HOW TO BEAT YOUR GAMES - FEMTROOPER

[@randybradley4151]

One of the tips to beat games is to stop being on social media sites to see what new games are coming or rumored to be coming so much. People are always wanting new news on what's coming next and once those games come out they want to know what's next. Just play the games that are out now.

[@femtrooper]

Yes, that definitely does make it harder!

[@karlosthehawk3730]

Easily said than done 🙂

[@randybradley4151]

@@karlosthehawk3730 Agreed but the more time wasting on what's coming is less time to play games.

[@basedmek]

This is great insight. Definitely easier said than done. I’ll be the first to say I’m consistently checking what’s new but like Femtrooper said, I stick to my backlog and game planning (Metaphor ReFantazio skips to first in line of my backlog and that’s ok 😅)

[@BIGBMH]

Yeah, and it's also much cheaper. Hype can be hard to ignore and it's tempting to want to jump in when a game is very big, but unless it's multiplayer, the number of other people playing at the same time as you is not really going to affect your experience with it. A truly great game will still be a great game 3 years from now. Aside from some very special must-have-at-launch games, I love being a few years behind and getting things on sale.

[@matsunami]

What really helped me is keeping a yearly spreadsheet of all the games I beat throughout the year. It feels really good to look at my accomplishments year after year.

[@femtrooper]

Me too! I love looking back and seeing all the games I beat!

[@chaoscriminal]

Wow I’m gonna start doing this. Thanks!

[@FamousActor1989]

I’m gonna start doing this! Thanks man!

[@GoufinAround_]

What worked for me was to stop giving time to games that just aren't clicking. Stop playing the game and come back later, if it clicks, then keep going, but if it still doesn't just move on from it. It sucks to spend money on a game and not finish it, but sometimes letting that bog you down can actually make it harder to finish your other games

[@femtrooper]

Totally! If it’s not fun, drop it!

[@stannisthemannis5535]

This is something I wish I could do. It's much easier to do this with a 20 hour hack and slash then it is when you're 50 hours into an 80 hour JRPG.

[@chessrlovesgames6972]

​@@stannisthemannis5535I hope you dont okay 50 hours of a game you dont like ?

[@stannisthemannis5535]

@@chessrlovesgames6972 I like it but don't love it lol but I feel that way about most JRPGs. I like the systems in place but usually the characters, narrative, and world dictate if I love it (FF9, persona 5, etc) DQ8 is just a bit plain.

[@RealJeffTidwell]

For me, it’s about only playing 1-3 (1 or 2 better) games at a time, and soaking them in. Smelling the flowers. Enjoying the game without another one breathing down my neck. Roll credits, move on to the next. Not every game fits this mold, but it’s helped me finish more games than ever this past year.

[@femtrooper]

That’s awesome!!! I agree it’s nice to just enjoy that one game for what it is without thinking about something else.

[@Andros1990]

You're like the gamer mom or aunt everyone wants.

[@femtrooper]

Awwwww thank you!!!

[@Andros1990]

@@femtrooper that thing about one game at a time really hit me.

[@timezones88]

+1 for EASY mode! I recently started playing Alan Wake Remastered and the clunky combat was driving me crazy, but loved the story and visuals. It was taking forever so I said screw it and put it on EASY… I’m now having an absolute blast while I fly through the game at a nice steady pace!

[@femtrooper]

Yes! That’s the idea! It should be fun!

[@tfannis]

One handheld, one console game (tv) is my way to go. Handheld at least one hour a day - half an hour to and from work - and gaming on tv at least once a week. I beat quite a lot of games on my Switch (around 8 this year), and I am about to finish Elden Ring on my Xbox, after finishing Baldur's Gate iii in March (both 100+ hours). And I am a mom aswell 😅

[@femtrooper]

Amazing!!! Good for you! It’s hard as a parent!

[@RavenousSpectre]

Easy mode for the win baby!! I always play on easy in games if I can.

[@femtrooper]

HECK YEAH!!!

[@frankbrodie5168]

Easy mode AND I'm prepared to put cheats in via Cheat Engine or with console cheats if they exist within the game. On offline games. Two of my favourite games ever are Silent Hill 2 and Silent Hill 3. Because those games have 'beginner' difficulty settings that make you pretty much invincible.

[@RavenousSpectre]

@@frankbrodie5168 yes!! I used to use game genie...game shark...codebreaker...all back in the day. I'm interested to know how the silent Hill 2 remake will handle said difficulty.

[@MajestadBowser]

Same here easy mode is the way to go 😊

[@SilentCiel]

Totally agree on all your points~ - Scheduling - Being committed - Taking things one step at a time - Enjoy the process All these tips will work for anything in life! Totally agree with having fun with an easier difficulty, there is no correct way to play a game. As long as you enjoy the journey, And yes side quests or being a completionist isn't a must, but to each their own. As long as the person doing so doesn't complain about it as it was their choice to go down that path.

