A Misguided Guide To Finishing Your Gaming Backlog

Check out The Ridge Wallet here: ridge.com/daryltalksgames for up to 40% off through December 22nd! Thanks again to The Ridge for Sponsoring!
Everyone's days on earth are limited. The amount of video games out there, however, are seemingly unlimited. And for those of us that are obsessed with the medium, this causes a bit of a problem. A weird existential dread that comes from a looming video game backlog. How will we ever beat it all? Should we beat it all? And if we were to actually try to do it in a timely manner, how would we? That’s the type of question I approach today and in fact… the very challenge I’ll be taking on in 2023.
Support Daryl Talks Games on Patreon! ▶▶ / daryltalksgames
Bonus content, early access, YOUR name at the end of videos, and more all for $1/month!
Twitter ▶ / daryltalksgames
Twitch ▶ / daryltalksgames
DTG Intro motion graphic by Icaro, if you’d like to hire him for a Twitch overlay/motion design just like this one, hit him up here! ▶ / icarogabriel17
It's finished now! Here are the final results:
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
The Backlog stream: • The Backlog Stream (Se...
I genuinely love The Ridge (0:00​)
"The Jerry Incident" (1:41)
How the backlog stresses us (6:13)
My master plan (9:42)
How to counter the Zeigarnik Effect (13:19)
"Man" (17:35)
Crash and learn (22:33)
WE'RE STILL ON BABY (25:03​)
The feast begins (28:03)
Thank you and goodnight (29:48)
▶Games Shown
Returnal (2021)
What Remains of Edith Finch (2017)
Eastward (2021)
Ghost of Tsushima (2020)
Cyber Shadow (2020)
God of War (2018)
Hollow Knight (2017)
Fire Emblem: Three Houses (2019)
ANNO: Mutationem (2022)
Animal Crossing: New Horizons (2020)
Elden Ring (2022)
Tunic (2022)
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015)
Unsighted (2021)
Persona 5: Royal (2019)
Baba Is You (2019)
Final Fantasy VII Remake (2020)
Unbeatable (2021)
Metroid Dread (2021)
The Callisto Protocol (2022)
Harvestella (2022)
Inscryption (2021)
Bayonetta 3 (2022)
Octopath Traveler (2018)
Pode (2018)
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (2006)
Helltaker (2020)
NieR:Automata (2017)
Final Fantasy X (2001)
Celeste (2018)
Super Mario Odyssey (2017)
Guilty Gear Strive (2021)
Death's Door (2021)
Haven (2021)
Minecraft (2009)
Xenoblade Chronicles (2010)
Super Smash Bros: Ultimate (2018)
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (2023)
Pokémon Scarlet (2022)
God of War Ragnarök (2022)
Stellar Blade (2023)
Fire Emblem Engage (2023)
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII REUNION (2023)
Somerville (2022)
Florence (2018)
Dark Souls (2011)
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (2019)
Soma (2015)
Earthbound (1994)
Fez (2012)
Ghostwire: Tokyo (2022)
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy (2021)
Devil May Cry 5 (2019)
Hollow Knight: Silksong (lmao)
Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018)
Shadow of the Colossus (2005)
Before Your Eyes (2021)
Gris (2018)
Final Fantasy XIII (2009)
Astral Chain (2019)
Sifu (2022)
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (2022)
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (2018)
Xenoblade Chronicles (2010)
The Last of Us (2013)
Firewatch (2016)
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim (2019)
Paper Mario (2000)
Resident Evil 4 (2005)
Prey (2017)
▶Media/Clips/Considerations:
• Approaching The Backlog
▶Music Sources (in Order):
Pilotwings Resort OST - Staff Roll
Kirby Air Ride OST - (Stadium) Air Glider
God Hand OST - Sultry Night
Melty Blood: Type Lumina OST - Actions in the Lower World
Mewmore x Snivys // Route 4 (Pokémon Red & Blue Remix)
( • Mewmore x Snivys // Ro... )
Melty Blood: Type Lumina OST - Before the Dawn
Gran Turismo 5 OST - Journey To The One
CYBERPUNK: EDGERUNNERS OST | Rat Boy & IBDY - Who's Ready for Tomorrow (Instrumental)
Kirby Air Ride OST - City Backside
Persona 5 ▸ Price (Curly Remix)
( • Persona 5 ▸ Price (Cur... )
Demon Souls OST - Character Creation (Souls of Mist)
Hyrule Temple (Legend of Zelda / Smash Bros) ▸ Tee Lopes Remix
( • Hyrule Temple (Legend ... )
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 OST - Where We Used To Be
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 OST - Elysium in the Dream
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door OST - Jabbies Battle
Final Fantasy X OST - Wandering Flame
TEKKEN 7 OST - Character Customization Theme
TOKYO ROSE - Tokyo Burnout
( • Tokyo Burnout )
Mewmore // Battle! Marnie (Pokémon Sword & Shield Remix)
( • Mewmore // Battle! Mar... )
Pokémon Colosseum OST - Realgam Tower Theme
▶Research Articles Cited
docs.google.com/document/d/1F...

[@DarylTalksGames]

You can find PART 2 here! - kzbin.info/www/bejne/eKbWq4aLfsSkeLssi=PAbVT3rbGkdmnWTU

[@CallumBrownA]

I've just come back here after watching your Backlog Part 2. Thank you for taking us along on this journey you made! You inspired me (and I imagine many others) to tackle their backlogs across this year too; and I've gained so many new and fantastic experiences I wouldn't have otherwise. Thank you for putting out yet another certified "Man" video out there.

[@casedistorted]

Where this guy come from

[@thepearled0120]

Ah, yes, this seems like a very helpful video for someone dealing with a cluttered backlog like me. I’ll be sure to add it to my Watch Later playlist so I can go through it when I’m in the right mood.

[@TedWilder]

This actually made me wanna just clear the list entirely

[@tSunrise_]

So, the backlog video got added to your backlog ? lol

[@based9671]

Ayo, pearled, is that you from personality database? That’s crazy😂

[@thepearled0120]

@@based9671 Oh wow. Yep, it is. Who are you on PDB?

[@based9671]

@@thepearled0120 oh I’m also “_Based_”, the guy with the “thank god for not making me British” sonic background😂

[@monkeeee]

As a child you wish for an unlimited amount of games As an adult you dread having an unlimited amount of games

[@utisti4976]

Yup.

[@zakay_]

as a child, you choose unlimited games, but no games as an adult, you choose unlimited bacon, UNLIMITED BACON, but no games

[@crowwithashortcake]

cant relate. maybe because im so picky but i usually struggle with not being able to find games im interested in period. the longest my backlog has been has been maybe like 3 games tops.

[@Robyamdam]

r/Im14andthisisdeep

[@tomgl6684]

Being an adult (partly!) means hating or stopping yourself from doing the things you wish you could do as a kid. See also: eating ridiculous amounts of sugar or other carb rich foods.

[@joshuaspruett]

It's like finally finishing a series you've been watching for months or finishing a long book you liked a lot. You get that same kick of dopamine you get when you finally get that platinum trophy, but then the feeling is quickly replaced by... "What now?"

[@crossdaboss8914]

Know this feeling exspecially that game you been wanting to get to for a long time lives up to the hype it's amazing But soul crushing when you don't like it

[@anarchistjesus7354]

I think that's why I stopped caring as much, and see these games more as something to pick up when I'm in the mood for that type of game. I'm weirdly the opposite with books, as I am with games. I hate not having a stack of books I haven't read. I want there to be some waiting for me. The more I think about what it'd be like if I actually finished my backlog, the more I think I maybe don't want to.

[@loganadams1205]

I never finish books, i hate seeing the end. At least if I leave it right before it ends the story doesn't have to end in my mind

[@leilaniaileenlove]

Exactly dont want to finish cuz then you feel empty

[@jacktaylor6253]

I finished Vampire Survivors in 53 hours and all of its 196 achievements, then sat down and stared at a wall wondering how i'd find a new game (ignoring my 100+ game backlog)

[@kitsunetailsx9]

Honestly having a backlog comforts me. It makes me feel like there is still so much more to experience than a single lifetime can accomplish so by seeing what is my limits keeps me going.

