You DON'T Need a Backlog
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 มิ.ย. 2024
- Enough is enough, I've had it with the backlogs! We should all retire them and make our lives shine brighter than ever before. It's time to STOP!
00:00 Opening
01:54 Chapter 3: The Whole Conundrum
11:50 Chapter 3: Backlog Essentialism
22:06 Chapter 3: This is an Earthbound bit by the way, you would get it if you actually sat down and played through Earthbound for once
28:00 Chapter 3: Reverse the Polarity of the Neutron Flow
38:05 Patreon Thanks
41:17 Secret Ending
PATREON: / transparens
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TWITTER: / transparencyboo
The pretty awesome backlog template you see at 33:28 was made by orbalology:
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
#gaming #backlog #videogames #videoessay #analysis
BONUS MEME
A funny detail we didn't bring up in the video is how so many of those backlogs people keep seem to contain more or less the same games. You know, story focused massive romps from the last 10 years or so. The Witcher 3, Portal, God of War, Spider-Man, Last of Us, you get the gist. Like, yeah, maybe you have to make some time to get through Persona 5, but god, I don't know dude... Maybe you just don't like Persona? Maybe you don't have to give it the time of day? I am still waiting for them to make the superior Shin Megami Tensei Fursona, but that's just a distant dream. I cry about it at night. If you see this, write a comment that includes the word "fursona" somewhere within it. - เกม
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For as little as $1 a month even!
Chrono Trigger visuals!
GOAT
@@NewExile heck yeah!
@@Transparencyboo I think I still have a backlog tho XD
I feel like the internet (Read: Social Media) collectively created this impression that you *HAVE* to be a part of the conversation. *ALL* conversations. Consume all the movies, all the games, all the music in the world so that you can have an opinion on our world wide web. Be a part of all fandoms, understand all the inside jokes... y'know, engage and be engaged with.
And that always rubbed me the wrong way, because I'm too ADHD-riddled to have a backlog or to play/watch/listen/whatever through any "essentials" list or to play the games I buy in order. Sometimes I'll read a text or watch a video about a game and have The Feminine Urge™ to play it. Sometimes I'll feel like watching this or that, and so on.
Life is just like that. Like you said, we have to allow ourselves to be incomplete, to know that life isn't optimal. You can't min-max this shit, no matter how hard you try or how much you think you got this together! And, in fact, be allowing ourselves this "incompleteness", we allow ourselves to be always surprised, to know more through others, to be always renewed in our passions.
Anyway, sorry for the long comment! Great video, as always. Made me feel less alone in my approach to appreciating art. Keep up the amazing work! ❤
Never apologize for leaving long thoughtful comments on our videos, it's nice, and we like it. It means we made you think and were engaged enough to actually share your thoughts, and that's pretty awesome. It feels a bit like a privilege to have access to so many people's ideas all in one place.
That is to say, we appreciate you. We agree, the fear of missing out is stronger these days because so much discourse is permeating our lives all the time through social media and being connected 24/7. It was a long time since we bought new games specifically for that, and it is very freeing to just skip out on many supposedly big titles because you already know they're not for you. A blessing really.
I see it from another perspective. Just enjoy more of what you already like, see what sticks with you. I discovered one of my favorite games ever, because of backlogs and a passionated community behind it that made me understand why it was that way.
It doesn't have to be absolutely every piece of software either. Just what picks your curiosity, and go with it. And, take your time with it too.
This applies to someone that no longer buys new games day 1, look at the old stuff, is everywhere! I somewhat feel left out on most occassions, but that doesn't mean there is a very-very small community out there that enjoys with a passion a certain piece of work/media. It feels like home.
I always thought I had a backlog of games. But after listening to how people treat backlogs, I just have a bunch of games I want to play at some point.
Its the difference between having a hypothetical list (which I think a lot of people do have) and actually making that into a real physical list. Only having a vague idea of what you want to play is probably the best approach.
Meh, you do have a backlog. The vast majority of people treat their backlog like you do.
@@DarkIceKrabby It has a lot to do with perspective though.
Writing that down eases your mind though. You don't need too try to not forget anything, and recalling is easier.
I have a unorganized list, few of them in fact, such as spastic text documents, tags in my Steam library, and rom folders. And I don't think I have a problem with them.
giving such specific advice for playing all the games you want to play is such a weird concept to me, i just play whatever game i feel like playing when i feel like playing it lol
Sounds sensible.
I technically have a backlog, but, i do just play whatever I feel like.
Like, there are games I wanna play, they're there, but, I'll just get to them when I get to them, none of the list stuff, just, letting my fun be guided by whims and/or the allure of the art.
@@AmbrosiaPoly-yolkEgg Likewise. I think recognising that some games just aren't for me helped me in this matter.
@@nezahuatez ok my bad! next time i give my opinion on something i’ll preface it with “my experience is not universal and i do not speak for the whole human race”
@@nezahuatez Ok? What made you think they thought it was?