[@femtrooper]

Yay! And yes, they definitely apply to anything! It helps me!

[@grey_wulf]

Switching up genres helps keep things fresh, which may help you work through your backlog. You won't get burned out on a specific gameplay style.

[@femtrooper]

Totally! I love to do that!

[@BIGBMH]

Agreed! I generally look for something very different from the game I just finished. I think it also helps with getting the hang of new games, because if I go from The Witcher 3 to Zelda, the familiarity/similarity of certain gameplay elements will likely have me instinctively trying to play the new game like the last game. That's not really a problem if I go from Spyro to Deathloop.

[@erinzimmerman7686]

I audibly gasped when you said you skip side quests. LOL. I could never. But seriously, I feel so called out… I’m that person casually playing 8 games at once. Lately, I’ve been trying to stick to one jrpg, one visual novel, and one little indie at a time (with varying amounts of success). I want to try your suggestion of making a plan for the year. You’re not kidding about the FOMO, though.

[@femtrooper]

Haha, yeah, never been interested in side quests. Just not my thing! I’m a main story person!

[@RealJeffTidwell]

Making a plan is pretty easy. So for example, Astro Bot came out so I beat it… still working on 100%. Playing Returnal as well, but that was unplanned. What I have planned: the next weeks and months… Zelda: Echoes, Silent Hill 2 Remake, Mario & Luigi: Brothership, and finally Indiana Jones to cap the year. Those 4 are my next 4 games.

[@femtrooper]

@@RealJeffTidwell That’s excellent! It’s how you do it!

[@MrSupersonic2012]

When i play a game with side quest, I'll typlically just do the ones that sound interesting or have good rewards. It always feels like there's too much bloat when it comes to side quest. Trying to 100% games sounds exhaisting.

[@femtrooper]

@@MrSupersonic2012 No kidding!

[@qualitea_individual]

Great tips and video!! I’m very proud of my backlog crusade this year, and I attribute a lot of that success to so many of these sorts of tips! Definitely swapping genres/game lengths has been HUGE + the satisfaction of moving games over to the “completed” section of my backlog spreadsheet is a feeling like no other😂 GO US, WE’RE CRUSHING IT THIS YEAR!

[@femtrooper]

Omg! Checking games off the list is the best feeling ever!

[@pheria]

I've found that I like the structure of backlog tips, but my personal goal is more on enjoyment / not rushing (Most of the time). After a lot of introspection on that I've found that the main reason I like structure and planning is because I don't want to miss/forget something from my backlog, it's the pressure of having more than I can play and the guilt of that sneaking in. My problem was mostly about the choice of what to play next, and to some extent how often/when. I want to spend some time on some endless games because I enjoy doing them, but I like playing through story games too. I also like the idea of replaying something, or revisiting a finished game just to grind some levels or something. I've structured it mostly into two categories: Ongoing games, and 'progress' games. I do try to stick to one progress game, just like your tips. The thing I really needed was an alternating criteria of what game gets that spot. So I have these 'rules' to how to choose the next backlog game. [NEW] [RANDOM] [RETRO] [LONG] [RATING] For example, I pick a [NEW] (recent release) game. I'll keep playing my ongoing stuff and chip away at it. If I feel like getting absorbed in side stories and difficulty, I will. If I want to rush and take it easy, I will. When I finish that [NEW] game, I'll pick a game at [RANDOM] from my collection to play. This could be an unbeaten game, a game to replay, or one I've been but just want to enjoy the mechanics for a little bit. The randomly chosen game isn't absolute, I'll reroll if I'm not feeling what came up. After that, I'll choose a [RETRO] game at random. Rules are loose on this one too, if it's too hard I don't have to 'beat' it if I don't want to. Just play until I don't feel like playing anymore. After [RETRO], I'll pick the [LONG]est HowLongToBeat time game in my collection. After a [LONG] game, I'll pick the game I gave the [highest personal [RATING] to in my backlog. The game I think I'm most excited about. I've found that for me it covers a lot of my fears of leaving something out. I'm not always playing new releases, I'm trying something a little different, building in the chance to reconsider a revisit/replay of something, and not continually putting off (nor exclusively taking care of) long games. I really like this alternating approach for the variety, but still keeping it focused. Outside of that I really enjoy DJMAX Respect, Zenless Zone Zero, and Muse Dash and I want to keep playing those too, so I pick whichever one of the four sounds best for the time. Four choices is way easier than hundreds. I have way more games than I'll ever play, probably, and I've made peace with that by separating it. There is the collection, and then there is my small plate of fun that systematically refreshes from it.

[@femtrooper]

This is great!!!

[@feiitogaming]

Great video. Fantastic Tips for everyone who struggels beating games. I started making a list to prioritize all the upcoming games that I'm interested in. It also helps to plan playing a game around all the other things happening in life, like meeting friends, appointments etc.

[@femtrooper]

Totally! And thank you!