[@MuteMusicalMorgan]

"If we aren't careful, that ambition to live our best life can sour and turn into an apprehension and a fear that we aren't doing enough" Boy did that hit me hard.

[@SariusxX]

I feel like this whole video is actually secretly life advice. It makes me wanna get my shit together.

[@justabeholder4753]

​@@SariusxX secretly? It is overt.

[@MexicanUppercuts]

That feeling that Etika had when he finished Xenoblade 2 is just….the reason I love gaming. That feeling of catharsis just engulfs you. You feel so satisfied that you finished your journey, but you feel sad that it’s over. Great video and RIP to a legend.

[@whatwhatyep]

That sadness is something I feel after every good book or film ends as well.

[@Simplemalk]

RIP indeed 😇😇😇

[@TheWeirdaholic]

Exactly! To me, it's one of the qualifiers that turn any game into a good game. Feeling this kind of sadness, when the credits roll. Every game that made me cry at the end, are those special ones, that I hold in high regards, even if they are filled to the brim with various problems. Games that resonate with me in a particular way.

[@deadstroyer952]

i definitely felt that when i finished sunless skies

[@shivalah]

Don't know who Etika is. I was like "If he reacted like that, what will happen if he finishes Xenoblade Chronicles 3?" "He's dead." welp.

[@TehTeh911]

Hearing the whole "making a plan takes the thing off your mind" thing as a reason to make plans is so strange to me as someone with adhd because for some of us, since adhd is different for everyone, it can result in killing any momentum we manage to get for doing the thing by giving our brains the dopamine reward early. Once the plan is made and the task is in the 'not now' bin, the chances of it not coming out of the bin are frustratingly high.

[@Eaode]

yeah i feel this so hard. I sometimes deliberately _dont_ tell my friends about a cool idea i have for a story I'm working on, for example, because once I've gushed about it the desire to actualize it goes down by about 50%

[@ZyklonBeast12]

​@@Eaodeholy shit both of these comments are so accurate

[@thatoneguyyouthinkshouldbe2431]

Built opposite

[@pgpleagueraces]

Yeah, I got to the part of the video and I was jumpscared by the conclusion. I heard "the guilt of not getting it done was lifted" and I was thinking, so it won't get done then?

[@beans2222]

I'm ADHD and I'm the opposite, I will not do a task that isn't on a list (even if I write it down after I completed it) and writing down a list helps to let my mind wander and not have to think about what I have to do, I just pick one from the list when I'm in "deep clean everything for 5 hours" mode

[@kiserianspence5621]

I am stupidly excited for the follow up to this (especially since he privated the list). I recently had a crisis because I have a crazy backlog but I am slowly working through it before Spider-Man. So I'm excited to see what your conclusions are!

[@3dsmaster537]

same. I ironically put this in my 'watch later' playlist and finally got back around to it. Can't wait to see part 2

[@manvslife271]

"It's ok to not finish games" Exactly. A lot of people see games as "content to be consumed" instead of "experience to be had" so when "you haven't consumed all the content", it makes you feel bad because of your time/money investment.

[@shawninverted8551]

I feel justified in my position with games for the first time ever lol. I get flack from friends so often about my incompletion of a million different games. But if I had the time of my life for dozens of hours and then dropped it forever without completing it--that's not a regret. I got my money's worth in my eyes. The fact that I could have more of that type of content isn't relevant if I had my fill. It's like gorging yourself at a buffet for the sake of it. Once I've had all I want, sure, I might push it a little bit, but I don't want to leave feeling like shit just because I spent money. I still want to leave with a good experience.

[@goldmemberpb]

For me, I always try to beat a game fully if I start playing one for decently long amount of time. I am sampled loads of games recently thanks to having disposable income but I never count those as having fulfilling experience. Sampled BoTW for 5 hours back in 2018 but that doesn't really count as fulfilling. I do intend to play the game to completion in the future. Even if the game turns out to be disappointing ( which does not happen often), it only feels right to complete it and have that thought that I finished it for the complete experience.

[@nigoulenoblehiboux9812]

I usually don't feel like I have experienced enough until I truly finish a game. I might stop without finishing the extra challenges or collecting all collectables if there's no dialogue and/or story content with it but if there's even a few lines of dialogue I want to see them and "complete" my experience

[@goldmemberpb]

@@nigoulenoblehiboux9812 yeah, i am very much a completionist. Even though i fully finished something like Eacha and logy, it has a ng plus you can do because of its dual protags system. Still have to do that to fully beat it.

[@LoverofTragedy]

For me, it depends on the game. A game like Mother 3, Outer Wilds, or Rain World need to be completed for the full message of the game to be told. The impact of all those games' endings are insane on somebody, but only if they finish the game. Those games have some of the best endings of any game I've heard of, but for other games, completion for sure isn't necessary. Open world games don't need to be scanned completely, and rpgs don't need to be 100%-ed to be enjoyed.

[@Dark_Peace]

It's true for my collège projects, making a plan means having a better idea of how long it's gonna take. When reading the assignement I feel "this is gonna take like 30h" but once I started to dive deeper and plan then I'm "ok, actually, it'd be more like 15h" and instantly I feel like I've made 15h of progress and I can go take a break.

[@rabidspatula1013]

"Begin - to begin is half the work, let half still remain; again begin this, and thou wilt have finished." Marcus Aurelius

[@Dark_Peace]

@@rabidspatula1013 so wise

[@emilio_mlx]

We must be different, neither at the beginning nor when I'm already half done do I have any idea how much longer it will take or how much time I have already put into it

[@jtr587]

yeah and then that relief lets me justify putting the task away until it is urgently due😅

[@steveo1060]

College is just spelt college

[@Ginuilf]

man.... looking midway, I reflected on not only my game backlog, but my life backlog. When you showed a life list at 22:08 and it said "Finish college", I cried. I am almost through my B.A. degree in childhood psychology and education. I started my study ten years ago, but I still have not finished it. The only thing missing is the minor thesis. But everytime I try to start, I choke in the middle of it. I close down. I lock myself out and get depressed. I know I need to talk to someone first about my inner struggles before I continue the thesis, because there is seriously something that makes me stop. Maybe it is that felling of emptiness that makes me choke. The degree is important to me too, I have struggled mentally, but I continued. So this is important to me. maybe that is why I choke.

[@luxvard9849]

you'll be able to do it you just have to keep trying

[@LaRavachole]

You're gonna make it, be sure of it! You can definitively do it.

[@amyb2589]

You could try to set yourself a deadline? I've just finished university myself (4 year degree, so serious props for being at it for 10 I was already losing my mind) and I don't think I would have gotten my stuff done without a time to do it by. What age do you definitively want your degree finished by? Something less than perfect cobbled together to get it done might be more important than that endless feeling of unfinished work - the relief and comparative relaxation afterwards is worth it, I promise!

[@rannivvitch]

With that amount of determination you have that degree in the bag, you just need to find a way to start believing in yourself

[@A2daM2daZ]

I think a lot of my backlog stress (and possibly other's) come from assigning meanings to each game that make ignoring them feel heavier. I bought a few games on sale, because I thought they were a good deal, and if I don't play them, I'm wasting money. There are games I want to play because they are the cultural zeitgeist, and if I don't play, not only will I not be able to join the gaming conversation with others, but I just won't be a "real" gamer. There are games I felt motivated to play because friends played them with me, or I had a small streaming audience that was into the niche selection, so if I STOP playing those games, I won't have an audience anymore, or reasons to hang out with my friends. The thing is, all those reasons are created. All meaning is assigned. If I stop looking at the consequence of not playing a game as some moral failure, and rather, that I just don't play it, it does alleviate a ton of pressure. To do that I've been focusing more on my journey around the games. I've taken interest in HOW I found them, how I play them, why I'm playing them, etc. Sometimes, the answers I get to those questions, when I'm not contriving them, are really motivating. It might be taking too long to get to my backlog because I'm dawdling in another game. But why am I doing that? Well them music in one area is relaxing, and so instead of moving onto other tasks, I'll idle there for a while so I can rest. Maybe I actually take a nap, or clean a dish, or answer a difficult email. I'm not playing, but I'm experiencing the game in a satisfying way. I think we'll never truly escape the backlog guilt, as it has ways of mutating and coming back to you even after you've done all the work of avoiding it. But the moments it does escape you, pay attention to the joy you're experiencing from playing. After all that should be the most important reason we play; to enjoy.

