 2018 (PS4)
Horizon Zero Dawn (PS4)
Resident Evil HD remaster (PS4)
Black Mesa (Steam)
Paper Mario: Color Splash (Wii U)
Star Fox Zero (Wii U)
Star Fox Guard (Wii U)
Assassin's Creed: Origins (Uplay)

Animal Crossing is still addicting..but I did start streaming Alien Isolation with friends so maybe I'll have something in the "Beat" column this month.