Rules for what you can play at any given time?

[Dreakon13]

I'm trying to come up with a way to structure what I'm currently playing in a way that both motivates me to work through my backlog and to help keep me focused.  Someone suggested at one point to limit myself to one game per genre at a time, but too be honest that still feels a little too chaotic/disorganized for what I'm trying to do... so figure I'd see if this is a "thing" that gamers actually do and what other ideas are out there.

 

I'll get the ball rolling with what I'm thinking of doing... two games at a time, one "main" game that I play until I beat it and a "little" game that I play when I only have a small pocket of time that might not be enough for the main game or to take a break.  For example, a main game might be Bloodborne (PS4).  That'll take me a while to beat and should probably demand the most focus of any game I'm playing.  A little game might be Super Mario Maker 2 (Switch).  Since levels don't take more than 2-10 minutes to complete (depending on the difficulty) it's perfect to sneak in as time allows.  It's a rigid and aggressive structure but maybe it'd help?

 

But that's just an idea.  Do you all do anything like this?  If so, please feel free to share!

Edited October 7, 2019 by Dreakon13

[Helyx]

I punished myself by finishing Warhawk before I was allowed to purchase a PS4. I'm going to do the same with my PS3 backlog before picking up a PS5.

[BlackJudas]

I have a rule that I try to follow, but admittedly it gets into disarray when shutdowns are announced, or I have to rush to try and fulfill a trophy that may become unobtainable in the near future.

 

As I only do multiplayer trophies, I have the following list.

 

PS3

 

One game with difficult and/or lengthy multiplayer requirements (Platinum)

One game with light or quick multiplayer requirements (Platinum)

One game with any requirements (100%)

 

For the PS4, it's certainly only on a whim when one of my friends asks for help, or wants to take it on.  Or if it looks quick and fun.

 

[KennethMcCormick]

Not a rule, but how I do it: one game at a time, with room for exceptions (but only because I promised one of my selves not to be a total psycho).

[DaivRules]

One game per console (PS4, PS3, Vita) until they’re finished or I give up on one. Beyond that, no rules. 
But I do like the longer/shorter in tandem if you feel like you need more than one game at a time. 

[ExHaseo]

When it comes to clearing backlog, you've gotta basically just experiment until you do what works for you.

 

What worked for me was three main things.

1. Not trophy hunting. To me, it just didn't make any sense to trophy hunt when I had hundreds of other games to play. It was one thing if I was super into a game and wanted to keep playing it, but that's definitely not every game. I was able to cut down the amount of time spent on each individual game to get through all of them. The best part of doing this, is that once you do get through your backlog, you can go back to any game you didn't get the plat for and still get it, if you want to.

 

2. Joining the backlog anonymous event here on the forum. Having support from other people and being able to support other people made it easier to stick with the basic 3 out 1 in system. It had a little bit of accountability attached to it which also helped me to stick to it.

 

3. Having as few rules as possible. The more ways I tried to restrict myself, like doing certain genres, or only doing X number of games at a time, or only playing a certain system, always just made the experience feel like a chore. Especially the longer I tried to stick with it. Just play what you want to play at that time, and play how you want to play at that time. Want to play Switch game as you fall asleep while playing a PS4 game while you're awake? Go for it. Want to play your 12th RPG in a row? Go for it. Want to just keep playing the same game even though you're done with it? Go for it.

 

Really, just limit the number of games being added, and if you're not enjoying something, just be done with it and take it off the list. That's really all you need to do to kill your backlog.

Edited October 7, 2019 by ExHaseo

[ZitMeatloaf]

For me the simplest and most effective rule is if I'm not feeling a game, I cut my losses and move on. Just move on. There are too many other games to play.

[Spacey_Dweeb]

Ive come up with many different ways to create rules on what I should play. Like how many "active" games can I realistically have. How many unfinished games do I need to finish before I can start something new. The problem is, since they are self-imposed, I'm really good at changing my mind and making a new plan. I haven't done them much since I changed profiles, but the thing that helped me staying focused the most, was doing the events people post in the community thread. How those work will vary, but in general you will end up with a list of games you're committing to finish during the events time frame. Most have a little digital badge they event runner makes for those that participate and/or finish.

