For newcomers, the cliff notes version of this thread: I’m trying to hit Pile of Shame: 0. Originally the plan was to not buy any new games until I’m done with the ones I own, which turned out to be a list of 120 games - that didn’t quite happen, of course. I’ve since bent the rule a bit, allowing $300 a year for new purchases. The initial 120 add up to about 4000 hours of game time (via How Long To Beat) - it’s gonna take me a while. I check in fortnightly with where I’m at, with links to each comment at the bottom of this post. If some of the games on this list are also on you own pile, let’s play them together!
Main Post Explanation
I think I’ve finally hit a point where I need to admit it.
Hi everyone. My name is Chris, and I have a problem: I keep buying games, but never play them.
Don’t get me wrong - I want to. Games are great. They can be fun, relaxing, stressful (in a good way… mostly.) I just can’t seem to do it. Analysis paralysis is a real thing people.
You know how it goes. You get caught up in the hype cycle around current releases. A bunch of press/internet people fall in love with a game, you see it everywhere, you have to have it. You buy it, excited to play it. You might even install it, maybe even (gasp!) start it. But then the next week or two rolls around, and a new game grabs the world’s attention. You begin the cycle anew.
Don’t even get me started on E3, emails from video game companies, Gamescom, tweets, PSX, podcasts, news articles, and the best worst of all, GOTY discussions. It just doesn’t stop… you just don’t stop.
Yes, “you” is actually “me” in this scenario.
That’s why I’ve decided it’s time. Time to take a stand. To say no. Or, more appropriately… not yet. That shelf of games needs to be cleared: that Steam library needs to be culled. It’s time to eliminate that pile of shame.
A bit of background: a few years back, I had similar ideas. I had a bunch of games to play and no idea where to start, so I procrastinated by teaching myself to code and created a pile of shame app. (The app has since been taken down by myself, screw paying Apple $99 a year to keep it up, so don’t worry, no advertising here.) I was quite happy with what I’d created, and after entering in all the games I owned, I had 57 listed. Today, I literally hit 120. Clearly, my efforts didn’t go as planned.
So my fellow game players, this is where I make my post. I’ve drawn the line in the sand. Here is where I say it.
No more buying any new games until I’ve finished the ones I already have.
No more neglecting this pile of no doubt wonderful experiences for the sake of something shiny and new.
No more sitting on the couch for an hour, mulling over what I should spend the spare hour I have playing, only to wind up going to bed.
No more eating Nutella out of the jar with a spoon.
Ok, that last one doesn’t count, I’m probably gonna keep doing that.
I’m making this stand here, on this forum, in the company of some pretty cool people, because to be totally honest… I need your help. I want to say I’ll be stronger, I’ll stick to it, I’ll complete this ridiculous quest I’ve set for myself. But the reality is, I need to be held accountable. That, and I’m hopeful that it will inspire others to follow along, some who maybe will play some older games with me so we can share the joy.
To make things simple, I’m going to lay out the following 4 rules:
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No purchasing of any new games to play while the pile still has games on it.
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I can only stop playing a game before I finish it if I never, ever want to do so. Basically, I have to see each game through to the end, or I’m never playing it again.
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The aim is to finish the games I’m playing, but for some on my list that’s kind of a hard thing to pinpoint. It’s easy for me to tell when I’ve finished Dishonored for example, but Civ 5? Where the bloody hell do you finish with that? I ain’t no Alex Navarro, and certainly won’t be spending 2000 hours trying to win with every Civ (sorry dude.) The idea is to play until I’m finished with a game, so where I’m “finished” will be on a game by game basis.
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No bloody buying new games to play damn it! I’m a 25 year old trying to save to buy a house (ha) so just no. Don’t do it.
Anyway, that’s where I stand. I want to chronicle the journey, so I’ll be writing and posting my shamelog each Sunday night (Australian time) on my own little blog, and I’d like to also post here as well if y’all want to come along for the ride - as a kind of gut check to keep true to the goal, if you like. Like I said, I’m posting here because even though it’s relatively young, this forum already feels like home to me - it’s full of interesting and wonderful people, who I’m hoping might tag along for the ride. I know there’s gotta be some of you out there with piles like mine - maybe you can join in and try to hit pile: 0 too.
THE LIST
Finally, before I get started, the list that nobody you all have been waiting for: my pile of shame.
Steam
1 Assassins Creed: Freedom Cry
2 The Bureau: XCOM Declassified
3 Murdered: Soul Suspect
4 Watch_Dogs
5 The Magic Circle
6 The Talos Principle
7 Deus Ex: Human Revolution
8 Thief (2014)
9 Thief Gold
10 1979 Revolution: Black Friday
11 Braid
12 Metro: Last Light
13 Never Alone
14 Out There Somewhere
15 The Age of Decadence
16 Fallout 4
17 Halcyon 6: Starbase Commander
18 Pillars of Eternity - The White March
19 The Witcher: Enhanced Edition
20 Age of Wonders
21 Endless Legend
22 Civilization V
23 Stellaris
24 Thea: The Awakening
25 Ninja Pizza Girl
26 Crusader Kings 2
27 The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
28 Poncho
29 The Old City: Leviathan
30 A Wolf In Autumn
31 Miasmata
GOG
32 Eisenwald: Blood of November
33 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
34 Age of Wonders 3
PC (Other)