[@grandsome1]

I think part of the anxiety as an adult is that for many of us when we were kids we didn't have easy access to a ton of video games and had to beat finish every game we had for better or worse. EDIT: Also if you want to reduce your backlog, reduce the difficulty of individual games if you're stuck halfway.

[@shiny460]

For me it's that I only ever got video games for Christmas and it was like 1-2. When I got my own money I overcorrected and started buying everything I'm interested in.

[@Fruz]

huh this kinda opens my eyes, i remember seeing other people having so many games while i had like 10, and while i was fine with that i did have hundreds or even thousands of hours on those games and i'd do my best to 100% them. so up until this year i had been kind of obsessed with either 100% them or at least getting as close as i could luckily i ended up realising that it wasn't worth it when some of these achievements and side quests were just not fun and i could have more fun playing something else lol

[@joecfcfantastic]

Yeah when you're a kid you don't have much money, so you have all the time in the world to play the same games over and over!

[@ghostofmoredishesmorebitch1507]

That and games beind digital, not the same as driving 20 mins to go get a game

[@matthewjalovick]

But I can’t reduce Sekiro’s difficulty 😭

[@timeforgamesYT]

Me: I should do something about that backlog, but there's simply not enough time! Also me: A 30-minute video about someone else's backlog struggles? I'll watch all of it!

[@eddie788]

😂

[@hasanrabbe4020]

🤣🤣

[@teknastyk]

tbh this was one of the best ones for me at least. play what u want to play. cut it down one by one. eventualy ull finish those that u want to be finished - like he said.

[@Disvoidal]

I still remember how I felt when I saw the City of Tears text splash across the screen in Hollow Knight for the first time and for some reason just knowing that it was called that and like the fact that there was an entire city under everything I'd already seen was so mindboggling and really emotionally impactful for some reason. I never completed Hollow Knight but I think playing it was worth it just for that moment.

[@Azure9577]

Same here, i am stuck on the mantis king in the queen's garden

[@chaoticglitched]

@@Azure9577 that's actually optional, you don't have to do that boss, it's only required for the true ending

[@Azure9577]

@@chaoticglitched i WANT the true ending

[@chaoticglitched]

​@@Azure9577 Okay, you should get the sharp shadow charm in deepnest then. The larger shadow dash gives you a larger window to dodge certain attacks, AND it does damage when you dash through enemies. It made the fight a lot easier for me, though it is extremely situational and shouldn't ever be used except for the Traitor Lord and the Watcher Knights (and d-dark is much better for the watcher knights anyway, as it accomplishes the same thing with i-frames and does so much more damage with an AOE)

[@Azure9577]

@@chaoticglitched the main problem i am having is that i run out of magic, and getting it back after respawning is pain

[@Draskinn]

The end credits of Res Evil 4 hit hard. The quite drawings of the villagers living their normal lives before becoming the monsters you spend the whole game killing just...hit me. That was an emotional sucker punch right at the end.

[@kth333]

Thanks for the spoiler

[@ltsSouI]

​@user-yt6my8sd5n what did you honestly expect in a comment section like this?

[@Voingous]

@@kth333 It's not really a spoiler The title of the game is stated before the "spoiler" Resident Evil 4 is 19 fucking years old

[@kenpierce1464]

Something else that will save you from anxiety is not buying every game you want, but carefully planning out which one you really want to play and which one feels more like a obligation. Loads of titles I'm able to cross out without feeling guilty skipping them, for now. If it really is a good game, than it still will be when you find yourself in a drought or when it inevitably goes on sale.

[@ErrorVector]

This is the way. When you’re looking for something to play next, there’s always something on sale. Or, if it’s too late and you own a bunch of games you haven’t touched, well, great news, those games are on sale for $0. You still don’t HAVE to “buy” (read: play) them even at that price.

[@Crustee0]

And also skipping the free stuff that doesnt really interest you. I think most of the free games i got is left in the log, only played the ones that piqued my interest. Like moonlighter, and control altho i dropped it for now cause my gpu isnt strong enough to play at enjoyable fps.

[@satunbreeze]

Omg. So many games feel like an obligation. This just connected pieces

[@Xiosoranox]

This. I've made it a rule to stop buying games until I get a certain amount of the backlog done. It's also a good idea to figure out what's making you impulse buy.

[@friendlyplayer92]

Also remember: old titles are only going to be CHEAPER as time goes on. Now RDR2 is only 20€ in steam but i dont think i still got the time and place to play it

[@thinkabout42]

Honestly, I learned to accept that I'd rather have my backlog outlive me. Moreover, I made an additional extra torture rule about writing reviews about every single title experienced. 👍 A personal one, one no one but me would read. Just the process itself forced me to look into my experiences deeper and that created longer lasting memories. Which feels satisfying in a way.

[@alenezi989a3]

That's a really cool idea, writing a personal review of every game I finish will help understand what you like and don't like about the game and solidify your feelings towards it.

[@Walamonga1313]

You should try posting such reviews on more obscure sites like HowLongToBeat. I find that site fascinating since you can document basically everything, how long it took you, how long you played multiplayer, if your run was story/story+extras/completionist, give your own review score, post annotations, post reviews. And it won't directly link yo your steam profile for example, which is where I would post most of my reviews

[@luisapaza317]

Owww that's great

[@OAndreDrumond]

That's really cool bro.

[@KittensLeftFoot]

Great Idea, I'm going to start doing that personal review myself.

[@Lunartic128]

I'm making slow progress in my backlog compared to you, and mine is quite a bit longer because I can't get enough of those Steam sales, but having it all listed and organized has motivated me to actually play and finish the games in my library. This is great. Thank you so much.

[@Slit-throat]

For me, I think the "you don't have to finish everything you play" sentiment is huge. My backlog has a section of "I have to go back and finish this" games

[@huh5950]

I love having a long backlog because it's a goof excuse to not spend all my money on new games and to me it's EXTREMELY important to have something to look forward to

[@rensten4893]

And then... You spend money anyway. 😆

[@KidNamedDenji]

This goes for me too. I like having the thought that a banger certainly awaits me in the future.

[@tristenmagnoni7097]

This has been me especially recently. I've only been keeping an eye on future games that I almost absolutely know I will like. Especially with what the industry keeps trying to pull.

[@brandonmalone1893]

Well that doesn't work...you wouldn't have a backlog if you weren't already spending money on games and not finishing the ones you already bought...so that makes absolutely no sense

[@OGTyInfinite]

yeah i wish it worked like this for me. I'll play a few hours of a game and then itll go in the backlog. And I never want to replay it and finish it because I already lost the "first time" experience. ugh

[@TheWorstPartyMember]

I haven't finished the video yet but I'd like to just put this out there: Years ago I threw my pride away and just started using walkthroughs, start to finish, for the entire game, not just when I'm stuck. Especially helpful for things like old JRPGs that tend to have a ton of missable content. It's actually very, very relaxing to sit down, guide open...and just go. I know that even if I only play for an hour, it'll be an hour of solid progress and not an hour of getting lost or stumped on a puzzle. I still play some games without, but using guides helps me actually finish games and I recommend it to anyone. It feels sooo good to just tear through a series you'd been meaning to get around to.

[@CheeseyHR]

Glad I’m not the only one. Sometimes I just wanna see what a game has to offer, but I don’t have the time to sit down and wander around for hours on end. Ofc like you said, Still enjoy some games completely blind, and I usually have a great time, but sometimes I just want a bit of easy entertainment

[@TheWorstPartyMember]

@@CheeseyHR Exactly! Often what ends up happening for me is I'll use a guide to binge a series I've been meaning to get into, so by the time I'm caught up I can play any new entries blind. Win-win!