I've never heard anyone talk about a backlog like this. To me it's always just "Games I'm interested in but haven't bought/beaten yet", and I don't really ever think about them until I go "Oh yeah that game" and just play it some day.
Games to me are a de-stressor, I can't believe people do this.
You're a free spirit!
We are talking about the medium/industry that has day 1 guides on how to min-max gold production.
I would be more surprised if we didn't have people more hardcore about organizing their games than enjoying them.
Your perspective feels like a breath of fresh air. Whenever I read an article about video game backlogs (one article even melodramatically referring to them as "the pile of shame"), I always find myself thinking, "Jeez... Chill out, man."
We try our best to add new perspectives to old stagnant discourse. Its more fun that way. And yeah, we agree, seeing some describe the backlog in terms of failed obligations, missed opportunities and monster metaphors can be a bit rough.
I was on my high horse thinking "hah I'm glad I don't do this with games" for most of the video, and then realized I do basically the same thing but with books I want to read.
That is pretty funny.
"Thanks for the adventure" "Now go have a new one!" That hit *very!* close to home for me
Cute 🧡
That sounds like most of the NES games after completing them, when they whisk you on a harder quest the next playthrough, lmao! The Legend of Zelda!
@@hardyjoe4278 The best kind of reward~
as an autistic and adhd-having perfectionist, this video might have saved my life actually
The magic wand worked!
@@Transparencyboo yippee! :D
"i will bless you" hit me like a truck, i just find it so silly and cute. thank you for releasing me from my backlog
Thank you, that's nice of you to say. I am glad to be able to help!
the bit about making the list and then playing something completely diifferent is real too. Tried once to make a "high priority" short list that I then completely ignored lol
Its very freeing too!
Imagine being distressed about having too many things to do for fun and a repository of possibilities for if you somehow find yourself unable to find something to do in your spare time.
It's funny having a retroactive eureka moment at this. I was kind of wrapped up in "backlog" business for a while until a big event in my life shattered something in me and I just hit the reset button in terms of the media I engage with, so to speak. I moreso have, like you stated in the video, a list of games I'm interested in playing in the immediate future that I'm very flexible with, pulling games in and out depending on how I feel about playing them at any given moment, finishing my time with a game just cements its place on an ever-growing list of stuff I've done. It's nice to have why that feels more gratifying than a traditional backlog turned into words.
Love that for you!
one minute and I already feel immensely vindicated
We're here to provide!
This video is SO GOOD. Seriously, I do not understand why people insist on turning play into work like that. Just play what you want!! Don't feel like like you need to play stuff you don't really want to- I'm proud to say that I don't wanna play the Last of Us, no matter how good it is, so I just won't.
I think that people wouldn't get so stressed about video game backlogs if games were just easier to get your hands on for free. I've never seen anyone get really stressed about tackling a backlog of books they'd like to read, probably because their local library might have some of them that they can just check out, so there's no need to "get your money's worth."
mini-alicia is so cute, what a little rascal
A real scamp!
I also think the backlog misses a key way a lot of people enjoy games, as social experiences!
I don’t know if I could ever say I “Completed” Splatoon 3. It’s the kind of game that resists the backlog in that it takes only as much time as you want to play it. The value can’t be in the act of completion because I can’t “finish” some games. But Splatoon 3 and the friends I made through it was worth every second. I may one day be done with it but it’s not meant to be completed.
Also I tried doing a media thread too last year and it was rad as hell.
Amazing video as always! ✨💫
Yeah, its both online games and replaying favourites honestly. There is some push-back against does experiences because they take away from list progress, but man... sometimes you just want to play Splatoon 3, Overwatch or Apex with the pals. And what if I want to play through Crash Bandicoot for the 124th time? I don't think that should be looked upon as a negative.
Glad the media thread is working out for you too!
I just wanted to say that the ending of the “Backlog Essentialism” chapter made me smile. I know it sounds odd, but it really clicked in my brain that nothing in life is “perfect” or “finished” and that’s OK, and it’s a very human thing to recognize that we’ll never achieve our impossible idea of perfection. I’m currently getting over some negativity towards myself after suffering some intense video game associated burnout so watching this, alongside making small efforts each day to be kind to myself, was helpful, so thank you very much for making this video.
Also, as an alternative perspective, as someone who is well aware of her short-term memory issues writing lists is an act that helps me remember things that I love and things that I want to look into more, but risk forgetting if I don’t write them. So, if writing a list can help you remember what you love about certain games, whether it’s what you played or something that’s caught your eye but can’t play right away, then it can be beneficial. And like you said, we have to make sure that we don’t turn our passions into obligations, which is something I sadly learned the hard way post-burnout, but at least I am learning from that, moving forward, and striving to give myself some grace.
Chapter 3 was my favorite. Also get those Wii U games out from under the bed, I'm going to have a breakdown!
