Thanks for sharing your thoughts about this topic. I was currently in between games and over thought it and ended up just grinding way at Hollow Knight trying to at least get to 100%. Then I did start a newly purchased game and got stuck in the first 20 mins. Now I might buy south of midnight because I actually do know I will like it. Community definitely helps and understanding what you like out of a game but it can be tricky when everyone seems to be enjoying something.
Like I doubt I will play Clair Osbcura. I know the turn based fighting will get to me.
I hope though you will let us know how you find it. Happy weekend <3
There is a whole bunch of games I'm interested in but wouldn't play myself so I love watching let's plays of them—not everyone likes it but I love that it's an option! A playthrough of Clair Obscur would be very entertaining if you want to experience it 🤩
Art is a big factor for me. A lot of times I'll still play an OK game just because I enjoy the art. It's less the case for me for the opposite. There are games I've played and turned my eye away from the art just because the gameplay is awesome. But it's hard for me to stick with it. Case in point, I still have RimWorld in my Steam library... Unplayed. Can't get past the art. Although now that I think about it, I played Prison Architect (via word of mouth from a friend) initially focusing on the gameplay rather than the art.
Me too! I love hearing about how other people work! I've pretty much stuck to my list, apart from a few deviations like deciding to play the original Oblivion. I guess it's good to allow for the unexpected as well!
I struggle so much with what to read/play/watch next that I make a list at the start of the year of things I'd like to delve into over the next 12 months 😅 It's not so much a checklist, but more for decision fatigue and so far it's helped! Other than that, I probably rely a little too heavily on the "games in your library like this" feature on Steam 😂
Hey, that's an awesome idea! I love reading all the comments about peeps coming up with different strategies 🤩 How's your list for 2025 has been working out so far, any deviations?
I’m torn these days in so many different directions.
I often like to alternate between short (under 20 hours) and long (over 20 hours) games. Back to back long games can be a slog!
I’m influenced a lot by friend recommendations too. Or trailers, hinting at things I may like.
But I’ll play just about everything — aside from sports games. So it’s always a big pool to choose from. Some days I genuinely wish for a drought in new releases!
Alternating between short and long games is smart! Keeps things balanced. I think I have a few short ones in my library that I should probably tackle as a break once I'm through with Expedition 33, but that will probably take me at least another month.
The firehose of new releases is a double-edged sword, for real!
The bit where you mentioned about how well word of mouth works is exactly how I ended up purchasing Beyond Good & Evil in the PS2 days. Come to think of it, I may have purchased it on the Xbox originally.
Anyway, I think I saw ads for it gaming magazines, but still didn’t know anything about the games. So I passed it up for months.
If memory serves correctly, BG&E got a price cut to $20 in under a year, and I remember shooting the breeze with a game store employee (maybe EB Games?) telling me it’s was a really good game and one of the best he’s played on the so far.
That was enough to convince me to plunk down the $20. I had such a good time with BG&E and was thoroughly surprised by its treatment of the main character Jade.
You mentioning an ad in gaming magazines is amazing. Those were the days! I have wishlisted and bought games that were advertised to me on Reddit of all places. But to your point about taking the advice from a game store employee, it's really fun to ask for recommendations from people you don't know and who don't know you—you may end up with something unexpected, which is the whole point. Glad their BG&E reco worked out!
For me the choice is almost paralysing at times. I have an abundance of Steam games to put it mildly, enough where quite regularly I see something interesting in a blog or Reddit and on heading to the store page realise I already own it. My latest attempt at encouraging gameplay is a new organisation system I’m trying to implement so I can find those games I should be playing but simply haven’t got the time to sift through a mountain to find.
So yeah I see it as a high stakes choice and likely not to start any as a result. Happy to hear any thoughts on how you would tackle this!
You’d be surprised about how fabulous it feels. More often I feel guilty about the purchases given I was unaware of their ownership. I just want to be clear this isn’t some humble brag that I’m buying without consideration. I live in the UK but lucky to have a legitimate bank account in the MENA region so games are 50% cheaper by default relative to US and UK Steam since I set my storefront there.