[@MrNH718]

😡😡😡😡

[@rogelpinguz3743]

Cheers man, personally I can't be bothered to waste time "looking" for stuff in a game.. so after a couple tries I don't have a problem with using a walkthrough for some types of games. Even if I only use them sometimes, I see no shame in using walkthroughs and playing games the way you feel is more fun.

[@danielterra4773]

the next step is just straightfoward watching no-comment gameplays on youtube, specially when it comes to games you'd watch a friend play without bothering to have the controller on your own hands.

[@MrJackPrior]

daryl talks games: * In depth discussion figuring out which game to play and why and in what order to achieve maximum efficiency for highest personal gratification * backseat gamer: “omg just play a game”

[@NullVoid-rm7jm]

What helped me was, in a moment of absolute boredom, I downloaded a game called Lost Judgement even though I didn't feel like playing anything and I forced myself to start it up cause I just had nothing else to do, and I really got into it and it reignited my interest in video games. I notice that before I start up any game, 90% of the time I just don't feel like playing it, but once I start, I get into it and lose track of time

[@vemearts3394]

Honestly Daryl, everything you said about Etika and Xenoblade 2, and how we are searching for that gem in our backlog relates so much to me. I remember coming across Etika’s stream of Xenoblade 2 and I remember watching him cry as the ending played. And it was at that moment that I wanted to try out Xenoblade 2 and see what the game was like for myself. I can tell you one thing, I felt exactly the same as Etika did at the end, I definitely feel like every game I’ve been playing after has been searching for that same feeling I felt finishing Xenoblade 2’s story.

[@Rman1228]

I feel the same way 🥹

[@Gown1227]

Xenoblade 3 (among others) did that for me

[@mizukane7247]

Games like the xeno games are so special. It's such a hard to find the feeling of true closure, and I kind of feel like thats what an ending like that gives me. Being on the title screen with hundreds of hours of gameplay's thoughts running through my head. So special. Have you gotten round to playing 3 yet?

[@nonsmarts660]

xenoblade 2 is nothing short of a masterpiece (so is 1 and I'm sure I'll feel the same about 3 once I finish it) and it was one of the first 2 "real" jrpgs I ever played (alongside the world ends with you). couldn't be happier that this series is finally gaining more recognition

[@Kuuribro]

Xenoblade 2 changed my life. That feeling at the end of the credits, it hit me at 3 am in total solitude in my apartment and I just became lethargic for 2 weeks, people at my job had to take me aside and talk me through it. I didnt get to join for Etikas stream series, but that feeling at the end is what makes me want to share my own runs through the rest of the games. Its what got me to stream Torna and 3, just so I could, honestly, have somebody else to talk to at the end so I didnt have to be alone with that feeling again.

[@Play_Dreams]

Something that has helped me was to stop being a completionist. I used to 100% every game I played, even games I didn't end up liking very much. Now I will play a game until I get bored, then I move on. Also I limit the amount of multiplayer/live service games I play

[@wakkjobbwizard]

i am still addicted to 100%ing games. you make a good point just drop a game when you don’t feel like playing it anymore i’m bad about that. literally 100%ed Lords of the Fallen 😔.

[@jonahabenhaim1223]

Only 100% Games if you really REALLY ENJOY them.

[@alfredoamendez4299]

The only live service games i play are Warframe and Guild Wars 2, and i am fully ok with that.

[@ltb1345]

I'm glad I don't like or play many multiplayer games, because if I liked them I'd probably get addicted to them.

[@Kaiji...]

Limiting / removing live service (or MMO) games is a genuine good decision for anyone. Playing the same thing for 5000 hours does not beat completing 50+ games, you're wasting your time. It obviously depends on the person though, I'm sure some guy with 20,000 hours in WoW still loves every second of it & some people don't have money to pick-up multiple games too.

[@ElenaBluenette]

As a very anxious person, I'm surprised and delighted to discover that for once, there is something that actually does not cause anxiety for me. The backlog to me is actually exciting, comforting: I know I have so much to look forward to, and I know I can't make a "wrong" choice - I want to play all of it, after all! However, as a spreadsheet lover, after seeing this video, I really want to make a spreadsheet of my own like this! My only concern is that it would have the opposite effect - that creating the list and measuring how much time it would take, would actually make me feel stressed out and anxious instead of excited, since the backlog initially doesn't cause me any anxiety. I don't know if research has been done on this, but just in case anyone there's anyone else in the percentage of gamers who aren't stressed out by their backlog who made a spreadsheet like this: what happened? Did it make you feel better or worse? Thanks for the incredible video!

[@samalmond2321]

7mins 20secs was the most evil brilliant thing anyone has ever done in a yt video.

[@benthetakodachi8445]

Persona 3 portable hit me hardest with "that quiet during the credits" moment. life changed so much between starting and actually finishing it. I moved house, I finished my college course. it felt like the end of an era, which helped it hit that much harder. I still remember where I was when it ended. It getting unintentionally delayed helped it be that much more memorable. It majorly influenced how I played p5 even. And I remember letting it sit. I didn't try to do anything else. I just sat there thinking about it.

[@Kaiji...]

I just bought P5 Strikers & Royal, they'll probably be on the backlog for a long time... but I hope I can move away from addictive multiplayer FPS games and experience the 400+ games on my backlog properly one day.

[@Gracyn1102]

P3 is such a special game. It took me months to beat it, mostly bc life forced me to put it down a few times. But once I beat it…man, I’ll never forget how bittersweet of a feeling it left me. I was just as proud of myself as I was heartbroken. That ending pulls no punches, and I wasn’t near ready to say goodbye. Glad to hear you enjoyed it :)

[@SpinningTurtle66]

I can’t wait for when I find the time to play it. Persona 4 and 5 were such meaningful games to me, and I’m certain 3 will be the same.

[@johncarlmusic]

Oh, man. Similar story here. I finished that game before I finish my high school and that ending and the game is simply my favorite of all time, I had to take my time processing everything at that time!

[@Kuuribro]

Persona 3 is *legendary* for its ending so this does not surprise me

[@ethanwatercup]

WE LOVE NOT FINISHING GAMES

[@thenegativoneify]

LIES

[@Level_Eleven]

I don’t finish games that aren’t worth finishing. Snake Pass, Darkest Dungeon, Unraveled… sometimes you’re just satisfied with the experience before it’s over. And see no need to ever return.

[@nigoulenoblehiboux9812]

I do not.

[@platqr]

heck ye!!

[@ahmedaffiliate5769]

I do not finish

[@stupidflandrs4856]

This video has been bouncing in and out of my reccs nonstop since it came out, and today I learned that's for a really good reason. You took a lot of the stuff I've been thinking about with my game and anime backlogs, spelled it all out, gave sensible explanations for it, and made an honest attempt to help with it. I even got emotional at a couple points because it feels like you just GET it, you know what it's like to be choice paralyzed and to just wallow in thinking about all the fun you haven't had yet instead of actually having some of it. I'm gonna try something along the lines of your method and see if it gets me going a bit more. Thanks so much for making this, it sounds like part 2 is only a couple weeks away and I'll be right there at day 1 this time!

[@Caeruleus_CCXVI]

Video games use to be a very large part of my life, during the pandemic I started to tackle my physical backlog that spanned 100's of games over sever systems, It was now or never. I ended up playing some of my favorite games of all time, but in that time I realized I enjoyed either A. The story or B. Playing with people, I then realized that I enjoyed the storys from Reading or watching shows more than most games. And I preferred playing games in person once the pandemic calmed down in the form of Card games. During lock down I ended up selling my entire collection of games to both make room but also pay some bills. Since then Baulders Gate 3 launched, and is probably the best game I have ever played. I have not finished it, and I dont think I ever will. Watching this made that all come back and I have not regretted it. Ironically I ended up making a spread sheet in a very similar fashion to this, for everything I wanted to watch, as that is a far more daunting task then video games ever were.