Honestly I've found that for myself, abandoning all lists is the way to go, but I have been enjoying taking notes on something as I play it, it's cool to see how my thoughts change over the course of a playthrough. Fantastic vid!
The Wii U games have to stay there. We don't have room for them, and its just not an expanding collection, so other ones have to take their place. That's just how it goes. We can't help the WiiU sucks a-
@@Transparencyboo My darling... it's fine.. I can take them off your hands if you want..
I never really realized specifically why I like keeping a media thread until you laid it out like this. I have never really been one of the types to labor over a backlog, because I find it more interesting to track what I've done instead of what I have yet to do. It's why I always get stuck on the backlog websites trying desperately to find everything I have ever played, rather than actually add stuff I have yet to play.
Hello, interesting idea for a video, I really enjoyed it. I have some thoughts and some disagreements with it, based on my personal relationship with video games
1) I personally just....enjoy compiling lists, either of my collection, or this vague notion of games I'd like to play one day. It's not at all a source of anxiety for me😅. I suppose the only trouble I have with this habit of mine is that sometimes I feel like I like the process of library management and list creation more than I do actually playing games, I guess that's due to how my brain is wired or whatever. But it's not that important at the end of the day because I'm still enjoying myself, it's still a hobby, even if it's one that would be perceived as nerdy work by some.
2) As for the capitalist, optimization of value argument, I mostly emulate and/or pirate most games I engage with anyway, so that's not a major problem.
3) I'm not even that much of an active gamer. I usually play one or two games once every week or so, and every now and then, try out a new game for a little bit to see if I like it. In this purpose, the backlog actually helps me, since I come across an infinity of games that I'm mildly interested in, but I forget about them. The backlog helps me quickly glance at all those games that are interesting, and make a split second decision based on my mood. Again, not really a source of anxiety, just a menory book.
Thanks for the video, I really appreciate it, and I would love to see your thoughts on these points
I don't necessarily think we even disagree actually, haha. You have to follow your own heart and do what works for you in the end. If organizing and compiling actually brings you joy rather than anxiety, as it does for so many, then damn of course you should do it. Go all out! Bring out those Excel sheets and I will sheer you on, heck yeah!
I think it sounds like you have a healthy relationship to games already, one that you have worked out all by yourself, and that's really everything we ever wanted for all of you, however you end up doing it! Love to hear it!
Thanks for enjoying the video and sharing!
“Let yourself be incomplete.” That’s a powerful statement. Your deep dives into gamer culture are always a treat!
Backlog is a concept I admittedly took for granted, but it’s not something I concern myself with beyond trying to convince myself to spend more responsibly. (At least my untouched games and books are neatly organized?)
I may simply be paraphrasing one of your points here, but the way you described the backlog and all the shame, guilt, and pressure it inflicts makes me think this sneaky lil’ social construct is, in part, a result of our collective wage labor trauma-to be a bit dramatic lol. Self-inflicted propaganda, if you please, and perhaps a response to the problem of stolen time.
Yet to allow games to become “work” is stolen time in and of itself. I hope this video will help start the conversation and encourage people to play games for amusement, however that looks to the individual. Taking your approach seems like a much more fun, rewarding experience to addressing a “backlog.”
But srsly tho, when can I play Daddy Lasso 7!?!?
new transparency :0
We back!
Honestly as someone who has a backlog i feel like i do need it. then again it feels like this video is less about not having a backlog and more about approaching gaming in a way that is not designed to cause stress and anguish (honestly the end of chapter 3 all but says that); which for me the sisyphean task of a backlog actually does by creating a sense of structure (and also helping to curb excess spending on new games). then again i approach the backlog in a more absurdist way: "when Sisyphus acknowledges the futility of his task and the certainty of his fate, he is freed to realize the absurdity of his situation and to reach a state of contented acceptance . . . one must imagine Sisyphus happy."
Yeah, you totally got it. Thank you for expressing it so concicely! I am very happy to know be imagining Sisyphus as happy! 🧡
I loved this video! I basically went through this exact same arc myself. When the pandemic hit, I used that time to start working through my then backlog. Until, about halfway through, I realized I wasn't really enjoying a good portion of the games I was playing. Eventually, I said to myself, "What is even the point of this? Why did I even get these games to begin with?"
For me, I think my backlog was sort of an elaborate lie. I thought it was full of games I "wanted" to play. But if that were true, they wouldn't be sitting on a shelf still inside their shrink film for months on end. If I wanted to play them, I'd be playing them, or at the very least be excited to play them. Instead, I regarded most of the games with a sort of apathy, as if I were only playing them because I thought they'd be "good for me" somehow. So when I sat there and asked myself, "what do I actually want to play _right now_," I realized I didn't have much of a backlog at all, just a bunch of, as you say, obligations. I don't want my hobby to be an obligation.
I've since deleted my backlog and never looked back. I know I'm never gonna get to all the games I own. I just don't really care anymore. Coincidentally, I also started recording all the games I've played in an annual Google Doc, which I've kept up for 4 years. It's a much more refreshing experience.
