My backlog is huge, massive, like 300+ games huge and I'm sloooowly chipping away.

My current method is one long game then one or two short games. Also it helps to cut down getting new games.

Also...work on a console game and a portable game at the same time. Play the console when you can and the handheld the rest of the time (on the can, instead of reading before goign to sleep etc.)

Also get rid of stuff you know you just will never play. We all have those and have to cut them out.

5 or less games: pick whichever one I wanna play the most.
5-10: Highest Gamespot score to lowest Gamespot score.
10-20: Oldest game first, newest last.
20-40: Alphabetical Order
40+: Randomly draw names from a hat and pray it's a good one.

Stay away from multiplayer games if you can. They definitely cut into backlog time.

I like playing two games at a time, that way when I get tired of one, I can just hop on the other one.

My approach mirror's that of Hell Monkey's, alternate longer games with shorter ones. I also like to make a point to alternate genres. That way I won't end up trudging through two 70+ hour RPG's back to back.

What I did to reduce my backlog was to play them in order of length. I got all the shortest ones out of the way first and I also played a few at a time (one per console)

Once the really short games were done with and my list was smaller, I just picked whatever I was in the mood for.

I also highly agree with Hell Monkey. Get rid of the stuff you will never play.

Become independently wealthy. Problem solved. That's been my plan for years, but it hasn't worked out.

I traded in some games I wasn't sure I'd ever get to and that helped, but I still have a backlog. Still, getting rid of those was kind of a relief. So, yeah, sell stuff off. Even if you think you might play the game in the future, odds or that by then the game will be cheaper anyway, probably by a wide margin.

Personally, I think it is a matter of finding what will work best for you. Originally when I decided to conquer my backlog, I looked around for what methods others were using. I played around and changed things here and there until I found the method that works best for me. I'm going to try and keep this short (which I'm not very good at) so I'm just going to point out my main areas of focus:

1. I have over 200 games in my backlog and I'm pretty slow at beating them. Between not having much time and just being slow with games in general, it takes me a while to finish games. After trying several different options, I ultimately decided to play my games in alphabetical order. My problem is that I have a lot of games filling my backlog that are not great. They are older games from when I was a kid, more recent games I just bought cheap, etc. So, if I didn't find some way to give myself boundaries I knew I would be going for the LittleBigPlanets, Super Mario Galaxie's, etc. rather than the Incredibles and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

So, I decided, for me, just going alphabetically was the easiest. I already organize my games this way, so I can just go in and pull out a game instead of having to look up what game is next, etc. The only flexible option I have here is what system I'm going to play next. I would say I have more DS and Wii games than anything, so if I want to play a few of those in a row, that is my choice. I still try to get a little from each system so I don't completely leave out anything.

2. I never play more than two games at a time. When I first started I was playing three or so at a time, which allowed me to go between them. However, I found that I would avoid the games I didn't really like, or I was stuck on and never finish them. So, I finally decided to limit myself to two games. Those two games, however, are one console and one portable. This option worked best for me because I had the choice of going between games, so if I got stuck one day and didn't feel like trying to beat something, I could move to the other one, but yet if I want to move onto another console game I have to beat the one I'm playing. The thing that works the best though is that typically console games require more time while portable games can be played in short bursts. So, by having one of each I pretty much have something to play no matter how much time I have.

3. I play my games on an easier level. Typically, I try to find the difficulty that is going to challenge me but not make me want to pull my hair out. I don't want to run through a game and feel like I didn't do anything, but I also don't have the time, or the patience with my backlog, to deal with overly difficult games. So, if you don't mind, lower the difficulty and it won't take you as long to finish your games.

I think that pretty much covers everything for me. Other things I try to do is set goals, for example, of how many games I want to beat in a given time. I haven't really done that this year because I don't have as much time to play, but last year that worked really well for me. Also, try to avoid buying games, unless I can find a game at a price that I know will be nearly impossible to find again and it is a game I really want, I try to avoid it. All those deals were the reason my backlog got so big last year, so I'm trying not to add to it this year.

Finally, as the others have said if there is anything you don't really want and you know you won't play, get rid of it. I don't get rid of many games just because I don't like trading them. However, there have been a few games that I got really cheap or free that I knew I would never play, so I traded them off so I could use the money toward games I would actually enjoy.

Unfortunately, it all boils down to needing the time to play games and that is what I have the most difficulty with. When I have time to play my games I do make some progress with the backlog, but a lot of times I just don't have the time to play. So, overall, I would say the most important thing is to just work on your games and focus on one or two at a time instead of spreading your time around to several games.