[@damienmichiels4119]

Man for me Gris is the game that hits hard. When I was around 13 someane very dear to me took their own life, and in an emotionally distant family I only had myself to comfort me, it was never talked about and I had carried that grief with me everywhere, never really processing it. 9 years later I heard about this small indie game that looked beatiful and supposedly had an story about loss which was told symbolicly. So I played it, and with every chapter my hearth sank lower and lower in my chest. Near the end when the game kind of concludes I could barely make out the screen through the tears. The game was finished and it really made me think about the person I lost back then. I started to proces everything overtime and eventually have gotten to terms with it. She used to take me out to nature all the time, and ever since I've played Gris I've started to refind my connection with nature. I go on walks through the forest, have refound my facination with life and many many more things that I have inherited from her in my youth. In that way she lives on within me, just like she does within everybody else who has lost her. Playing Gris really opened me up to re-evaluating my view on life and death, and in the end I am more at ease and happy for it. Games like that is what gives me hope not all is lost in the gaming industry

[@Woupsme]

It's insane that such a small gem in the vast sea of entertainment can make one reflect on life that much. Celeste was heartwarming to me. And GoW 2018 and Ragnarok actually made me shed a tear after having a son on my own reflecting on Kratos's decisions

[@cheeseboi588]

Rip to your sister

[@FaerieDust]

Video games are just like any other form of storytelling in a way. They can be completely basic, just pure entertainment with no more substance, and they can be the kind of story that resonates deeply with your soul and hits at the very core of you. One way they're so different from almost all other forms of storytelling is how interactive they are - you're not just passively observing, you're actively taking part in how the story gets told. That makes video games a potentially extremely impactful tool, even more so than other forms of storytelling. Games that take full advantage of that can be absolutely mind-blowing.

[@alien_cult]

This comment made me tear up... thank you for sharing a piece of your story. I'm so glad you're healing now

[@nusoul]

Thanks for sharing, Before Your Eyes was very recently a game that evoked a similar reaction out of me, and the theme of the game still sits deeply within my soul.

[@moogamooga2100]

I’ve felt unspoken pressure from myself to play the games I bought on a whim but don’t actually want to play anymore. This was actually really helpful for me.

[@The8bitbeard]

I made a similar spreadsheet for my backlog and discovered that even if I were to quit my job today and do nothing but play games for 12 hours a day, I don't have enough years of life assuming average life expectancy to finish it. That's not even 100% completion, just start to credits.

[@shefalichow7917]

I guarantee there a bunch of games on that list that you don't really want to finish, bought on a whim, or won't even like enough to play more than an hour or two. I suggest you start cutting away at those.

[@joshswenson2576]

Yes! Just because you don't roll credits on a game doesn't mean you didn't enjoy your time with it. Great video. I subscribed after seeing how deep you get in these subjects. I love these questions you explore! In my opinion, finishing the backlog would not completely alleviate our game-related stress. I think at least part of that is what the minimalism movement proposes: that the things we own inevitably add "clutter" to our minds. I think the more we own, the more we feel a sense of commitment to each item (physical or digital) which distracts us and mentally weighs us down. What is the alternative to owning games? I know it's unlikely that anyone could survive on Game Pass only (yes, it's crazy, I know), but it's an intriguing thought experiment!! I would love to know if that person would have a better quality of life.

[@user-ds8yj6hc6v]

This video could not have been better timed. I was just sitting around ashamed and staring at my steam library of untouched games. The guilt of game hoarding is eating me alive

[@Kaiji...]

I'm trying to pick out the most interesting ones and then checking gameplay videos to trim down the final choices until I find a good one.

[@Venomonomonom]

The worst part is I finally enough storage to avoid having to delete games. I still don't want to play anything. All games either suck or don't give me enjoyment anymore. Last game I enjoyed was Days Gone. Or actually Wolf Among Us recently.

[@mindymac_does_stuff]

As someone who loves data, spreadsheets, psychology, and video games I am absolutely here for this journey, I can't wait to hear your thoughts and feelings as this progresses. Wishing you all the magical feelings I got from playing BOW, Horizon zero dawn, and stardew. Seeking those feelings from games is my version of chasing the dragon 😆

[@dedecoVGMDJ]

I'm botw levels of addicted with persona 5 right now

[@freddyinferno2]

@@dedecoVGMDJ when I played P5 back in 2017 I was absolutely pulled in by it and had to finish it asap. Loved that game

[@dedecoVGMDJ]

@@freddyinferno2 40 hours in and the pacing never drops, its crazy

[@mindymac_does_stuff]

@@dedecoVGMDJ I have P5 from awhile back when PlayStation had it as a free game, sounds like it might be a perfect candidate for a Christmas break game 😍

[@MrVoland44]

HZD didnt aged well. im trying to complete it only to play HFW, and im really sad i didnt completed it in 2017. graphics are awesome, but gameplay... ugh. well, now im dropping it for 3rd time, but im not gonna touch delete button this time. cus i dont want to try HFW without completing HZD

[@solitarydreamer0]

15 minutes into this video and you've become my favorite KZbinr. Science based methods to optimize your gaming output is a wonderful thing to perceive

[@themetamancer7402]

Even if I finished my backlog, all that would replace it would be the thought, "well you havent beaten them all twice now have you? What about 100%ing them?"

[@personalgamedevyt9830]

Backlog of life is what I'm working on. I've wasted so much time, but I still have time to try to achieve what I want. What I learned is trying and failing is less painful than not trying at all. That there is no "perfect time" to do something other than do it now or as soon as your able. I have a lot of projects, goals, games I want to learn, play, and complete; and I have been doing so by living better. I've changed the way I consume media with adding exercise when I can, I listen to more audio based books while enjoying and moving, I'm keeping a daily list of achievable goals I want to do on my white board and adding to a new list each day of what I archived and be proud of the small stuff, of what I achieved is steps forward to completing my journey learning Spanish, to finishing my programming projects, to completing my backlog.

[@delta-a17]

Sounds like what I'm up to mate. I've recently started watching Hamza and I swear I've wasted 90% of the time I had growing up. Trying to correct for that now.

[@SteebThe]

The way that I've conquered my backlog is by trimming anything I'm even remotely uninterested in, being just, so picky. My backlog is now nine games long. Also, some days you wake up in the morning and just gotta take a bite out of it. It can just be 20 minutes, but that 20 minutes was an opportunity for a game to hook me.

[@LoneSwordsmanTheory]

Your description of what I want to feel at the end of a game (or any entertainment) is spot-on. I put 55 hours into Tales of Symphonia, and burst into my Dad's study, crying, unable to articulate how much it affected me for a good minute or so. I added a "wanted to like more than I did" category to Steam, and I felt myself destress as I filed games in there. You earned a sub, dude.

[@Ocean5ix]

I use my backlog simply as a way to avoid boredom when it comes to gaming. If there's games coming out that I want to play, great! If not, I'll always have a game to play next from my backlog. I feel like eventually finishing it would defeat it's purpose.

[@Drawoon]

I think *that feeling* is exactly why I like to complete games. It doesn't matter if the game I'm playing is the most annoying thing ever. When I'm done, it does leave me feeling like that, and it makes the whole experience retroactively better.

[@socaslimjim13]

Man Great video! So excited for the Nov 2023 edition! Appreciate the shout out, you've given me some great ideas for adding to my backlog tracking; I love the Stunner vs. Letdown idea! Have *yourself* a damn good one, Daryl

[@Abhishek_78]

How did you comment 2 hours ago, when the video was released 2 minutes ago ?

[@GhostBeebo]

@@Abhishek_78 Patreons can see the video 24 hours before everyone else

[@FedShillFred]

Do you have a google sheets link for that spreadsheet by chance? Please! 🙏🏽

[@GhostBeebo]

@@FedShillFred It's in the description, my dude

[@FedShillFred]

@@GhostBeebo That is Daryl’s backlog; not Jimmys. I’m looking for a spreadsheet that divides Metacritic score by time-to-beat

[@gurakaiauraichi9312]

So love this video, and the bits of psyche that goes into the backlog, I started clearing mine three months ago to help clear my mind, and so I can spend more time on my "infinite games". So it'll be fun to see your experience as well, and so far it's been making me much happier.

