How I Finished My Gaming Backlog (One Year Later)

Huge thanks again to MANSCAPED for sponsoring! Get The Lawn Mower® 5.0 Ultra for 20% OFF + Free International Shipping with promo code “DARYL” at mnscpd.com/daryl And an even bigger thanks to YOU for all of the love and support behind the backlog project this year. It has been a journey I'll genuinely never forget <3

"If you weren't feeling it, you DON'T have to explain yourself" WELL PUT. I need to remember this more.

Dude there are no words for how amped I am to devour this video

As an adult with a career, house and family, I feel you. The most I’ve ever been able to finish now as an adult is like 20-25 games a year and that was when I was working remotely during Covid. I learned some good strategies: 1) switch up genres (don’t do 2 open world games in a row) 2) don’t buy new games until you finish one it gives you incentive to beat the games you have, 3) only one game at a time until you are done it, 4) know what you like and just don’t bother with genres that aren’t you regardless of what others say 5) don’t play multiplayer games 5) try to do long game short game to switch it up

I basically switched to playing games on easy difficulty a few years ago, I've played SO many more games and enjoyed them a lot more instead of having to use the best builds, or playing in the more optimal way because I'm not skilled.

As a person who truly loves many of the games you removed, no we are not let down or disappointed. Games are best enjoyed when you are ready to enjoy them, if you are not interested or looking forward to playing a game I truly believe you shouldn’t play it. I’m glad that you approached these the way you did, as I believe that if you ever decide to go back to those left behind, you likely will enjoy them much more for it

As much as I LOVE Disco Elysium, your decision to put it aside is a good one. I wouldn’t recommend anyone play it unless they’re in the space to really absorb it because it is a very dense game, it’s practically like reading a book. On another note, this has inspired me to take my backlog from just a random list in my notes app to something more organized lmao.

Video games are such a wonderfully diverse medium. The fact that Daryl could cross off Cuphead and Return of the Obra Dinn (two of my favorite games of all time), play Persona 4 Golden for 2 months (a game I literally played for 5 hours and shut off), and yet share my exact same thoughts on stuff like Portal 2, Death's Door, and God of War. It's incredible how gaming taste can be so similar and yet so distinct at the same time.

This video really hit the spot for me. I've been battling with OCD since I was a kid, realising that you don't have to complete whatever absurd goal you've set is healthy and that it's the experience that matters, it's made me approach life with a smile. Seeing one of my favourite creators share this idea, it really feels good man.

You could have finished the backlog in 1 year if you didn't intend and try to finish it in 1 year. That's the irony of life

The "save for later" list is basically STUFFED with some of my favorite games of all time. Great to hear you're planning on giving them the time they deserve.

Just finished the video after a few weeks of having it in my “Watch Later” backlog 😂 Gotta say, watching this was like an adventure itself, and I’m really happy you found the peace and a new mindset to enjoy actually beating games at a healthy pace. I went through something similar last year, in 2022, when I beat 40 games, which was half my backlog, and playing things I’d been putting off for years (Skyrim, HZD, Gravity Rush 2, Metroid Prime 3 etc). The thing I found that “freed” me from caring so much was accepting, like you did, that the number didn’t matter, but also: not caring about (in the case of PS or Steam games) trophies or achievements, which literally don’t matter. Once I stopped worrying about getting this trophy or missing that achievement, I enjoyed just, y’know, playing the game. So far this year, 2023, with this new mindset I’ve finished 20 games, on the way to finishing #21, and not really caring if I beat anything this year after that. It’s all about the journey, right?

I have a similar backlog except it's physical books. Last summer I decided to pick up everything in my flat I hadn't read and put it in a pile. Genuinely a great move that got me back into reading for myself. I still bought a few books (which I had ruled I wouldnt lol) and read the handful I bought as gifts, but my pile is slowly, slowly decreasing. I'm happy to read again, and I'm happy to see my pile get lower. Not to mention, having those books feature prominently in my living space means that I am reminded of them and why I want to read them often. No time limit! It's a big pile, it'll take a few years before it's back to being a bedside table stack. It's a good habit to have, I think. I do also write my thoughts on each read. That moment of transition, packing up the finished one, taking a breather and picking up the next read, has become a little bit precious. if anyone is also doing this pls share your current read? Mine is Zola's Nana, some 8 years after I bought it haha (scattered thoughts oops. i hate editing comments on my phone)

What a journey, thank you for taking us with you. This has been a "man" video for me. On a different note, I think it's really inspiring how you juggle your personal life and your YouTube channel.

When I first saw the title and thumbnail, I immediately found myself with this overhwhelming sense of self-doubt regarding my own backlog journey. You see, like many others you mention in this video, your original idea to attempt this is what sparked me to jump into my own library I've wanted to tackle throughout the years. However, after finishing the video and seeing your results, it actually made me feel... kind of proud of myself. Originally I started out in a similar way you did. I listed every game I was interested in trying to get through in 2023 and quickly began to whittle through them. But as I went on, I started to realize something. Not only was I not enjoying my time as much, but knowing there was a time limit hanging over my head began to become more stressful than anything else, just like it did for you. It was clear, this was the absolute worst way to go about this. So I set a new goal. Instead of just worrying about the backlog, I kept a list of everything I was finishing throughout the year. Games from the list, new releases, certain indies I'd always wanted to try out and even replaying some older favorites just for the fun of it. Whatever I felt like going for at that moment. And then... it started to click. I was having a great time, and I was finishing games left and right. I was having new experiences while still feeling immense accomplishment. Then I decided my final goal for the year would be 50 games altogether. I'm proud to say I'm currently sitting at 53 with still a month left to play what I enjoy. The reason I doubted myself when I saw this video pop up is because I'd immediately assumed you succeeded. That my number was paltry by comparison. But it turns out I managed to defy even my own odds by playing by my own rules. Man, does that feel good. So to you and everyone else who might be reading this, take this piece of advice: Don't just list the games you want to finish, but instead treat every game you manage to get through as another major accomplishment. Whether it's a something brand new, or your favorite game you've played 100 times growing up. As that number grows, so will that spark of joy that a lot of us might have felt we lost over the years. And when 2024 comes around, I'm doing it all over again. Who knows, maybe I'll break my record. But if not, I'll still have my log of the entire journey, and that means just as much!

"The pursuit of everything (paradoxically) costs you everything." Damn! Well said. I always enjoy Daryl's videos so much.

300+ games on my backlog, never had the idea to put them in a spread sheet until I saw one of your videos some 6 months ago, now I'm 19 games in, and I had some of the most fun ever in these 6 months

In high school, I had this literature teacher who wanted us to learn a whole poem by heart. The poem was "Ithaca", by Cavafy, and she even made us take this test where we wrote as much of it as we could remember. At the time, I remember thinking that forcing us to learn it in such a manner was actually counterintuitive and kind of stupid. Years later, I'm in a fairly demanding university course and I find myself going back to that poem and its message about learning to enjoy the journey and to never rush to your destination. That's a philosophy I've found applies to so many aspects of life, videogames as well. No matter what you may be doing in life, take some time to remember why you're doing it and, if possible, enjoy it

I really admire you for this video. People feel so much guilt and pressure to finish their backlog, but this entire endeavour reminds people on the value of time & choice. All of us need to strive for a little bit more balance in our lives.

One thing that I did for my massive backlog (200+ games) I just deleted the document. That's it. If I really wanted to play the game, I would remember it. That massively helped me stop looking backwards and engage with the present gaming community and enjoy the games I play.