[@JephPlaysGames]

I was writing up a list while listening, only to hear you mention ALL of the points I made. But one thing I'll also mention is: When you game, focus solely on the game. Don't check your phone/computer/tablet during slower or less interactive parts of the game.

[@femtrooper]

Very good point! I admit I’m bad for that!!!

[@MrSupersonic2012]

A lot of times I'll have my phone on in the background with a youtube video for background noise. But only with games that have minimal to no story. If I'm playing a game that has a good story i don't have my phone going.

[@dukey03]

Howlongtobeat is my absolute SAVIOR when it comes to planning out my streams and stuff like that. Great video btw. Your videos have essentially allowed me to give myself permission to DROP a game I’m deep into but not exactly enjoying all that much. So thank you for that as well haha😅

[@femtrooper]

So happy to hear this!!!

[@uppernimbus]

These tips are so relatable! Even though I let general life commitments get in the way of precious game time, I've definitely followed some of these tips in the past, especially with playing games that actually have endings, instead of grinding infinite hours in simulators and online shooters for example. Amazing video Paige, this has become one of my personal favourites!

[@femtrooper]

Omg thank you sooooooo much!!!

[@luroc]

portable gaming, the ultimate tip. it's allowed me to finish tons of games recently myself. thank goodness for the PS Portal! great tips!

[@femtrooper]

YESSSS! I mean, how could I NOT mention it… 🤪

[@GeminiSunrise06]

@@femtrooper well i'm personally curious about how many % love playing on TV vs Handled players. You didnt mention it so your tips can get more range over people. 😉

[@RPGStory]

Yeah you've pretty much hit the nail on the head here I use a lot of these methods especially for RPG games which can take up to 40 hours to beat it's a huge time sink.

[@femtrooper]

Totally!!! It’s hard to balance it all out but I try and find a few short ones here and there!

[@spiffyfox8300]

Once I got into my 30s and my backlog kept growing I stopped feeling any shame for playing on easy mode!

[@femtrooper]

Totally!!! There’s just no time and video games should be fun!

[@sarahlloyd119]

I feel like the language “easy/normal/hard” makes it more likely that people will have that stigma. I hope more games continue to adopt more neutral/descriptive language (“story mode”, “classic mode” etc) to encourage people to choose a setting that they’ll enjoy, instead of a setting that doesn’t hurt their self-image…

[@casedcrusader]

This was very validating to watch. Thank you for making this! It's good to know that we share a lot of the same tactics and that I'm not the only one who operates this way. The big thing that makes me clash with myself over this is my incessant need to get platinums and, to a lesser degree, achievements. It's very difficult to turn that switch off and it's made me torn over many video games because of it. I am both a completionist and someone who wants to experience as many games as possible haha. Also, love your setup behind you!

[@femtrooper]

Appreciate this! Thank you!

[@sixsixjd]

Some fantastic tips here for sure. Portable gaming definitely makes it more accessible to game everywhere. Especially if you don't always have the luxury of being able to spend the hours you wish you had to game. Another great video 👌

[@femtrooper]

Thank you!!! :)

[@GameFreak4Ever]

Totally agree about the EASY mode. I've been doing it for years. My job is hard enough at times. I like to unwind and have fun.

[@femtrooper]

YESSS!!!

[@90shandheldgamer]

Great tips! Splatoon 3 definitely slows me down from beating more games but, it's so much fun!

[@femtrooper]

I’ve always wanted to get into that series but heard it was only multiplayer??? Is that true?

[@90shandheldgamer]

@@femtrooper It does have a single player campaign and also a DLC single player campaign that I haven't tried but, the real fun for me is with the online multiplayer. You don't even have to be that good as long as you can survive enough to ink up the map a lot. Only downside is that they've stopped doing regular update spatfests but, it's still a lot of fun.

[@lawncljppd]

Same for me lol. Not a bad game to play in between others - especially when you’ve got a squad to play with! 😎

[@Tetrium]

Tetris does the same for me. I try to split half/half 😅

[@Xpancakes11X]

The thought of someone starting and getting 20 minutes into a movie and then stopping it and starting another one made me laugh so hard.

[@femtrooper]

It hurts my soul lol

[@TigerGreene]

I think there's a lot of people who actually do this haha. I think most of them are Gen Z. They've grown up on 15 second tiktok clips.

[@spiffyfox8300]

@TigerGreene I'm a millennial, but I do this occasionally due to having a chaotic work schedule that allows for very little free time some days and if something comes up then I may have to watch in half hour chunks til it's done. Streaming movies also makes this much easier than watching from a disc

[@dral22]

I'm a new subscriber, God bless you.

[@femtrooper]

Thank you so much!

[@RwnEsper]

Thanks Paige! Some great tips here! I don't finish most of the games I start on my first attempt; if it doesn't grab my attention it'll probably get shelved after a couple sessions. As someone who loves exploring and theory-crafting, I find How Long to Beat a mixed bag. I'm currently playing Elden Ring, with over 100 hours spent. I'm only about 2/3 of the way through my first playthrough, but I'm pretty sure HLTB would say I should have 100% completion by now. I don't want to compare my experience with people who only care about "finishing" the game - the point is to have the experience, not see the ending.