[@beardlessdragon]

the psychology bits in here were so fascinating to learn about. Over the last few months, I've formed a habit of making daily to-do lists to help organize what I need to and want to accomplish that week. And even just writing that stuff down has made me feel better mentally, even if I don't end up completing everything I wrote. Now I know why! I have a semi-organized backlog rn but I like the idea of putting it into a spreadsheet and gauging my actual interest in each one Thanks for sharing and I can't wait to see the follow-up!

[@Adam-tt8tz]

I think it's important to play some games when they come out. To play it at it's peak with the rest of the community and your friends, and share those "remember when X games dropped, it was so crazy" memories. Overall, great video. Thank you.

[@MatthewProctor]

I'm sure you're right, but I simply don't do this. And then the world moves on and the moment is over

[@ruffethereal1904]

@@MatthewProctor Zeitgeist. It's a moment in time that disappears like a ghost. It's exciting but getting stuck chasing after it can be terrible to get lost in.

[@specialk8168]

I used to love watching the X-games back in the day. So many cool moments.

[@UltraJay]

Also some games have big focus on online modes which servers become empty through game's lifetime, especially fighting games

[@itsaUSBline]

Outer Wilds is seriously probably the most a game has ever made me feel (Nier Automata being a very close second). An absolutely incredible experience if you can see it through to the end. Hell, just even hearing those two alternating notes on the banjo makes me tear up a little now. Also, Disco Elysium is perhaps a little niche, but it really does have probably the best writing in a game to date, and it's incredibly funny as well, that's something I don't see people stress enough, but the writing is often downright hilarious and extremely witty.

[@kevinbaconwasntinfootloose1742]

Playing outer wilds right now its awesome Soo far more people need to know about it

[@HUYI1]

i thought it was absolutely horrible, i deleted it after a couple of days and played a far better game, just wasn't for me

[@AninoNiKugi]

@@HUYI1 How much did you play though?

[@kyleward7417]

Disco Elysium is not even close to having one of the best writing in gaming, it's main story is generic plot hole infested mess with one of the worst ending a video game has ever seen, and side quests which are completely irrelevant, people like you are why others waste time on so called "niche" garbage like this, having funny dialogues isn't equal to good writing, and the best writing in any game ever belongs to Witcher 3, this game wishes in it's dreams it was half as good.

[@HUYI1]

@@AninoNiKugi a bit too long for my tastes, tried getting on the planets by flying that ship, had no clue what to do in the game was too weird for me so got fed up of it and deleted it, it's just not for me, soz

[@infamRedYoshi]

Thank you for making this video and keeping up with a backlog not only for games but also for other media! I've made my own template in the past and have abandoned it several times because keeping up with my backlog for all of these different things could get overwhelming at times. I think I'll use the majority of your template this time though. Thanks again for your outlook on everything and your hard work. Keep up with the videos and the backlog!

[@Anubiszz512zz]

Such an amazing channel, my favorite to be honest. Of all youtubers yours is the only one I find myself regularly thinking about and really counting the days until the next video. Every video is just so impeccably made there really isn't anything out there that compares. There's a boost I get just seeing a new one when it does come out. This video in particular I feel like could be referenced by scientists one day if video games are more actively studied. It's iconic and I was glad to be part of the journey. Hell I made my own Backlog as a result of this video and its become a constant source of entertainment and fascination to me. Rock the fuck on Darryl.

[@Serch_YB27]

I tend to have a "short" backlog in regards to videogames , but my book backlog is huuuge. I know they aren't the same but this video really motivated me to tackle it this year. Oh yeah and I'm excited to see the part 2 of this video next year!

[@jacobcain9008]

Saaaaaame. I really wanna read Wheel of Time and Discworld but I also have a lot of other stuff I wanna read.

[@RustyNips]

I have a farily large game back log I don't read but i also got a pretty big anime/TV show/movie backlog I should make acual lists at some point I sure it would help lol Movies would be kinda lower priority for me cause I just often don't get much invested in then as apposed to a series unless it's a trilogy or series of movies but there's so many everyone constantly talk about that I haven't seen and I wanna get out of the way at some point like lord of rings, stsrwars or Harry Potter

[@serenkeating7672]

One thing that I cannot recommend enough for reading a lot is what I refer to as a "custom audiobook" I've got ADHD, which means it's sometimes hard for me to focus on reading because words on a page/screen/e-ink display aren't always enough stimulation, no matter how much stimulation I know there'll be when I get stuck in. I use a text-to-speech app (android only, I'm afraid, iOS users are gonna have to look for something else) called @Voice to read aloud anything I have in a variety of formats, including PDFs (even the ones without selectable text, because Optical Character Recongition is a godsend), EPUBs, and even HTML files, which means you can use it on articles from webpages too. The app is amazing, you can change the colours & font to make it easier to read when you can physically do so, and it highlights the sentence it's reading so when my auditory processing issues act up, I can just check what was just said. That's really rare, though, since the TTS voices are specifically designed to be extremely clear. It also helps immensely that you can change the speed at which the TTS runs; my reading speed is extremely fast - last I checked it was over 700wpm - and without changing the speed to 1.65 I'd be frustrated as hell with the glacial pace, as I was briefly when I first started using the app. Now, I can "read" while I'm doing housework, and while I'm travelling, which greatly increases how quickly I can get through a book. It also means I can read when I normally wouldn't be able to focus on it, and also do any grinding I need in games, since a book is perfect to stop me from getting bored with it. Puzzle games work great for the reverse, when I need to be doing something else to keep me focused on the book - I'm particularly partial to picross. There are ads, but they're not particularly intrusive. There's a one-off purchase for a "premium license", which is only €5 and removes ads, as well as unlocking a couple of extra features. I don't actually really use any of them - I paid the €5 to support the developer since I love the app, and to remove the ads as a secondary.

[@sameerakhan7455]

​@@serenkeating7672 I'm going to be honest, this felt like an ad at first and I was like, "Did bots gets this good??" Though, seeing how long your you've been on this app and have commented a total of 3 times, I then actually read you whole reply. I must say, this must be a really helpful app for you. Seeing your (I'm sure) unintended review on it, it actually looks really good. I too have a list of books I want to get through one day and actually, this seems really helpful. Though I will say, I always listen to music when doing tasks. It's hard for me to put down (that's why I read books less often) and I don't know how I can not do something while listening to the audiobook. I don't know what this phenomenon is nor have I tested for any disorder or anything like that but, I think due to the option of raising up the speed, it'll be very helpful. Thanks for this

[@Mayhyn]

I actually made a book backlog list because of this video and I've so far read 50 books this year because it's easy to just grab another I know I'll like. Feels good ❤

[@callindykid]

One thing I like to do is to use HLTB to find average time for the games on my backlog. I then start from the shortest game first. The act of crossing off something off the "to do" list can feel good and provide momentum. So the earlier I get to cross something off the "to do" list, the earlier I feel that sense of accomplishment and get that short rush of endorphins. There are some psychological studies about "to do" lists and the act of crossing things off a list.

[@rossedwardmiller]

Snowball method. Works well for paying off debts too.

[@AdeelTariq0]

Same. But then minecraft or something like that calls me back 😆

[@Laros82]

@@spritsfal5088 Same dude haha

[@SSNB2]

All the talk about not finishing games and still being satisfied reminds me of something my mother recently told me. She said, "You're an adult now. You don't have to finish your food if you're full." You buy a meal to get full, not indulge until you're sick. This video made me realize that this idea can apply to most things in life. Of course, satisfaction can vary from person to person, so I'm not saying that doing everything you can possibly do in a game is wrong. I just personally decided to only do that for games that make me want to.

[@rxin._]

Etika’s passing was saddening to me but a part of me is happy that after all these years people still remember him , it shows the impact he’s had on so many people…rip Joycon Boys forever

[@BadMojo92x]

I had one of those moments when I finished Ori and the Blind Forest. Was like, "MAN... Wow" then added the sequel to my own endless backlog.

[@xelith6157]

If the first game wowed you, the second game is miles better, hope you get to play it soon :)

[@GrahamArnold64]

I hope you ended up getting to Will of the Wisps! Personally I'll always love Blind Forest more, but both games are elite.