This is an awesome story, thank you for sharing your journey. We love to hear it! 🧡
It genuinely never occurred to me that some people might treat their backlogs like homework, that's so sad! The closest I get to any kind of negative feeling when thinking about my backlog is "Ooh, that looks like a neat game, but it's more expensive than I expected, can I justify spending money on this when I've already got good games in my backlog that I could play for free?"
More often than not I don't think about it, and when I do it's usually when I'm not sure what I want to play next, and my backlog is where I'll start.
I went down with a really bad cold over the holidays and decided to chill by building a spreadsheet/backlog of games, books, etc. The most rewarding part of the process? Figuring out some rad functions on Google Sheets and color coding everything to look neat and tidy. It was very satisfying, healing my body and soul.
I didn't know Backlog Porn was a thing, so what started as me designing an emotional torture device for myself ended up becoming a nice little journal where I write about the time I had with each game. It also doubles as an anti-consumerism force field which protects me from being bombarded by game sales and promotions. Instead of hoarding new indies because oh my it's so cheap I just check back and get reminded that I've already done that and forgot about it.
Amazing video as usual! Halfway through it I paused, went back to my file, and renamed it from Backlog to... Catalogue. Changed my life
Thank you, we love that name change :) 🧡
I adore how much is this video not only about backlogs (it's fully about it and not at all). Gathered gentle life advice-nudge, and thank you for not piling more pressure instead. Great content as always! ❤
Thank you, glad we can provide some cute vids!
i follow a simple rule that lets me enjoy not having any backlog - only buy a game when i want to play it, and when i play a game i play it to completion or until i can't stand it anymore. can always buy a game that i dont want to play later (often cheaper on sale) and dont really need to give into fomo of a big sale now if i'm not up to playing the game on sale, since the game will go on sale again eventually
It's good to know when you're satisfied with a game. Makes things a lot easier. I played 20 hours-ish of Elden Ring, had a blast, but that was just the right amount for me.
@@Transparencyboo me at 1086 hours of Elden Ring and counting 💀
@@minerman60101 Hope you enjoy!
this is exactly what I do too! the idea of a backlog to me is just....bonkers. I had no idea it was stressing ppl out so much
@@Izelikestea Bonkers is one of my favourite words.
The times I have the most fun with a game is when I play it on a whim, rather than going through a list and carefully calculating which game would be best to play in that moment (and spending an hour trying to decide lol). I've made lists and stuff in the past, just so I can understand what games I have, but I never understood the people who take the concept of the backlog so seriously. I guess I do have a backlog, but I'm a lot more casual about it than most people.
I really love the analysis that highlights how backlogs turn playing games into simple calculations of value and productivity. It's a really gross way of looking at art imo, I'm glad you were able to make that connection for me! Great video as always :3
Glad to make the connections, it was fun!
I tried doing a backlog for years on sheets.
When i started doing your tip on logging games i played aswell, it helped a lot because it's really better to see progress than eliminations.
Go you!
I had a two page spreadsheet for my backlog, the first page featured your standard list with all the games I wanted to play on it
the second one had my personal thoughts / "review" for each game I played, basically a little journal
The main thing I've done after watching this video is taken that second page, and now made it the main one. It's now the central focus
That's awesome!
Very good video! I've sort of ended up making my own "backlog" of sorts over the past few months, largely just starting from decision anxiety of what to play next. It has indeed expanded bigger and greater over time, and I've tried not to get too serious about it. I don't think I can truly get rid of it right now - I'm very reliant on structure as a way to reduce stress, and even documenting what I've read has ballooned out of control in its own way - but I'll try to keep what you've said in mind!
Follow your own path, you'll find the right approach in the end. We've linked to a really good backlog template (one that we show in the video) in the description of you're interested. Its really well made and has some good features for randomizing, if that is something that interests you.
Great video. I personally like having a backlog but they 100% are for everyone. Love the idea of journaling your media experiences.
We hope so! 😅oh and you changed the comment, haha. Happy future journaling!
man. i don't play video games much but i love y'all's work, as someone that's had a dvd backlog pile laying around for years this struck a chord with me just the same as if i did play games. i think i'll put that pile back on the shelf and watch what i want tonight \o/
Glad we can entertain regardless! :)
I actually have an account on a backlog site, and i intentionally only update my history when I finish something, not when I add something. Gives me an interesting view of new stuff I do over a certain period of time, plus I just like having a handy list of my collection that I can refer to. Half the time when I buy a game, I know I won't be playing it anytime soon and it feels like it goes into a vault for later. Rather than stress, I feel a sense of comfort knowing that I've always got something to do. Like you said in the video, just having a nice library of options is cool.
PS. I really love the cat drawing, the art in your videos is always so good.