[@femtrooper]

Yes, I’ll drop games too if I don’t vibe with it!

[@Buddhakingpen]

I commit to genres. Because one day i may have time for gaming, but i'm not in the mood for certain types of games. Usually i have one or two "podcast games"-one that doesnt have a story i need to pay attention to, that likely requires mindless grinding. A "laid back story game"- usually walking sims, visual novels, cinematic platformers and the like. One action game, and one rpg, since i can compartmentalize their systems in my brain and not get their mechanics mixed up. If for some reason i'm not feeling any of my main selection, i play a platformer or a 2-d jump and shoot game, since those mechanics are seared into my love for gaming since i was raised in the 90's.

[@femtrooper]

Love this!

[@TigerChainsawVideoGames]

That a girl!! One game at a time!! That's how you get through the backlog. I can't believe we are on the same brain wave for some of our videos, not only with what they are about but when they are released. Great minds think alike! : )

[@femtrooper]

I know! I saw yours and mine was already scheduled to be posted and I laughed! Especially cause some of the things you said were exactly like me! Amazing!

[@JDD_MD]

100% agree with tip 5. It took me months to get through the first six hours of God of War on Give Me Balanced because the gameplay was truly kicking my butt! Then I finally turned the difficulty down and blew through another eight hours in one sitting. Playing on easy allowed me to enjoy the game so much more and gave me breathing space to actually soak in the story and the visuals.

[@femtrooper]

Love to hear this!!!

[@MerlinYggdrasill]

So tips of beating backlogs/going through libraries: - Commit to one game at a time, this makes it easy to not take a break for another game and then forget what's going on in the first game you started. - Make a list of what you're most interested in playing for most of the year, new releases or otherwise. One thing that helps me when going through console libraries is that I put my entire list into a random name generator and then let it pick for me. Another thing that I do sometimes is make a small list (3 to 10 games) and cross games off of it as I finish them so I can feel the progress. - Schedule out time to play/play while listening to podcasts/videos if the game allows for it. The second part is specific to me cause it helps me relax into a game and spend time on it. - Document/List the games you finish by date for the current year. This isn't necessary but it makes it kinda fun to look back on what you've finished and can help remind yourself if you wanna play any sequels/prequels of a game you finished already. - Have no shame in save scumming, save states, howlongtobeat, longplays, rewind, or walkthroughs. It's best if you don't have to use any of these but to me if you're struggling and just wanna finish the game then go right ahead. - Don't feel like you have to finish everything the moment you start a save file. If a game isn't fun or interesting after 30 minutes to 3 hours, drop it for sometime or delete it. It's not the right time or just not meant for you.

[@femtrooper]

Yesssss to save states!!!

[@derekminna]

I recently stopped playing post-game stuff. It helps in the long run. That being said, I am guilty of only playing new games for 10-25 hours. I go back and restart them to finish them but it kills my ability to complete many games in a year. The only upside to playing a game for about 20 hours and restarting it a year or two later is learning about certain mechanics that are good to know about from the beginning (like how to spec your characters or knowing when to save materials for crafting etc). Great video. I am guilty of getting new games faster than I can complete the games that I already own.

[@femtrooper]

I still buy more than I can handle but I try! I have the intent of playing every game I buy!

[@maransoftware]

I'm an old guy, I always play my games on easy lol

[@femtrooper]

Haha awesome!

[@G3ntendoGaming]

I sunk so many hours into xenoblade chronicles because of side quests…. There are so many! Good tips!! Thanks I’ll apply those! Keep up the great videos!

[@femtrooper]

Awesome! And thank you!

[@themanboycave122]

My solution is just to accept my backlog and learn to love it for what it is. I’m all about acceptance and moving on in my life now. Is the backlog ever going away? Nope! And I’ve accepted that.

[@femtrooper]

In terms of my backlog, yes, I have started to accept it BUT I still like to challenge myself and see how many games I can get through in a year!

[@gucciguy3408]

For the last 2 years I have beat 40+ games a year.But, I will say most of those are shorter than 10 hours of gameplay or even 20 hours. It really helps if as a gamer you aren’t playing those games you’d lose out on if your not playing them now.

[@femtrooper]

Very true! Congrats! That’s amazing!

[@eliotwildermann]

20 is an impressive number when u have a family and a job 😊

[@femtrooper]

Thanks!

[@JohnnyDeppFan1433]

“But complete none”…. You’re taking about me, aren’t you? Lmao. Awesome vid as always!

[@femtrooper]

Haha, I’m not I swear! I started doing all of this stuff after becoming a mom and it has helped me big time! :) But hey, if any of these tips help you, go for it!