Also, as hard as it may seem.. try not to think about the fact that you're trying to tackle a backlog too much. You want to be able to have fun playing the games or else it's just a waste of time. When I first started tackling my backlog, I just kept thinking about how I have to reduce it and suddenly gaming became more of a chore than a form of fun and entertainment. That basically got me nowhere for a while.

To add onto the post above. Along the same lines don't obsess over trophies or achievements, it won't help you get through the game and can someone even hurt the fun of it, making it more of a chore rather then enjoyment.

Here is another idea - and one that I think I am going to use once I get myself moved into the new house and have my games situated.

I am going to see if the kind people of CAG will vote on my lists to tell me which games I should play next.

Make a list of my games for each system and have people go over it and give me their top 3 or 5 or 10 for each system and then based on votes and my preference I will organize them into 10 games for each system and play through them.

Once I clear those games out I'll repeat the process with the left over chaff until I have nothing but games that everyone tells me to throw in to the garbage

sell your games and watch playthroughs on youtube. Hell you don't even need that game console anymore just a computer!

why is there a backlog?
think about that question.

do you want to complete a game just for the sake of completing it? or do you want to legitimately play it and enjoy it? because lots of things can be enjoyed.

also, cut down on the games that you buy, because if you don't play a game then you're just needlessly spending money even if it is on sale.

1. Get rid of any significant others or people who require your time and attention (including pets)
2. Learn how to do normal tasks such as cooking and cleaning while using the controller.
3. Learn how to play your handheld games while at work without getting caught.
4. Don't play too many games at the same time. 2 Console and 1 handheld is the sweet spot I feel
5. If you go a whole year without playing a game in your "backlog" get rid of it. What's the point.

I'd suggest one game at a time. Okay I'm gonna punch myself for something that lame. In honesty ignore the garbage that you would buy just for the sake of it being cheap. Also try to avoid MP games and stupid achievements, don't keep playing a game for a stupid score.

I definitely have to agree with @dobedobedo, if you concentrate on this fact to much and force yourself to play and get through games, there really isn't a point. We all game as a hobby and if we make it to the point where we are only playing to get a game finished, it loses some of the enjoyment and in that case you might as well get rid of all the games because it just isn't the same.

I also have to agree with Monkey. When I play my games to mark them off the backlog, I just play through the main game, story, etc. and then move on. Anything like trophies, achievements, extra tasks, etc. I will wait on and use that at a reason to go back to the game. For example, the Lego games, I would normally try and complete 100% because they are games I know I could get 100% on. However, for the sake of my backlog I played through the story and marked it off. Once I work my way through all my games and I'm back to those games, then going back and getting 100% in every level will give me something to do. Since I hang on to my games and don't trade them, this is the best solution for me because it doesn't hold me back in my backlog but also gives me replay value in the games I have finished.

No long paragraphs.

It's as simple as: Start selling or stop buying.

For every new game you have, sell one in your backlog.

I know it sounds stupid, but it'll really make you consider WHICH games you want to play most.

Even if you have to sell to gamestop

Quote: Originally Posted by phantasyx do you want to complete a game just for the sake of completing it? or do you want to legitimately play it and enjoy it?

This. Its something that I realized fairly recently---I don't have to play all of this stuff. When I have the time for a game, I just go with what looks fun, and don't beat myself up over not getting to the other stuff.

Case in point: I love Dead Rising 2, and I played a few hours and then some when I bought it, and only stopped because other responsibilities came up. But when the weeks and my other obligations passed and I was finally able to get back to the Xbox? 'Splosion Man. Haven't finished either and may never at that, but I'm just having my fun and moving along.

What I been doing is playing a game until I realized I did not like it. Case in point Final Fantasy XIII. I bought it because I thought it looked cool (and I always enjoyed final fantasy games), but stopped because I did not care for it. My backlog is not that huge that I need to sell games, but it's enough of a backlog to last me at least a good part year. I really don't have any more plans to buy more games except for the few must haves that come out this year.

You can always do what I do and continue opening up games, looking at the inside of the box, saying, "huh" and putting it on the shelf alphabetically. After that, you reach stage two where you sit back and look at your shelf and say, "hmm, I don't know what I want to play." The third stage is stating, "I have a lot of games. I should play something new." Stage four - just go back to playing something MP or that you've already beaten. Stage five - get fed up at a MP game, throw controller and grab whichever game strikes your attention first and pop it in hoping it's a new game.

In all seriousness, I think I spend more time trying to convince myself I'll go back and play these games... but I probably won't. I get an hour to two hours a day and want to enjoy my gaming. I'm a slow gamer in the sense that I like to explore every little corner because finding my way to the end. Eternal Sonata took me like a month to play.

my quote got jacked by phantasyx