[danceswithsloths]

My only rules for gaming/trophy hunting:

 

1. Play whatever I want

2. But only whenever I want to

 

With that in mind I usually have a similar thing going that you describe. 2 games at any given time, one that might be a longer game that works better with longer sessions, and a lighter game that does fine with 30 minute to 1 hour sessions.

[Taliesin_2943]

2 hours ago, Dreakon13 said:

I'm trying to come up with a way to structure what I'm currently playing in a way that both motivates me to work through my backlog and to help keep me focused.  Someone suggested at one point to limit myself to one game per genre at a time, but too be honest that still feels a little too chaotic/disorganized for what I'm trying to do... so figure I'd see if this is a "thing" that gamers actually do and what other ideas are out there.

 

I'll get the ball rolling with what I'm thinking of doing... two games at a time, one "main" game that I play until I beat it and a "little" game that I play when I only have a small pocket of time that might not be enough for the main game or to take a break.  For example, a main game might be Bloodborne (PS4).  That'll take me a while to beat and should probably demand the most focus of any game I'm playing.  A little game might be Super Mario Maker 2 (Switch).  Since levels don't take more than 2-10 minutes to complete (depending on the difficulty) it's perfect to sneak in as time allows.  It's a rigid and aggressive structure but maybe it'd help?

 

But that's just an idea.  Do you all do anything like this?  If so, please feel free to share!

What I do and it seems to work out is I have 1 main game at a time and several games I 0lay along with friends mostly single player but we just talk and hang out and help each other over the headset and so I get afew games done at once granted the games I play with others are slower going but are atleast still getting done plus I get in my dreaded People time..... I have a dread of interacting with people outside of text

[Cassylvania]

I also subscribe to the one "main" game belief. For example, RE7 is my primary focus right now, but I also have three or four games that I'm chipping away at for the platinum/100%. However, once I complete a full playthrough of RE7, it might lose its status as my "main" game, as I'd probably get too burned out going for all the trophies without another game to break things up.

 

If I end up with too many unfinished games in my backlog, I focus on those before starting something new.

[Mina]

I try to play one game at a time between my PS4 and Xbox One since I’ve got backlogs on both. If the game is challenging or I just need a break I’ll switch to a game that I’ve already completed but has replay value, such as GTAV Online. That way I don’t have to worry about trophies.

[mackenzie129]

My rule doesn't really do much but I try to keep my unearned trophies below 4,000 ( I know it's a lot whatever) then I'm allowed a "grace period" where I can add almost 10-25 games to my profile then I start to get below 4000 again. When I'm sitting staring at my game stack I use a wheel spinner with the 5 games I want to play most. And go from there

[iGGTheEnd]

5 hours ago, Dreakon13 said:

I'm trying to come up with a way to structure what I'm currently playing in a way that both motivates me to work through my backlog and to help keep me focused.  Someone suggested at one point to limit myself to one game per genre at a time, but too be honest that still feels a little too chaotic/disorganized for what I'm trying to do... so figure I'd see if this is a "thing" that gamers actually do and what other ideas are out there.

 

I'll get the ball rolling with what I'm thinking of doing... two games at a time, one "main" game that I play until I beat it and a "little" game that I play when I only have a small pocket of time that might not be enough for the main game or to take a break.  For example, a main game might be Bloodborne (PS4).  That'll take me a while to beat and should probably demand the most focus of any game I'm playing.  A little game might be Super Mario Maker 2 (Switch).  Since levels don't take more than 2-10 minutes to complete (depending on the difficulty) it's perfect to sneak in as time allows.  It's a rigid and aggressive structure but maybe it'd help?

 

But that's just an idea.  Do you all do anything like this?  If so, please feel free to share!

Recently I decided to do games in my favorite genre because I could never figure out what I wanted to play.  I chose roguelikes because while they all have the same premise they also all have things that make them feel different from each other so I don't get bored.  Roguelikes might be perfect for your little game because most of them each run takes like an hour or less so when your done getting shit kicked in Bloodborne you can wind down and do a quick playthrough of Risk of rain 2 or Deadcells for example.

[Sky_RykerXD]

I got a problem with starting a game, unlocking a trophy, and not touching it again for months. Even though I liked the game.

 

I had to motivate myself by picking some milestones. 80% completion and what funny trophy/platinum I want to show up on 1k, 50th, 75th, etc. Can't play anything new until 80%. I'm not necessarily going for Platinum/100% per game.