As I said I have been exploring a numerical system to categorise by genre, sub-genre and status (played, unplayed, like, etc…). Another fantastic idea I came across is one person who plays one game from each letter of the alphabet in turn which struck me as ingenious! This way they are forced to play and not skip letters
Once I start playing a game I’m usually ok and enjoy it but I spend so much time fretting about which one to start that I don’t do so at all. I think I need to chill out a little and enjoy it for what it is. As you said if I don’t enjoy it then to stop playing. Perhaps this is the root of the issue, I tend to play to completion love or hate it so I worry about starting a game I dislike because it means I’ll push through to the end.
I didn't take it as you buying without consideration, on the contrary—that’a a great problem to have! And the way to choose is whatever works for you, of course. Don't be afraid not to finish games though, I know it's easier said than done but as my friend @Laura Bibby puts it, “I've seen enough!” is a valid way to move on to something else. I certainly have lots of abandoned games; I've even compiled lists of them on Playing This Week 😄
I have to say, it would be a fabulous feeling for me to get interested in a game and then realize I already have it—my library isn't as big yet! So I understand it must be overwhelming.
Maybe you can give yourself permission to have a scroll through your collection and start whatever catches your eye, regardless of whether it's something you "should be playing" or "it's been so long" or whatever? Basically just go with something and see how you like it. And no shame in abandoning a game you don't enjoy, time's too short for that!
"Choosing a video game isn’t a high-stakes choice, but it can sure feel that way when I’m in between games." Couldn't have said it better myself! The stakes feel even higher than usual these days and being strapped for cash really underscores the importance of good heuristics.
For me, that heuristic is something like "will this game stimulate my intellect and/or emotions?" The older I get, the less time I seem to have for the repetitive and the numbing, and the more excited I get by games (like Expedition 33!) that are clearly doing something special.
Hope I have room for Expedition 33 in the budget this month. But if not, no big deal — it'll go on sale sooner or later, and coming late to the party won't cheapen the experience one bit.
Oh absolutely, with games getting more and more expensive I didn't want to downplay the financial aspect, and it definitely figures into my choices as well!
Waiting for sales is GOAT, honestly, this is how I mostly shop with the latest two exceptions of AC Shadows and E33. Hope you get to enjoy Clair Obscur soon as well ✨
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about this topic. I was currently in between games and over thought it and ended up just grinding way at Hollow Knight trying to at least get to 100%. Then I did start a newly purchased game and got stuck in the first 20 mins. Now I might buy south of midnight because I actually do know I will like it. Community definitely helps and understanding what you like out of a game but it can be tricky when everyone seems to be enjoying something.
Like I doubt I will play Clair Osbcura. I know the turn based fighting will get to me.
I hope though you will let us know how you find it. Happy weekend <3
There is a whole bunch of games I'm interested in but wouldn't play myself so I love watching let's plays of them—not everyone likes it but I love that it's an option! A playthrough of Clair Obscur would be very entertaining if you want to experience it 🤩
Art is a big factor for me. A lot of times I'll still play an OK game just because I enjoy the art. It's less the case for me for the opposite. There are games I've played and turned my eye away from the art just because the gameplay is awesome. But it's hard for me to stick with it. Case in point, I still have RimWorld in my Steam library... Unplayed. Can't get past the art. Although now that I think about it, I played Prison Architect (via word of mouth from a friend) initially focusing on the gameplay rather than the art.
The visuals play a huge role in the gaming experience, so it's a very valid way to choose. What's the most memorable game art-wise you played lately?
Been playing Dredge, but also loved Disco Elisym and Inside art very much
Me too! I love hearing about how other people work! I've pretty much stuck to my list, apart from a few deviations like deciding to play the original Oblivion. I guess it's good to allow for the unexpected as well!
I struggle so much with what to read/play/watch next that I make a list at the start of the year of things I'd like to delve into over the next 12 months 😅 It's not so much a checklist, but more for decision fatigue and so far it's helped! Other than that, I probably rely a little too heavily on the "games in your library like this" feature on Steam 😂
Hey, that's an awesome idea! I love reading all the comments about peeps coming up with different strategies 🤩 How's your list for 2025 has been working out so far, any deviations?
Such a good topic!
I’m torn these days in so many different directions.
I often like to alternate between short (under 20 hours) and long (over 20 hours) games. Back to back long games can be a slog!
I’m influenced a lot by friend recommendations too. Or trailers, hinting at things I may like.
But I’ll play just about everything — aside from sports games. So it’s always a big pool to choose from. Some days I genuinely wish for a drought in new releases!
Alternating between short and long games is smart! Keeps things balanced. I think I have a few short ones in my library that I should probably tackle as a break once I'm through with Expedition 33, but that will probably take me at least another month.