This video has been coming up in my recommended for a few days but I've been ignoring it... Glad I have finished my video backlog now
Congrats!
oh jeez, one of my absolute favourite channels and you upload right before i have to go to bed ;3; dang. i am just gonna have to get up an hour early so i can watch this with breakfast
Staying up all night to hang out with the transparency pals!
@@Transparencyboo so i have watched and sat with the video for a bit and i think i actually accidentiallied onto a solution for me without realizing it. i have this habit of just watching no-commentary 100% completion videos of the games i _want_ to play but recognize i will never actually find the enthusiasm to _actually_ play. i have several games that i bought but wont ever play because i got my pleasure via youtube or twitch
also flick from animal crossing is the ultimate smt fursona character. he already has the right style for it and if he kicks butt like he catches bugs he'd be a shoe-in
I make no exaggeration when I say that this video should be the most viewed video on TH-cam. Absolutely fantastic work.
Gosh, that's a lot of praise. Thank you ♥
having a backlog is freeing as i have not allowed myself to buy more games. backlog in this case being games bought and not played.
I think you might also just have healthy spending habits and well adjusted restraint, haha
Hah look at this weirdo with a healthy respect for their own time and money
@@akindlyorc lol
Yeah I’ve restrained myself from buying games I barely ever play cause I have 60 games I haven’t played yet…
I wish I had spending habits as good as yours
One big thing in this video that kind of stands out to me as weird is the distinction between "a list of games you want to play" and "The Backlog" as a specific, big, overwhelming thing. I have a pretty short list of games I'm curious about that I want to play in the near future, that doesn't really cause me any stress, doesn't include everything I own or everything I'm interested in, but I call it my backlog because the term just... makes sense? It feels sort of strange to attach all this baggage to a term I thought was just synonymous with "a list of games you want to play". The list is desire-based rather than obligation-based, I just write it down to make sure I don't forget - and if I do find I don't want to play something anymore, it comes right off. Maybe this is an example of the sampling bias you mentioned - when the only people talking about their backlogs are the ones treating it like a big deal, it makes it seem like an inherently big deal, but I don't think it needs to be.
the problem is video games, we should get rid of them
Now this is something I can get behind!
I was doing that thing where I comment before watching... Only to learn that everything I was gunna write basically... Is something you cover in this very video haha.
Great video boss lady! Love both of you : )
This is the perfect money saving video for gamers lol.
Your best advice in this video however is "DON'T USE TWITTER" lololol.
What can we say? We've got you, fam! Haha. I guess that just mean we're thorough in our analysis, hehe. Glad you liked the video!
I've started doing the reverse backlog thing for the past year! I make little collages with each game being represented with a little sprite or key art, split up by genre and which little fursona goober of mine would play it. It does Good Feeling to see it slowly build up!
That's awesome!
Before I used to treat my backlog like a chore but then it made me not want to play much because of the pressure I put on myself, so I just stopped thinking about it.
Now I feel like I'm already mentally at a place where I was going with the flow with my backlog. Just choosing whatever to play after finishing a game. But I love your idea way more! So I'll try it out :>
Hope it helps!
There was definitely a point when came to terms with the fact that I was never going to finish everything on my backlog. I never "stopped" having one, just repurposed it to be a way to keep all the games I own in one place to refer to when I'm looking for something new.
Still need to work on the "I should've finished that game I started" anxiety though...
I hope you get over that anxiety too. Being free from it is honestly such a relief. It takes some work getting past that mindset, but once it clicks you'll be selling games you haven't finished left and right. You got this, friend!
I remember watching a Daryl Talks Games video about this and as he was writing out the spreadsheet I couldn't help but have the same thought about how hilariously dumb it all was. And the moral at the end of the video was to take the games you wanna play one step at a time and don't think of yourself as "obligated" to play anything - with the hyperliteral backlog spreadsheet being a massive source of anxiety. Wish I could say it was the longest "well, obviously" video essay I've sat through on TH-cam, but I don't have a lot of respect for my time.
It's a well put together video, probably one of the more entertaining ones on the subject. But yeah, he even plays up the idea of how silly it all is for dramatic effect. And I think it does show that maybe the approach is a bit flawed to begin with, and how much mindset actually plays into it all.
Around the start of 2020 I started lists for several things pretty much exactly as you suggested here, including what TV shows and movies I've watched, which games I've beaten + optional modes and objectives, what albums/soundtracks I've listened to, and another category for miscellaneous stuff that I have done that I would like to remember like social events.
Seeing each list grow over time gives me a wonderful sense of accomplishment and has encouraged me to see some games through to the end when I otherwise would not have. Just a couple months ago I picked up and tried Dr. Mario on game boy through Switch Online, and pretty much just as quickly put it down. But then I found out you get a congratulations ending screen for beating the highest selectable level (level 20) and that knowledge combined with my list pushed me to see the end of the game after many many tries. I don't think a 30+ year old game boy game on its own says a lot but the feeling of a documented accomplishment makes it feel permanent in a way that my memory can't accurately or completely reproduce.