[@BleakOptimism]

I often play games on easy and love that you mentioned this, there needs to be less shade on people who play games like that, there's no wrong way to play the game, it's supposed to be fun and if the option is there, the game was designed to be played that way. My anxiety is just too high these days to struggle, it's stressful and that isn't fun, I just want to go on a fun journey!

[@femtrooper]

Loooove this!

[@nick8422]

choosing games that actually end was really good advice, i feel like i have missed a lot of great games by spending my time on endless games

[@femtrooper]

It helps for sure!!! :)

[@TheDynastyWarrior13]

One strategy I use to slowly get through my backlog is that every single month I commit to playing and beating at least one game that did not release the current year. So for example for October for new games I'm planning on buying Silent Hill 2 remake, but then I'm also planning on buying the physical copy of Alan Wake 2 once it releases and beating that too. That way I can at least make sure every month my backlog shrinking by at least 1 game. Some months I may buy more than 1 new game, but I stick firmly to beating one older game no matter what.

[@femtrooper]

That’s an awesome rule! Helps with those older titles!!!

[@robertusmaximus42]

I've been following your channel for about a year now and I've followed these tips religiously lol. I've also learned to forgive myself if I stray from my list that I made, because at the end of the day I should be playing what I enjoy and what grabs me. Not something that I've boxed myself into playing even though I'm not in the mood. It's hard to commit to much though with a toddler, and when my wife wants me to wait on her to play certain games with her (when she's not really a big gamer herself). I also almost exclusively play long JRPGs so I've had to temper my expectations a bit lol

[@femtrooper]

Thank you!!! 🙏

[@jaydenmoon1165]

I enjoy spending hundreds of hours in a single game if possible - story is everything to me - but I need to beat more games too 😊❤

[@femtrooper]

That’s fun if a game can do that! Most of my games I play don’t tend to be that long but sometimes!

[@MagiMagi1212]

This video is the push I needed. I started too many games, and it’s impossible to beat them all, so I’m going to do what I should’ve done. I need to drop/put on hold those games I’m just not playing, and focus on the games that I am playing to narrow down my backlog.

[@femtrooper]

Yay! Happy to help!

[@sadisticservant]

I used to be in a constant rush to finish games a few months back so that I could play more, so much so that I would switch around 4 games to play. But I'm now a bit burnt out so I'm only playing 1 game at a time now and I'm not rushing my games at all. I find this kind of process for me to be more enjoyable since I get to appreciate them more.

[@femtrooper]

Amazing!!!

[@PunkRockZombie205]

Cutting out social media would add so much time to your life to play games or anything else you want to do. It's a net negative to your life and you'll be happier. Humans weren't meant to live the way we do now

[@femtrooper]

Very true!

[@lulu_TheWitchBoy]

Another important thign to do if you’re playing for awhile, is to take breaks! Sometimes I get frustrated, or like overstimulated, and taking 5-10 minutes break helps.

[@femtrooper]

Yes, it can help!

[@thequeeng2282]

These were all great and realistic! Lol. I wish I could beat 20 games a year. I’m at 12 right now. But prior years I was less than 10. Setting a schedule and focusing on one game at a time helped tremendously. 👌🏾💜

[@femtrooper]

Sounds like you’re doing just fine!

[@RetroRivals]

All these tips are spot friggin' on! We do all of these. My biggest thing is difficulty and playing only one game. Although we will play a co-op game along side a single player only because we can only get together on the weekend I just finished Callisto Protocol and towards the end I had to bump down the difficulty and it saved/made the experience.

[@femtrooper]

Amazing to hear! Playing on easy shouldn’t be stigmatized - who cares if you’re having fun!

[@GHOSTLINK144]

This video is amazing, thank you for all the tips!! 👾

[@femtrooper]

Yay!!! Happy to help!

[@saiyansean]

What about going back to a game you have started but not finished would you try and continue or start again?

[@femtrooper]

Depends on how long it’s been I guess!

[@saiyansean]

@@femtrooper in my case it could be months or years since I've played a game Im thinking about going back to complete 🎮🤔😂

[@femtrooper]

@@saiyansean Then I would just restart it.

[@Michafrar]

Really solid summary! Advice that has helped me the past few years

[@femtrooper]

Oh great! Thank you!

[@Korudo]

This seems to be nearly identical to another video you made previously. What motivated you to make another backlog tips video?

[@Korudo]

To clarify, I also enjoyed watching this video. Just curious.

[@femtrooper]

I figured it was time for an update with a few more tips and for many of the new subs! I love talking about backlogs too so any excuse for a video is fun for me!

[@Korudo]

I get that. These videos resonate with me because I’m a similar type of gamer.

[@markasscop]

something I realize lately that's an obstacle for backlog is when I get the itch to replay older games, then I get back into the groove of that familiar game and start choosing to play that over the game I was initially playing w/ my free time not much I can do there b/c I really enjoy going back to old favorites, though more than anything, slowing down on new game purchases and being really picky on what I do want to own helps to stunt the backlog growth

[@femtrooper]

All good tips!