35 Torment: Tides of Numenera
36 Tyranny
37 Underworld Ascendant (Kickstarter backed)
38 All Walls Must Fall (Kickstarter backed)
PS4
39 Everything
40 Horizon Zero Dawn
41 Mafia 3 DLC
42 The Sexy Brutale
43 Assassins Creed IV Black Flag
44 Assassins Creed Unity
45 Assassins Creed Syndicate
46 Dishonored
47 Dishonored 2
48 Hyperlight Drifter
49 Lumo
50 Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime
51 Tearaway Unfolded
52 What Remains of Edith Finch
53 The Last Guardian
54 Gravity Rush Remastered
55 Final Fantasy Type-0 HD
56 Invisible Inc.
57 The Fall
58 This War of Mine: The Little Ones
59 Deception IV The Nightmare Princess
60 Valkyria Chronicles Remastered
61 Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
62 Watch_Dogs 2 (Includes No Compromises DLC)
63 Final Fantasy XV
64 Disgaea 5
65 Far Cry 4
66 Until Dawn
67 Diablo 3
68 Metal Gear Solid 5: Phantom Pain
69 Wolfenstein: The New Order
70 Grand Kingdom
Vita
71 Darkest Dungeon
72 Legend of Heroes - Trails in the Sky
73 Suikoden
74 Suikoden 2
75 Vagrant Story
76 Virtues Last Reward
PS3
77 Catherine
78 Heavenly Sword
79 Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen
80 Drakengard 3
81 ICO
82 Shadow of the Colossus
83 Heavy Rain
84 Beyond Two Souls
PS2
85 Drakengard
PS1
86 Spec Ops: Airborne Commando
Switch
87 Kamiko
Wii U
88 Super Mario 3D World
89 Yoshi’s Woolly World
90 Star Fox Guard
91 Pikmin 3
92 Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE
93 Kirby and the Rainbow Curse
94 Affordable Space Adventures
95 The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker
96 Metroid Prime 1
97 Metroid Prime 2
98 Metroid Prime 3
Wii
99 Super Mario Galaxy
100 Goldeneye 007 (Wii)
101 Metroid Other M
102 The Last Story
103 Pandora’s Tower
3DS
104 Dragon Quest IX
105 Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadow of Valentia
106 Etrian Odyssey IV
107 The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
108 Code Name STEAM
109 Fire Emblem Fates (Birthright, Conquest & Revelations)
DS
110 Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon
111 Chrono Trigger (DS)
Xbox One
112 Recore
Xbox 360
113 Red Dead Redemption
114 Fable 2
115 Assassins Creed 3
116 Far Cry 3
iPhone
117 80 Days
iPad
118 Monument Valley
119 The Room 2
120 Valiant Hearts
Bonus Games
121 Tales of Berseria (PS4)
122 Far Cry Primal (PS4)
123 No Man’s Sky Free DLC update (PS4)
124 Runescape (PC)
125 Super Mario Odyssey (Switch)
126 Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (PS4)
127 SteamWorld Dig 2 (Switch)
128 Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Switch)
129 Blue Reflection (PS4)
130 Doki Doki Literature Club (PC)
House Move Games
131 Far Cry 2 (Xbox 360)
132 Baldurs Gate (iPad)
133 Planescape: Torment (iPad)
134 Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire (GOG)
135 The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (Steam)
136 Divinity 2: Ego Draconis (Xbox 360)
137 Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (Xbox 360)
Bonus Games: 2018 Edition
138 God of War (PS4)
How Long To Beat puts the initial list at around 4000 hours to get through this. So… yeah. This is gonna take a while.
Read each weekly entry below (each links to the corresponding comment in this thread):
The Beginning
2017
Far Cry 3
Shamelog #001 - A Far Cry From 5 Years Ago
Code Name S.T.E.A.M.
Shamelog #002 - Full S.T.E.A.M. Ahead
Watch_Dogs
Shamelog #003 - Watching A Masked Dog
Shamelog #004 - Watch_Dogs Through Gritted Teeth
Shamelog #005 - Putting the Dog Down (+ My Birthday!)
Assassins Creed 3
Shamelog #006 - An Eager Assassin
Shamelog #007 - Master of the American Revolution
Tales of Berseria
Shamelog #008 - Tales of Uncertainty
Shamelog #009 - Tales of… Not Much
Shamelog #010 - Adventures in Berseria
Shamelog #011 - Struggling with Sexism(?) in Berseria
Shamelog #012 - Exciting News!
Shamelog #013 - Bittersweet Berseria
Super Mario 3D World (Part 1)
Shamelog #014 - Reflection
No Man’s Sky
Shamelog #015 - A Wander in the Unknown
Shamelog #016 - We (Don’t) Like to Move it Move it
Shamelog #017 - No Man’s Order
Wolfenstein: The New Order
Shamelog #018 - They Did Nazi That Comin’
Runescape
Shamelog #019 - Distractions & Diversions
Shamelog #020 - The Psychology of MMO’s
Shamelog #021 - Divination & Mammoth Feet
Shamelog #022 - It’s About the Journey… and the Friends You Made Along the Way
Far Cry Primal
Shamelog #023 - Caveman Edition
The Witcher
Shamelog #024 - Witchers Work
Shamelog #025 - Grunge & Atmosphere
Shamelog #026 - Digging Deeper in Vizima
Shamelog #027 - A Witching Slog
Shamelog #028 - “The Death of Single Player"
Shamelog #029 - A Satisfying Conclusion
What Remains of Edith Finch
Shamelog #030 - The Magical, Dark Whimsy of Edith Finch
Horizon Zero Dawn
Shamelog #031 - A New Dawn on the Horizon
Shamelog #032 - Happy Holidays!
Shamelog #033 - The Year That Was: 2017
2018
Doki Doki Literature Club / SteamWorld Dig 2
Shamelog #034 - Doki Doki Steamworld
Suikoden
Shamelog #035 - 108 Stars of Destiny
Monument Valley / Kamiko
Shamelog #036 - More Small Games Please
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
Shamelog #037 - When Something is No Longer Yours
Shamelog #037 - Echoes of Valentia