Lists in this way also act as that "library" of sorts as you mentioned, where I can look through and search for a good soundtrack to relisten to, or replay a fun game I forgot about, stuff like that.
The idea of inverting the backlog is just amazing, and im excited to aplly that tip, i have been struggling with the "Backlog" for 3 years.
Im not sure if its ging to work yet but, thanks for the advice, its going to be helpful ❤
Hope it helps, at least it might be a step in the right direction! We believe in you!
I actually started making a list of everything I ever watched and played in a giant spreadsheet at the start of the year and it was really fun! I did choose to include things that I started but didn’t finish, and stuff I wanted to watch/play at a later date and it works great! I love both making progress no matter what art I consume, and it feels great to document my feelings on different pieces of art even if it’s as simple as a “I liked it” or “mastapiece” entry on the spreadsheet. It lets me write things if I have thoughts, or just add stuff to the list and mark if I’ve liked it or not! It’s fun and I’ve learned a lot about my tastes and art consumption habits while doing it!
Go you, love that for you!
Wow. I am beyond amazed at this video. I’ve always been stressed about this backlog concept, even thinking about setting a sort of hypothetical day(s) where I’d power through a bunch of games that I own but have not even started. Needless to say I haven’t done that yet, and felt kinda like it will all probably just blur together if I tried that. This video kinda made me realise that: Wait. I never play games in this way usually. Or even put any media in general in a list to complete. I discover something, and if I vibe with the concept I play/watch it asap, one thing at a time. Spending time on it until I get bored or feel that I’m content with where I’m at. Heck I don’t even like 100 percenting because it means I can’t return to a game and continue playing unless I replay the whole thing. I leave it at a point to where if I want revisit I can. My kind of way of playing games really doesn’t align with completing a backlog. Kinda wish I realised that sooner! Reversing the backlog is such a great way of encouraging myself to play more and sort out more games as new experiences rather than feeling like “Oh that game looks cool but, I haven’t starting any of these yet, it will probably just end up like those added to the pile.” Sorry for such a long comment but this video really got me thinking it’s really amazing :D
Don't be sorry for the long comment, we really appreciate it and love it to bits! Glad we could make you think a bit, that's what we're all about! Thank you! :)
This is a great take on the backlog (& a great video). Totally agree on the idea of maintaining a list of completed games or anything else. I don't remove any games from my list so I can look back and see everything I've played whether I liked it or not. That combined with the list of games to play helps me remember what stuff I really want to try, and the stuff I really enjoyed & why.
Thank you! Happy gaming, friend!
The core of The Problem for me is that I have a bunch of games I desire to play for reasons like "this looks really interesting" or "girls 👉🏻👈🏻 ", while my impulses lead me to play unending roguelikes, MMOs or card games.
Thankfully, I've been able to play a lot more interesting and fun games since I dropped Magic Arena, which honestly was mostly a source of frustration.
As a result, I could play a great variety of games in 2022 and had a great time doing it. And while not to the same extent, due to being busy with school, I similarly experienced a bunch of games during periods of 2023.
Really, the most important thing here to me is that I play the games until I actively *decide* that I'm done with them, instead of accidentally leaving them behind upon being distracted by something else and then having to start over from the beginning the next time I feel compelled to try again. (Insert "I have no memory of this place" Gandalf meme.)
And I do actually "journal" what I play and such on Mastodon, but I honestly should set up a blog again and do it there instead (still sharing to Mastodon, of course). It's often a bit of a challenge to stick to the character limit, so just freeing myself from that limitation would also be great.
That impression list includes games I've played to their conclusions, games I've played until I decided I'm done with them, demo impressions, and finishing specific storylines in Final Fantasy XIV.
Perhaps it's time to join us over on Tumblr and write a bunch over there?
I came to this video confident and came away humbeled.
You think you have control over something, until see the rug pulled under you.
I know its just games, but I appreciated this.
Just want to say that this video convinced me to start writing a media journal and honestly I'm enjoying it so far. I feel like it's getting me to think just a tad bit more deeply about the stuff that I'm playing/reading/watching.
I wish people didn't see games as a chore, it makes actually important things like school or work even more exhausting when you treat what should be your relaxing wind down time like a job.
It's sadly the world we live in I suppose. It's easy to fall for the idea that you always have to be "productive" even when not working. I agree, we should be kinder to ourselves and let there be rest.
My backlog was... complicated. Mixed with streaming obligations and ADHD nightmare brain and literal thousands of games bought in itch bundles.
And I needed to be free of that.
Thank you for helping me get free.
You're welcome! I wouldn't wish the itch bundles on anyone!
Fursona 3 reload is the only game of 2024 I've played so far.
Hell yeah!