[@Locut0s]

Excellent tips! I want to add that these are also fantastic general life skills for better mental health in life. Most of these tips apply to having a more fulfilled life (being less perfectionist, giving yourself grace, committing, time management, not being to hard on yourself etc)!

[@femtrooper]

Thank you!!!

[@reydavinci]

I finish around 80 main campaigns a year. I did 76 in 2021, 82 in 2022, 86 in 2023 and so far I’m on 66. I play 3-4 hours on weekdays and around 5-6 hours on weekends. I play all possible RPGs that exist so I commit to side quests only for JRPGs or western RPGs. For the most part I do not play online, fighting, sports or shooters. I find your video very interesting. Thanks for sharing. It’s true that gamers need to plan out their schedule. I for one look at video games as books, stories that I want to experience once and then move on. I don’t stick around on games for short-term or repetitive satisfaction:

[@femtrooper]

This is awesome to hear!!! :) Thank you!

[@SeafoamSmiles]

100% agree on the schedule/planning tips. During the height of the pandemic I started making a monthly calendar of sorts where each month was its own theme (including games, movies, books, etc). Its original purpose was to keep me sane during the lockdowns as a way of marking the passage of time and to give me something to look forward to each month, but by the end I realized it had helped me take a huge bite out of my backlog. I think I beat something like 30 games in 2020 alone (though admittedly a lot of those were small/shorter games, but still WAY more than I probably would've if I had just been idly passing the time without specific monthly goals in mind). Another big one for me has been the "Don't try to 100% a game on the first playthrough". Sometimes trying to do all the side content just ends up slowing you down. And if you end up really liking the game, then having stuff left unfinished is a good reason to come back to replay the game later.

[@femtrooper]

This is awesome!

[@NoonieXO]

How do you stay motivated and not get bored easily I sometimes struggle with that it frustrates me please give me advice I’ll be excited to play start then somehow stop

[@femtrooper]

I just make it a personal rule that I can’t play something else until the current game I’m playing is completed! It’s self-discipline and it can be hard but it works!

[@stannisthemannis5535]

I pretty much follow these rules you listed have consistently been able to hover around the 20 - 24 game mark for a calander year. I work full time and have 3 kids so the fact that i can still clear that many games makes me happy. My main problem is the rate I purchase games still exceeds the rate in which I beat them. Also, my favorite "tip" is the two game at a time. One handheld on switch (typically Nintendo first party, indie, or jrpg) and the rest on whatever PlayStation i feel like playing.

[@femtrooper]

I only have one kid and it’s a challenge so major kudos!!!

[@michaelrich7279]

Fem I gotta hand it to you, this video really helped me oui. My strategy before was just dont buy new games, however when you do that and are playing 4 games at the same time you tend to come back to one and go "how did I get here?" and have to restart.

[@femtrooper]

So true! You can beat all your games - it may take awhile but I promise if you just play one or two at once you’ll slowly start to see more games beat!

[@chopdog6563]

Playing one game at a time has been my modus operandi for decades. Mt friends would ask me hpw I get through so many games, and I'd tell them "One at a time." Also, waiting on buying games often made them cheaper by the time I got around to them. Exceptions being games I was worried about disappearing (more of an issue pre-digital market place). New RPG with limited print runs got bought right away.

[@femtrooper]

This is all great advice!

[@herodownunder]

Ive alwasys valued your sensible and good advice. One game at a time is the best rule. Doesnt mean I wont buy physical games day one sometimes but I try to keep to a specific list

[@ebbderelict]

I agree. One at a time was the turning point for me to get through my backlog.

[@femtrooper]

Love to hear it!!! :)

[@femtrooper]

This is awesome!!!

[@nickwick35]

Great tips Fem! I started jotting down my games every time I beat one and doing my own mini review and it feels so satisfying to see and look back on what I beat. I also use a random generator and throw in a couple games I want to play and whatever it picks, I have to play. Also disconnecting from your phone is huge, I was spending way too much time looking at social media when I could've been gaming!

[@femtrooper]

Yes, I’m guilty of constantly checking twitter when I’m playing games lol

[@nishquikpops]

Presch about playing one game at a time!! Playing that way has been so much more enjoyable and fulfilling and eases my stress with chipping away at my backlog. And handheld gaming definitely helps haha. Great video 😎👍🏽

[@femtrooper]

Thank you!!!

[@Bigoudi777]

Great tips ! Switching to Easy and Normal really did the trick for me, I only switch to Hard if I really like the gameplay. Looking back, I can't understand why I played on the hardest difficulty in every game that I've played.

[@femtrooper]

Love that you are okay sharing that! Easy mode is awesome!