[@Akizurius]

Making a list helps not because you feel like you accomplished something (maybe a bit) or because you feel like you started it. It is because the part of your brain that is responsible for thinking about "things to do" can finally rest and next time when you want to think about your backlog you don't have to focus really hard to remember all those games but you can just look at the list instead. Mental fatigue is a thing and parts of the brain responsible for specific tasks can get tired individually. This works with all the "to do" lists and sorting things on the list by priority helps a lot with combating the stress. On a side note all the games-as-a-service with constant daily quests, updates and time limited events are the biggest pitfall because they never feel "finished" and will take pretty much infinite amount of your time.

[@jakubslon9143]

I've been thinking about my backlog for a while now and lately I've started organising it. Most of the things you say really resonate with me. The feeling of someone dealing with similar stuff as I do is extremely comforting. Just had the need to let out my thoughts as only recently have I realised how important gaming is in my life.

[@haser456]

I had this video in my youtube backlog for months and seeing it now i know i'll have another video about this in a month.. So now i have something to look forward to next month!

[@orangepotato2112]

Finding out you're a fellow joyconboy made me feel awesome - Etika was a real one. Honestly, the reason why you're videos are so good is cause it feels personal to many things we all find interesting and entertaining in life. Videogames are crazy. Thank you for this feel good video :)

[@mnsmoofer9946]

Man Dude just explained my feelings at the end of every video. Like I went through a long journey filled with disappointments, enlightenments, and surprises. I am just blown away at the thought that all of existence, every person to ever live, every piece of art ever created, led up to me watching this video about one guy explaining the psychology of backlogs, and how to deal with them. Let's all take a moment to appreciate just how unexplainably amazing the experience of life is. That we have people like Daryl, who are an inspiration to everyone they touch. That we have, all that we have.

[@wrathtard1428]

Man. You mad a wonderful video. Thank you. I feel moved and motivated. You have found and distilled so much about gaming and how I feel about gaming and what I am looking for. Thank you.

[@guryurfur528]

This is an amazing video. A factor I didn't hear being talked about too much is how much wanting to play "already played" games might take a lot of time. This could be replaying gems, competitive games, etc. I know it was mentioned, but any more details about this factor would be intriguing to me.

[@radekseky4571]

It's not about the feeling of completing ALL the games, but games individually. Every time I actually play a game from my backlog I have an amazing time. And I want to have more of those moments individually.

[@delta-a17]

Finishing Halo 3, Assassin's Creeds 2 and 4, and NieR:Automata were the big ones for me. Those games were really moving.

[@Venomonomonom]

RDR1, Uncharted 1, AC Odyssey, Sly 2 & 3, and GTA IV for me.

[@delta-a17]

@@Venomonomonom Can't believe I forgot GTA V, I rushed through RDR1 to get it done before RDR2 came out and it robbed me of the true impact of the ending.

[@holdenarledge9672]

I started doing something very similar to this almost a year ago! I am going through every video game I have ever played, and I’m ranking them. There’s a lot of details as well, but that’s the main thing. I’ve done 96 games since June 2022, and I am hoping Tears of the Kingdom will be 100 on the list. What you’re doing is pretty similar; im really excited to see where the journey takes you! Definitely subscribing!

[@AlmostCoolGuys]

Interesting perspective on gaming. Backlogs are a new concept to me i just got into retro collecting. Trying to beat games young ME wanted to play is the PEAK of gaming for me. Most of my time is spent on Fighting games.

[@huh5950]

7:14 this was evil bro😭😭

[@timhaldane7588]

Man.... *stares pensively into the distance* I was not expecting the hard turn this video took. It hit me right in the core of why I've been so obsessed with gaming most of my life, and especially the last six years since the woman I loved died suddenly and unexpectedly. I had no idea about this streamer but, like the still emptiness that Kevin Conroy's passing left inside me, I get what that parasocial relationship meant to you. Cheers, man. Take care of yourself. Thanks for the video.

[@Midoridragon8]

i have this notebook where i have been adding games to for a while now. i have so much on my backlog that it went to the 2nd page...lately it's been causing me great stress just looking at the disorganized mess. I am really glad I found this video. i immediately started making an excel and i feel a lot better today

[@aussieboy4279]

I have a small backlog of video games (mainly ones that have come out in the past 3 years that I wasn’t able to play because I was too busy with school), but I have an absolutely massive backlog of Anime and Manga I’ve been meaning to get through and finish for ages and this video has really inspired me to finally make a start.

[@ade1174]

Any updates on clearing out your anime and manga backlog 9 months later?

[@NadirEatsRocks]

One thing I've found helpful is watching Let's Plays of certain backlog games. For some games, like Gris and Firewatch, a Let's Play is the perfect way to experience the game and get it off my list. For other games like Hollow Knight and Spiritfarer, I got one or two episodes into the Let's Play and decided I want to experience the game on my own time. It's a great way to help me decide which games I want to take the time to explore myself and which games I'm comfortable experiencing through someone else.

[@goldmemberpb]

VN games are usually a very LP centric experience because they are always very story heavy. Player choices matter very little in games like Danganrompa or Phoenix Wright. So, I have watched LPs of those and it feels like I played the games myself. Granted, I did actually buy all of the Phoenix Wright games because of the 3ds eshop sales. So, it goes to my eternal backlog.

[@b3ld4m]

@@goldmemberpb I do this too. I buy games that I enjoyed watching let's plays of; however, I like to think about it more as a token of appreciation for the creators rather than another entry in my backlog. If I had a great time watching a let's play then I find it reasonable to give up playing it myself, despite it being in my steam library.

[@seansmith338]

I would definitely agree, especially since watching a lets play is sometimes more efficient and accesible and just as good. This also is very true for linear and story driven games with little variability in how a game is played. Ex. Phoenix Wright or Firewatch as you said. In some cases too there are games I have watched some of my favorite youtubers play that are very dependent on the players choices but I still have fully enjoyed their experience. Ex. Jacksepticeye playing Detroit Become Human, Markiplier FNAF, Shadypenguin Pokemon and others. The person actually playing the game also has abig affect too (and sometimes there is no player and no commentary)

[@sci-figameguy8241]

17:23 I've never felt despair hit me like this before lmaoooo

[@Keaanu]

I just want to say that I appreciate that you put all the game and song information in the description. It made finding that Zelda II remix much easier. Also yes, I am only just now getting around to watching this video, as it has ironically been on my backlist of videos to watch for several months.

[@dwilly8408]

Just found your channel with this video and I feel like I’m looking in a mirror with this awesome introspection mixed with good comedy. Also love hearing about Etika and how many KZbinrs he’s inspired, God rest his soul. Can’t wait for next month now!

[@Random_dud31]

I didn't see the stream, but I am glad that 13 sentinels is on the list. More people need to play it. In my humble opinion, not only I consider it a science fiction masterpiece, but one of the greatest work in literature. The fact the game has 13 difference perspectives which can be play in any order while still being coherent with a satisfying ending still boggles my mind. This game doesn't seem possilbe on paper, yet it exists

[@Raph589]

hard agree, truly one of my favorite stories of all time through all mediums!

[@gegsdbdhdvdvd1271]

it's ok

[@Raymando]

Man it's been a joy to see you grow as a creative. Your writing, editing, humor, everything has gotten better. Keep creating Daryl!

[@HonchoHundo]

To me I took it as a sign of finally growing up honestly lol I only started getting backlogged about 5-6 years ago so I joined the army, learned a couple instruments and found a few new passions I've never been happier

[@samuelcolt7034]

Like everyone else, I'm incredibly excited for Outer Wilds, *finally.* That said, I have a couple theories on how this backlog plan might not pan out well, we'll see in a year if either hold true, though hopefully neither happens. 1. After chewing through the games listed with highest excitement, Daryl may begin to feel like he's working through the bottom of the barrel - feeling like he's forcing himself through games he's less excited about where if he'd played them naturally, he'd still be interested in them, because they've been mentally checked as 'not the exciting ones'. This could lead to a feeling of dread and monotony when playing games from the backlog. 2. The sheer volume of the backlog could easily lead to a feeling of needing to rush things. This was brought up, but I still feel like it's going to be a subconscious itch...this goes doubly so for games where a large part is simply existing, soaking in the ambience and enjoying the journey rather than focusing on getting to the destination. It may also result in a pressure to 'enjoy' a game that's been heavily hyped up.