This video actually consolidates things I've realized/done, and adds some extra context(?) to things I've felt in the past. During the height of COVID, I started formulating the infamous backlog spreadsheet to make the most of my added free time thanks to quarantine, but I had realized during the process that (for me, at least) it was gonna turn this medium that I have fun with into a chore, borderline part time job just to say that I "did it" or to "make the most of these purchases that I've already made". Since then, I vowed to not force myself to play/finish games if I wasn't having fun/didn't have interest with them.
Also, the backlog kind of insinuates that once you finish a game, you should drop it and go to the next one, which I don't think is good. I've come to appreciate games more and more if I've played them multiple times.
Independently from this, in my teen years I realized that there's just way too much media out there to consume, that there's just no possible way to stay current with everything out there. I've been at peace with this, and I'm okay with not always being "current" with what I'm playing, so I've been even more willing to go back to some games that are "older" (ie not in the zeitgeist). Just recently, I finished Hypnospace Outlaw and had a blast with it (yeah I did have to use a guide at points, sue me), to the point where I wanna go back to it again just to REALLY pour through the different websites. This game came out in 2019, so basically five years ago. If one only ever plays games in the current zeitgeist (and to just be in that conversation), or if one only ever plays free-to-play multiplayer titles, they'll never have experiences with lesser known gems like HO (Genuinely, anyone reading this should check out Hypnospace Outlaw, very different kind of point-and-click puzzle game that ends up having a surprisingly gripping narrative).
Regarding the media thread thought (of flipping the backlog on it's head), I've kinda been unintentionally doing that over time, I just tend to do a 3-5 tweet thread on a game with my brief thoughts upon finishing a game for the first time, and if there's something extra I wanna say about it, I sometimes turn it into a video of some sort, whatever those extra thoughts may be. Like you mentioned, even if you just fire up your notes/voice memo app, ramble for a while, and never publish it to the world, that's still helpful to consolidate your experience to look back on later and remember what exactly you thought of a thing afterwards.
Basically, at this point in life, I play what I wanna play: No strings attached.
Thank you for the wonderful video!
It's funny that you mentioned how fun it is to make lists--i find making lists to be really fun as well. I haven't worried about keeping a list of games to play for a while, but I DO keep a list of ideas for one page gag comics I want to draw, which is healthier for me.
Great video! You always make such good point.
The timing makes it hard to pinpoint, but I didn’t really have a “backlog” until after college, this just so happened to align with digital downloads starting to be a big deal. So I can’t tell you if it was just the ephemeral and cheaper cost of digital games or just adultness catching up to my free time.
A little bit of column A and a little bit of B I pressume :)
Hey, it's Transparency, the ROCKIN channel. What a great video. I feel ten pounds lighter after seeing all those Sonic games, and the advice is helpful too.
Only the best for our audience!
this video is so real, and for me it also applies to listening to albums. i used to have this huge playlist of things i wanted to at some point listen to, and then made a separate one for things i wanted to listen to again, etc etc etc... and it made listening to music feel more like an obligation, like i needed to double and triple check every album I've heard in case i ended up liking it more. I eventually found that i'd all but stopped interacting with it, and just listened to stuff that in the moment i wanted to listen to.
As much as I love video games, a backlog just makes me realize how much of a waste of time they CAN be.
Good video! As it turns out, I'm already logging the games I finished along with my backlog, which does help in the long run. It's a lot of fun to see which games have been finished and when throughout the year I did finish them, so hearing about this in the video feels like vindication.
Another thing I should note is that it's perfectly okay to replay games you enjoy when working on a backlog. Like, your enjoyment is what matters the most here, and you can mark that game as finished again if you're logging when you beat those games per year, or even per month if that's what you feel.
Finally got this video off my "Watch later" list! Self-actualization here I come!
We love that for you!
It's so funny that this is relatable to me in a very very direct way.
I have many massive -to do lists-
For all this time I thought I'm just a crazy nerd who's obssessed with no missing out like how I missed out everything during my childhood.
Actually.. scratch that. I am crazy.
Okay, but seriously. I always had a problem with the backlog, and always felt that I'm exaggerating in filling.
I mean.. Why the hell would I keep stacking up games when I haven't even played the ones that were there.
Thank you for sharing your perspective on the subject.
You made me realise how most of the time, the stuff that I play are stuff that aren't even in the backlog.
There are dozens of great video games out there, and I bet they aren't even in my backlog.
I think minimising the backlog should start with making a list of only stuff that you're hyped for and confident to play but you just don't have time for them at the moment.
I gotta admit I kinda started to do this way of a game log, but it was initially an excuse for me to find back what I feel like I've forgotten of my own childhood at first, as I did play a lot of games, but somehow forgotten over time and then I remember about them and somehow have it jolt some memories back up, and then I add recent games to the list as I happened to have played and finished them when it's relevant to the game at hand.
But I have also made a backlog, and I think I do feel its pressure, but mostly out of the first option, that I bought them out of interest and feel a little bad when I don't play them. But I also understood quick that I cannot force myself to play them, else I just don't enjoy them, so I basically leave them be until I actually feel like it as I still don't wanna forget about them when I go through my own list but I still prefer to rely on my own desire on the moment.