[@TheIndieOcean]

I beat an anomalously high number of games, so a lot of how I beat games won't be relevant - it comes down to having a relatively high amount of free time combined with tending to play 10-15 hour games most of the time. One tip I would offer, though, is to quit games you're not enjoying. That might sound counterintuitive beating games by quitting them, but if you think about it, the less time you spend stubbornly sticking with a game that you're not really feeling, the more time you have available to play (and beat) something that you'll enjoy enough to actually beat. I know you mentioned this at the end of the video but this would actually be my main tip. XD

[@femtrooper]

It’s a great tip! Such a waste if you aren’t having fun!

[@Linda-oh7tf]

Playing on easy mode is actually a very good tip! At least my ego takes a little hit if I have to lower the difficulty from normal to easy but if I play on easy from the start there's no problem! 😹 I will start God of War pretty soon and maybe I'll just start the game on easy to save time and nerves 😁

[@femtrooper]

I need to start God of War! Maybe very soon!

[@EdsHead]

You have some really good tips here on how to finish games many of us know about but still don't want to hear. It's a good reality check. Tip 2 is one of my biggest problems as each day I may feel like playing a different genre. I also really like to collect so it's not easy to stay focused. And I almost always follow tip 5, especially if I'm mostly interested in story. I did that with The Last of Us II and really enjoyed it more. Another great and informative video, keep up the fantastic work.

[@femtrooper]

Thank you!!! 🙏

[@sinrumbo1]

Good advice. Can be applied to other things in life as well 😊

[@femtrooper]

Definitely!!!

[@coolguy-wolf]

Thanks for the great Tips! I'll have to start using these tips. Then my backlog can get smaller.

[@femtrooper]

Hope they work for you!

[@DrGamingPlays]

I do go by some of those tips. Commitment during certain parts of the year can be hard (real job and soccer referee can leave me with less time), and I could probably do a better mix of shorter and longer games. Not completing every side quest can help. One obstacle I have is I need mental activities to shut down about 2.5 hrs before going to bed, and games are on that list.

[@femtrooper]

Awesome!!!

[@yoyondolo]

Good video - I needed to be reminded to take it one game at a time 😆booting up Black Myth Wokong

[@femtrooper]

Awesome!!!

[@yellowstreetlight]

Agreed! My one anti completionist practice is turning the trophy notifications off. I don't need that cursed hit of dopamine.

[@femtrooper]

Fair!!!

[@Summer_and_Rain]

I have been doing a lot of trimming, which is also helpful. Learning to respect yourself enough to respect your wish not to continue a game that for some reason does not feel good to play. If you like the game it will be easier to pick it up. If you find yourself procrastinating picking up the game you might not like it or be in the mood for it. I am procrastinating on Virche Evermore, it is a dark, dark, otome game, but it is mainly a visual novel and I don't like visual novels. Every time I play it takes about 5 hours to finish a run, where I am barely doing anything. I like the story but I have yet to decided if I care enough to finish it. I am learning towards no.

[@femtrooper]

Yes! The better the game, the easier it is to finish!

[@brettwalsh2847]

Great video. I am guilty of juggling too many games at once, but great idea for a video!

[@femtrooper]

Thanks!!! :)

[@cozyrache.l]

i love these tips! committing to 1-2 games at a time is the most effective for me. when i start a few different games i know none of them will get finished. p.s. we start movies and leave them halfway all the time in my house. i hate it, but i blame adhd.

[@femtrooper]

Haha, had no idea that was really a thing!

[@GeminiSunrise06]

Personally what helps me the best was to play one game at a time! Centering my gaming on one console (the switch which i love). Also putting my phone away is a godsent. I always go easily on youtube or fb, and minutes pass in a flash.

[@femtrooper]

Agree with all of this!

[@_masfueg0_]

Playing games on easy is the hottest tip. I started doing that recently

[@femtrooper]

Yeeeesssss!!!

[@solidgoombavsvideogameboss1890]

How I’ve gotten through my backlog is playing on a portable system helps. I used to take a portable game console with me to work and on my break just go to my car and play for an hour. I found that helped. For most new releases I just wait until a price drop. I’ve only bought one game this year.

[@femtrooper]

Yes! Portability makes a world of difference!

[@GamingwithKrushworth]

Awesome tips for beating games. Ever since I started making content my games beaten number has gone up. 🎉 just took down Tails of Iron!

[@femtrooper]

That’s amazing! Being a gaming KZbinr definitely helps!

[@sanjithechef]

Finding what I love works. Lies of P was the most recent game I absolutely fell in love with. I began playing it because my game pass subscription was going to expire so I picked this game to play as a last game, but it’s become one of my top 5 of all time. I guess I lucked out

[@femtrooper]

That’s great!

[@Deeteeass]

I always play my games on easy these days. This is mainly because i struggle to find the time to play these days and when I do, i just want to enjoy the story without getting too frustrated. If i ever get the chance to replay a game I'll usually up the difficulty where possible 😀 I've been using HLTB for years now and it really helps me put together a plan as to what order I'm going to play things in, as well as being a great way to sort through my backlog 😀 If I'm playing a long RPG and need a break I'll sort my list to show a selection of shorter games.

[@femtrooper]

All of this!