The firehose of new releases is a double-edged sword, for real!
The bit where you mentioned about how well word of mouth works is exactly how I ended up purchasing Beyond Good & Evil in the PS2 days. Come to think of it, I may have purchased it on the Xbox originally.
Anyway, I think I saw ads for it gaming magazines, but still didn’t know anything about the games. So I passed it up for months.
If memory serves correctly, BG&E got a price cut to $20 in under a year, and I remember shooting the breeze with a game store employee (maybe EB Games?) telling me it’s was a really good game and one of the best he’s played on the so far.
That was enough to convince me to plunk down the $20. I had such a good time with BG&E and was thoroughly surprised by its treatment of the main character Jade.
You mentioning an ad in gaming magazines is amazing. Those were the days! I have wishlisted and bought games that were advertised to me on Reddit of all places. But to your point about taking the advice from a game store employee, it's really fun to ask for recommendations from people you don't know and who don't know you—you may end up with something unexpected, which is the whole point. Glad their BG&E reco worked out!
I feel like the opposite of everyone, I just pick at random and if I don't love it I switch it out. Helps when you have a massive backlog of games.
Yeah that's ideal in my world too! I just can't be that breezy for some reason, I wish I was though 😁
For me the choice is almost paralysing at times. I have an abundance of Steam games to put it mildly, enough where quite regularly I see something interesting in a blog or Reddit and on heading to the store page realise I already own it. My latest attempt at encouraging gameplay is a new organisation system I’m trying to implement so I can find those games I should be playing but simply haven’t got the time to sift through a mountain to find.
So yeah I see it as a high stakes choice and likely not to start any as a result. Happy to hear any thoughts on how you would tackle this!
You’d be surprised about how fabulous it feels. More often I feel guilty about the purchases given I was unaware of their ownership. I just want to be clear this isn’t some humble brag that I’m buying without consideration. I live in the UK but lucky to have a legitimate bank account in the MENA region so games are 50% cheaper by default relative to US and UK Steam since I set my storefront there.
As I said I have been exploring a numerical system to categorise by genre, sub-genre and status (played, unplayed, like, etc…). Another fantastic idea I came across is one person who plays one game from each letter of the alphabet in turn which struck me as ingenious! This way they are forced to play and not skip letters
Once I start playing a game I’m usually ok and enjoy it but I spend so much time fretting about which one to start that I don’t do so at all. I think I need to chill out a little and enjoy it for what it is. As you said if I don’t enjoy it then to stop playing. Perhaps this is the root of the issue, I tend to play to completion love or hate it so I worry about starting a game I dislike because it means I’ll push through to the end.
Thanks for listening to my long rant.
I didn't take it as you buying without consideration, on the contrary—that’a a great problem to have! And the way to choose is whatever works for you, of course. Don't be afraid not to finish games though, I know it's easier said than done but as my friend @Laura Bibby puts it, “I've seen enough!” is a valid way to move on to something else. I certainly have lots of abandoned games; I've even compiled lists of them on Playing This Week 😄
I have to say, it would be a fabulous feeling for me to get interested in a game and then realize I already have it—my library isn't as big yet! So I understand it must be overwhelming.
Maybe you can give yourself permission to have a scroll through your collection and start whatever catches your eye, regardless of whether it's something you "should be playing" or "it's been so long" or whatever? Basically just go with something and see how you like it. And no shame in abandoning a game you don't enjoy, time's too short for that!
"Choosing a video game isn’t a high-stakes choice, but it can sure feel that way when I’m in between games." Couldn't have said it better myself! The stakes feel even higher than usual these days and being strapped for cash really underscores the importance of good heuristics.
For me, that heuristic is something like "will this game stimulate my intellect and/or emotions?" The older I get, the less time I seem to have for the repetitive and the numbing, and the more excited I get by games (like Expedition 33!) that are clearly doing something special.
Hope I have room for Expedition 33 in the budget this month. But if not, no big deal — it'll go on sale sooner or later, and coming late to the party won't cheapen the experience one bit.
Oh absolutely, with games getting more and more expensive I didn't want to downplay the financial aspect, and it definitely figures into my choices as well!
Waiting for sales is GOAT, honestly, this is how I mostly shop with the latest two exceptions of AC Shadows and E33. Hope you get to enjoy Clair Obscur soon as well ✨