 

Started doing what's already on my profile, ranked by how long to beat. Shortest goes first, with grindy/MP ones mixed in here and there depending on mood. Also prioritized disc games I'm not attached to so I can get rid of those. If its not a steel book, it's taking up space.

[awf9495]

I also have a main game (usually on a console) and a side game (usually on a handheld).

 

I keep a list of the 10 games I want to play most for consoles and another 10 for handhelds. These include games I don't own as well as those in the backlog. I won't let myself play or purchase anything not in the top 10. Helps keep me focused and saves a lot of money.

[Fr_0zt]

For trophy hunting, no more than 2 games at the time and that second game been something shorter and easier.

 

I like to keep my focus on 1 game at the time and this let's me do that 90% of the time. 

[VigilantCrow]

I stick to 3 games at a time. 

a) main solo game that I invest the bulk of my time into.

b ) A coop game to let me enjoy something with my buddy and breaks up long solo stretches 

c) An idle game, for when I need to actually be productive at the home office.

 

Fewer games means I can focus my time and actually make progress, rather than getting distracted by something new or exciting.

 

[TheBloodOfKatana]

Oh when I hear the work I feel confused 

my rule I’m play after working and my time like 12 am until 11pm some time until 3 am but that not mean full time I mean I play 3 or 5 hr in past I was playing a lot when I don’t have work and this account still with me since 2008 

[TripleKing333]

I play one game at a time until completion, unless I have a game with Multiplayer waiting in the backlog. In that case I’ll split my time by playing through the MP part of a second game as well.  Once the MP is complete, that game becomes the next on the list to finish off.

[Conor]

I used to be a lot better about sticking with one game until I complete it, then around April/ May this year I messed all that up. I'm slowly getting back into that good habit. 

I do at least two shorter, easier games between each long one. I also try to keep games un the same series separated by at least one game.

Focusing on the PS3 backlog right now- five PS3/ PS Vita games between every PS4, I am aiming to have over half of it cleared before PS5 launches.

Getting the games with online trophies out of the way ASAP.

 

But I try not to worry too much and just have fun.

[Copanele]

First of all, if I might be honest? You stress too much over unfinished games  Just making a comment, not trying to be mean or anything. Never forget that gaming should be fun and a way to relax, not a "job".

 

Anyway onto an idea about how to organise yourself: What my friend and I did was creating a list that would look as interesting as possible. My friend has one hugeass excel file with games in order of their importance, including if he has to play single player or with someone specific, with tables, cells and stuff. It's a really cute way to sort things out. 

 

I on the other hand did a more "Conan the Barbarian" approach : Bought a white board and some markers/sharpies/however you call them (they were really cheap, around 15 euros the whole stuff I believe) and I just messed around with lists and tables and trees with nodes (For DMC2 I just drew a middle finger to signify its "importance"). Just used my creativity in sorting them out. You have a different feeling when you can finally literally cross a game off the list. Make sure to not add too many games else you will be overwhelmed. You can even use multiple colors, it's fun!!

 

Of course I complete games depending on my mood, never EVER forced myself to play something that I didn't want to play (For example once I got sick of AC Origins I dropped the game even if I was focused on it for one month. Will return to it later sometime for sure). If I don't want to play videogames I just do something else. As mentioned, just enjoying myself .

 

Of course these are my "rules", that's how it works for me. At the end of the day, if gaming is too troublesome, at least you can doodle on that white board  

 

[panikooooos]

If you need motivation to play videogames maybe you should pick up a different hobby ?‍♂️

[zeero7uk]

Play what you want when you feel like playing. If you can't finish the game, or you can't be bothered to just drop it and move on to something else. 

 

Gaming is about having fun and to relieve stress, not be the cause of it. 

[Dreakon13]

1 hour ago, Copanele said:

First of all, if I might be honest? You stress too much over unfinished games  Just making a comment, not trying to be mean or anything. Never forget that gaming should be fun and a way to relax, not a "job".

 

No worries, I appreciate the comment.  Just to follow up though, my state of mind towards most things lately (gaming included) has developed into something a little more complicated than this, and is probably a difficult thing to explain if you're only following the fragmented pieces of statuses and topics that I post here.  I'm just trying to find my way through it.

 

I'd say under normal circumstances though this is perfectly reasonable advice.

Edited October 23, 2019 by Dreakon13