How to clear your gaming backlog: a simple 6-game plan

To clear your backlog, sort your games by length, play one long and one short game side by side, and drop the ones that do not grab you without feeling guilty. That is it. The rest is just organisation. Here is the method in detail, with 6 games that each stand for one kind of play: a session game, a challenge, one weekend, one evening, an endless game and a big RPG.

Why your backlog never shrinks

A backlog grows for three reasons: you buy faster than you play, you start games without finishing them, and you keep games you no longer really want. The problem is not a lack of time, it is a lack of choice. Faced with forty games, you end up booting the same online game every night.

The fix starts with knowing how long each game is. A 2-hour game and a 160-hour game are handled in completely different ways. All the times below come from players on IGDB. For more ideas sorted by length, see our short games list and games to finish in a weekend.

Each game on this list stands for one slot in your method. You do not have to play them all, but they help you sort your own.

1. 

   1. Hades

   2020

   The session game. Seeing the whole story takes a few dozen hours, but each escape attempt takes about half an hour. You can do one and put the controller down. Zagreus gets stronger even when he fails, and the story moves forward with every death. The perfect short evening game, even if it is long overall.

   Add to my pile →
2. 

   2. Celeste

   2018 · Main story 10.5 h

   The short challenge. About 10.5 hours for the story, with many more if you want to collect everything. You help Madeline climb a mountain in a tough yet kind platformer. It is the ideal game to run alongside a big RPG: a few levels a night and you keep moving without burning out.

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3. 

   3. Portal 2

   2011 · Main story 4.5 h

   The weekend game. Expect about 4.5 hours for the story, and around 10.5 with co-op and extras. The portal puzzles are brilliant, the writing is very funny and the pace never drops. Perfect for a rainy Saturday: start in the morning, see the credits by night.

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4. 

   4. Inside

   2016 · Main story 2 h

   The one-evening game. Playdead's puzzle-platformer takes about 2 hours: you guide a boy through a dark, silent world with no dialogue or HUD, through simple puzzles and striking moments. It is the kind of game you pull out on a Sunday night to cross a line off your list and feel like you saw something special.

   Add to my pile →
5. 

   5. Stardew Valley

   2016 · Main story 50 h

   The endless game. About 50 hours for the main experience and over 200 to complete everything, but nobody truly finishes it. The right approach: do not count it in your backlog. It is your comfort game, the one you load up to unwind between others, one season at a time. More in how long Stardew Valley takes.

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6. 

   6. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

   2015 · Main story 37.5 h

   The big one, one at a time. About 37.5 hours for the story, 71 with side quests and over 160 to do everything. This is the kind of game you start when you have room for it. Never keep two like it going at once. To plan it out, read how long The Witcher 3 takes.

   Add to my pile →

The method in 5 rules

Rule 1: one long, one short. Always keep one big game going and a small one on the side. On a tired evening, you pick the short one and still move forward.

Rule 2: one in, one out. Before buying a new game, finish or drop one. It is the hardest rule and the most effective.

Rule 3: the 3-hour test. If a game has not hooked you after 3 hours, shelve it. You did not miss anything, you freed up time for a game you will love.

Rule 4: count in evenings, not hours. 40 hours is vague. 20 evenings of 2 hours is concrete, and you know whether it fits your month.

Rule 5: track what you finish. Watching your completed list grow is far more motivating than staring at the pile. That is exactly what Lobbyd does for you, with your pile, what you are playing and what you have finished.

FAQ

How do I clear my video game backlog?

Sort your games by length, keep one long game and one short game going at the same time, and drop the ones that do not grab you after a few hours. Avoid buying a new game until you have finished or dropped another.

What game should I start with when I have too many?

Start with a short game you genuinely want to play, like Inside or Portal 2. Finishing something quickly brings your motivation back. Only then take on the big RPG that has been waiting for months, with a small game on the side.

Do I have to finish every game in my backlog?

No. A backlog is not a list of chores. If a game is not working for you after a few hours, shelving it is a good call. The goal is to play what you actually want to play, not to finish everything out of principle.