[@lauripaulo]

Amazing video. Congrats!

[@femtrooper]

Thank you!

[@Tuxzer]

So many great tips here! I’ve been finding it really helpful to play what I’m really in the mood for and I’ve finished more games this year than I have since I was a teenager 😅 Also think putting a game down when you just decide you’re not feeling it should be normalised 🤷‍♂️

[@femtrooper]

Yay! I definitely beat wayyyy more games now than when I was a teenager!

[@devinreed21]

I’m one of those people who tend to play a lot of games at the same time, but I find if I can make myself just play one at a time, I can actually beat the game! So that’s what I do. Force myself to play just one at a time.

[@femtrooper]

Great! You can do it!

[@louloubellex9292]

Really like the schedule tip. I’ve got minimal time for myself due to working full time and having a toddler so I need to get better at scheduling specific times for gaming!

[@femtrooper]

I really started to implement the schedule once I became a parent! It helps big time!

[@therealmccoyruf]

I wouldn’t skip side quests in god of war ragnarok they really enhance the themes/story

[@femtrooper]

Good to know!

[@anthonypacifico5334]

Don’t try to finish bad games, that’s the number 1 thing that slows me down.

[@femtrooper]

Totally! Drop those immediately if they suck!

[@TheWeazle5000]

I like to play one game from each genre. While I’m playing a long jrpg I’ll also play a racing game or fighting game on the side. Keeps it fresh

[@femtrooper]

That works!

[@lightninstriker10]

The backlog is something I've excised from my life, nowadays I just play what games when I want to, if I start something and I'm not really feeling it? Oh well, it'll still be there for me to try again later. I play 2 games at a time, swapping back and forth between them and playing them as I feel I want to, and when new games come along, I make space in my allocations if I wanna jump right in, or I'll juggle three at a time, it's a bit tougher, but no less fulfilling.

[@femtrooper]

That’s awesome. Play how you want to!

[@casualgam3r19]

Good tips. I actually use two of them. One play them on easy. And two only play one at a time. I think those are the most importantly.

[@femtrooper]

Yay!!!

[@tepasgame]

Great tips again. I've commited to octopath traveler 1 since july and i've said "I'd like to finish it by the end of the year". I think I can acheive it!

[@femtrooper]

YOU CAN DO IT!!!

[@Theendgamelv3]

I personally play 2 games at a time. Usually a short game and a long game and they are two different genres. I have a steam deck, so that too influences my game choice too. I try to play a game that is handheld friendly for those times I am at break at work. This allows for more flexibility if i don't feel like playing one of the games and just pick the other.

[@femtrooper]

That’s perfect! I used to do that! Sometimes I still do - just depends on the types of games.

[@CanadianChick811]

I'm a PC and Switch player. I'll usually have one PC game and one Switch game going at once, and they aren't the same lengths. I still get that sense of acomplishment if I'm able to finish a shorter game but still have the longer one going. I do tend to stick to one game at a time per system, but if I don't, one game is significantly shorter than the other.

[@femtrooper]

That’s great!

[@AtarashiDesu]

I, at this point, have completed 25 games this year, and about 25~30 a year. Very good tips. I mostly take on a maximum of 3 games at a time, and then once I see that I'm progressing in one so that I'm still a few hours away from finishing it, I focus on it. It's hard for me to play just one that way, because even the best game can get boring, especially those moments in jRPGs where you have to grind. Someone once told me that I have so many games and not enough finished ones, and I took to myself and now finish quite a few a year.

[@femtrooper]

I will do that too if I have two on the go! When you get close to the end, go all out!!!

[@Sasoriza24b]

At the start of this year I made a promise to myself to keep a list with all of the games I have beaten and once I start a game I finish it. This way I have beaten a lot of games on my backlog.

[@femtrooper]

Amazing! That’s great to hear!

[@jat2319]

Love the video as always :)

[@femtrooper]

Thanks!!!

[@LuxisAlukard]

I think Pam from Cannot be tamed had a criteria for picking up new game: does this game respects my time - can you 'save' anytime, is it grind heavy, etc. You don't want to lose time because the game is made super hard to beat just for the sake of being hard to beat. So, I agree with easy difficulty, or some cheats, or some improvement patches and mod that make your life easier. Cheers :)

[@femtrooper]

All good points!!!

[@Eagleknight815]

The one game at a time theory works well. I handle over 10 projects up to 20 in my daily life. You have to limit the work so that way you can actually finish what you start. Same concept applies here. Kanban is the methodology behind it. It works in work, hobbies, home projects, overall life.

[@femtrooper]

That’s awesome! I didn’t know about that so I’m going to have to read up on it!

[@icewolf4760]

I've been playing one game at a time and it's worked wonders for me, I hate having to relearn a game after not playing it for a certain period of time so juggling multiple games would also drive me mad. I also limit myself to buying 2 new games at a time to help save money in the long-run. Steep sales are the exception for this rule.

[@femtrooper]

Yay!!!