[@TheMeatySurprise]

I don't know if I'm excited for him to play Outer Wilds in this context. I worry that the backlog looming in the background will ruin the experience.

[@zwein1817]

@@TheMeatySurprise It did for me, at least. Not really in an "unfixable" way, but I did go into outer wilds under the pretense of getting through my high expectation backlogs. I enjoyed it for what it was, I appreciated it, still somewhat experienced it, but that was my issue, I assumed that was the experience. I felt like I understood and experienced enough of the game to give a verdict and kind of move on to the next game in the backlog. It wasn't a negative verdict, but it was still really ignorant of me, because I later revisited it, during circumstances where I felt like I could just sit there and absorb however much of the game without wanting anything from it, without judging how much of my time its worth, because there was no looming backlog goal. Made me feel silly for my initial judgement of it all, it was a special experience to me that I hold in high regards. Something that I've failed to get while in the pressing situation of getting through a backlog.

[@pearlmcj]

God, I still remember my first moment of “man…” after finishing a game. I didn’t start seriously gaming until college-all my gaming experience before then was random movie games my parents got for my ds, and then playing whatever games my friend had on her wii and pc that she wanted to recommend 😅 I was just trying anything and everything that struck my fancy, and somehow that lead to me stumbling across persona 5. I decided to bite the bullet and play it in the winter of my senior year. By some weird stroke of luck, I started my playthrough the weekend before a very rare series of snow days at our university. I was already in the pits of depression and having a hard time getting out of the house, so the snow days gave me the perfect excuse to properly hole up and marathon play that game. I would never ever ever EVER recommend anyone play any Persona game like that lmfao I was deeply mentally ill 💀 but man…at a time when I was feeling so lonely and aimless and tired and like a failure, something about tagging along with this Scooby gang of kids just doing their best to make their way through this world with whatever resources they had really hit me. Yeah, the gameplay and music and graphics and aesthetic were incredible, but those kids and their stories were what really grabbed me. I can’t remember the last or following times that I’ve felt a grief over finishing something as strong as I did for that game. It was the middle of the night, I had all the lights off, sitting alone in my room in the dark, watching the credits roll with Lyn’s beautiful voice and the little montages of every character’s journey, and I just…sat there, with that bittersweet grief and joy. I think that was the moment I knew I’d just finished playing my favorite game of all time. (I think if Hades had had a concrete ending like that, I would’ve felt that same grief, but thankfully I can just keep chugging along after the epilogue hehe) That moment is truly something that’s so special. I can’t wait to experience something like that again. But man…the process to get there is so flipping daunting. Best of luck on this endeavor! I sincerely hope you find one, if not multiple, of those moments in your backlog! 💖

[@MolvouX]

Wow very well written I can actually imagine what that felt like for you. In the middle of the night, lights off and seeing those montages with some beautiful music in the background, wow

[@Im_Nier]

Such a lovely comment. I think for me so far God Of War is going to be the game you described, but for me.

[@BacklogBattle]

Me: “I wonder if someone has made anything about how our personalities determine what types of games we like.” (Finds DarylTalksGames video on the topic) Me: “Okaaay, how about advice on how to beat my backlog. Heck, I’d be surprised if someone talks about Death and Video Games!” (Finds this video) Me: “Damnit!” Kidding aside, I loved the videos and much of my own observations were supported in both videos! It’s so interesting to find out that we started around the same time too! Anyway, hope your backlog is getting in control!

[@pawematyka2817]

I've watched this video three times throuoght this year, and... man... it helped me so much. Thank you Daryl.

[@drewk3259]

When you switched from the psych aspect of games, I was a little worried. It's what really drew me to your channel. I looked forward to your videos because I knew I was actually gonna learn something. So it brings me great pleasure to know that it's still a big aspect of your videos. The change is gonna hopefully provide you a new lease on your creativity, as well as still providing the content most have us have come to know and appreciate you for. Tldr: You're an awesome creator and I really appreciate your content.

[@entysing6780]

Wow. This turned into something much more than I expected. Well done man.

[@AbsoluteZero961]

Fantastic video. I have already started something similar. Thanks for possibly validating that I might be on the right track :) Golden Words you mentioned: "It's ok to not finish games". If a game fails to connect then simply start another. I usually give a game a couple of hours before deciding my next step.

[@stretchmusic4946]

These videos are phenomenal! They hit so personaly every time. Well done man thanks for the hard work!

[@DarkFoolJin]

The conclusion that you dont have to finish something if you dont feel like it is one of the best things you can learn about yourself. Its so liberating

[@palams7861]

12:20 LOL I am definitely part of that crowd. I know it sounds repetitive, but please…”do you yourself a favor and play Outer Wilds” It’s good stuff

[@shunkywunky]

As a person with a lengthy backlog and anxiety about it I have recently started finding solace in the fact that they will be in my library forever and I can get to them at what ever pace i want

[@brandtleymcminn]

Just wanted to say thank you for making this video and really looking forward to your recap on this whole process :) Lots of great info here that really jives with how my neurodivergent brain handles my ever growing backlogs of games and todo lists and such. I started a similar process with my backlog in 2020 prioritizing titles and allowing myself to let go when a title is no longer fun to play, which has been an interesting challenge in of itself, but has helped me a lot. Good luck :)

[@nin2ds]

One thing I would like to add that has helped me is when there's a game I really enjoy that keeps me immersed I start to forget that I had any kind of backlog to begin with, and that backlog seems less important now in that moment. I think just staying in the present and enjoying what you have in front of you is really the key here, because all this anxiety and worry about backlogs, how long they take to beat, if they're good, etc, it's all future-orientated that distract us from staying in the present and ends up paralysing us.

[@FreeRPGer]

Indeed! I'm 55 & I have an eternal backlog. There's several things I heard in this vid that gets my mind going in different directions. Having a few thousand games, with several pre-ordered, I find myself in various situations. Like, I finally finished Folklore (PS3) in 2021, & I got that in (2008). I did finish *many* games, but I have *many more* unfinished. *Then there's me going back & re-playing games I haven't played in 15 or so years* (nostalgia). I'll never complete my growing/shrinking backlog.

[@dcdrafts]

I did something similar to your list in January 2021 and made a huge Anime Bingo of things I’d been meaning to watch for ages. No commitment beyond the 3-episode/90min mark. As it stands now I’ve probably only completed 2-3 bingos from the original list, but it has given me so much peace and so many incredible experiences that I’m glad to have had, even if I only ever actually finish maybe a third of the things I try. I still refer back to that bingo frequently whenever I want to watch something new and it has eliminated my previously overwhelming watchlist anxiety, at least for anime specifically. And it helped me develop a much stronger sense of my personal taste, so I could understand more quickly if I’d actually enjoy something or if I had to simply leave it for others to enjoy (something that has been historically extremely difficult for my intense FOMO). Point is- I hope you have a blast taking such a similar approach to your gaming backlog. However many you actually finish, I’m certain you won’t regret the journey. :)

[@nymeria941]

I just recently found your channel, and oh boy, I cannot wait to see what this part two looks like!

[@vectoralphaAI]

Honestly making a list and organizing it really does make a huge difference.

[@AdeelTariq0]

I guess the brain relaxes because the list is transferred from it to another medium and it lessens the cognitive effort of keeping a mental list

[@jaxfrost7417]

I cannot begin to tell you how useful of a resource this video is. From your commitment to attempt to beat your backlog in a year, to the spreadsheet of data that you provide, aswell as the research that comforted me, and motivated me to begin listing out my backlog and aim to beat it too. What a damn good video, hope to see you in a year from now, and thanks for bringing back some Etika clips, it's always good to see his face again :)

[@francescagreetham1804]

Coming up for the year! This is such a good video I can’t wait for part 2

[@bobradley9253]

Your description of us wanting games to take us on a journey was so well put. Subscribed