I never really watched these videos with this kind of social construct though, but it sure makes for a very interesting video that does definitely puts it into question. Good work, it does really put into question how I should think of this backlog on my end. I'll eventually find my way, but it is kinda fun to have a game log to keep everything in.
i’ll admit, i was unconvinced through the first half of the video, but the solution you proposed is so simple and obvious that i can’t believe i didn’t think of it sooner. creation is the answer, not destruction. i’ve always had trouble getting myself to play games because i’m too focused on what i SHOULD play rather than what i WANT to play. combine that with being super susceptible to peer pressure from my friends, and it makes lots of SHOULD plays with very little WANT plays. it’s made gaming entirely unfun for me, to be honest, to the point where i hardly play anything these days. i usually find i’m most happy when i pick what i want to play by instinct, rather than deliberating over the choices i have. after all, fursona 3 reload isn’t going to fly away while i’m playing klomoa, so there’s no use in feeling guilty.
i’m glad i ended up watching this video instead of yet another “HOW TO BEAT YOUR BACKLOG” video. thank you for the viewing session
And thank you for watching :)
YIPPEEEEEEEEE happy to see a new video!!!!!
Glad to be able to deliver it to you all :)
I wonder how many people here got the reference of why every chapter is the third chapter. That EarthBound joke is etched into my brain so hard I knew exactly what you were doing before you even showed the graphic for it!
Anyway, this is something my roommate stresses about sometimes, and every now and then I get roped into it. One year I attempted a "Steam Cleaning" and had so little fun with it that I stopped after just one month! I removed the backlog from my to-do list after that and haven't looked back since then. I am perfectly happy to just play Picross in the bathroom every day without a care in the world :)
Picross in the bathroom sounds amazing. I wish we had a bathtub.
This video shone so much sunlight on my idea of the backlog that it has completely dissolved. Who knew that you could be totally fine just casually playing the games you want to play? 🙃
Thanks for another great video!
Love the new little avatar ya using. It's animations are cute n smooth for the hand gesturing
Fun fact, it is actually from our Reviewer Brain video from a few years ago. We spruced it up with some new nice animations though, so it really got some added personality this time. We're not planning on using this every time, but once in a while like this seems like a pretty good idea. It depends on the topic. Glad you like it anyway :)
Crazy how much i needed this video. I think I have a lot of games I don't really want to finish but have picked up due to that "peer pressure" you talk about. Maybe time to go cash in lol. Great content ty keep it up
We're happy to provide!
A much needed prespective just when I needed it. Thanks.
This is a cool approach to this topic, more interesting than most of what I've seen. Also, awesome cat!
We try to be unique I suppose, haha. Thank you. The cat is named Jucika by the way! :)
Jucika is adorable@@Transparencyboo
@@TheMrWarm19 she's the best 🐱
thank you! Explore the shit you want to! Play what you want to! A PURCHASE IS NOT AN OBLIGATION!!!!
Heck yeah!
Got sent this a week ago and just now got a chance to check it out - I've done the whole "keeping track of games" thing in the "unbeaten list" style for a bit, mainly to play the stuff I got gifted and have yet to poke at. But then I saw someone doing the "Stuff That I Beat 20XX" stuff a couple years ago and started doing the same. It's definitely far more entertaining!
It's very very strange to see the concept framed this way, as my "backlog" is an ambient reminder that I have not experienced all the different kinds of art yet, such is my understanding. Its purpose is for me to understand games better, inderstand other people, and better understand my desires. Cultural research, to put it in more clinical terms.
I did also make A List Of Games I Want To Play, and immediately forgot it existed years ago until this video. I don’t feel guilty about that, so the hypothetical person this video addresses doesn't really relate to me. I hope the people who are legitimately made miserable by having a backlog take this video to heart, I guess?
my backlog is my steam wishlist and few other games not on steam, there are 3.5k games on my wishlist and its really fun to have one imo
At first I wasn't keen on the idea of not having a backlog, because I have a terrible memory and NEED to write down the name of the games I want to play to check when they go on sale or wether I feel like it's the right time to start them.
And then you showed us how some people treat backlogs like chores, and I agreed with the point made.
You can have a backlog and not treat it like that, though. It still fits the word perfectly (even though "library" might work too).
It's all about perspective in the end. As we said, you certainly don't have to stop organizing lists all together, as long as you find it helpful and dont have anxiety about I think you're already far removed from the typical backlog ailes that we covered in this particular video.
This was a great watch! I hadn't realized until you pointed it out how closely "tackling my backlog" mirrors "tackling a homework assignment", at least for me. "The backlog" didn't simply represent a list of games I wanted to play, it represented a list of games I decided I "should" play: because I bought a game, others rated something highly or because I enjoyed other games by that developer, I therefore "owed it to myself" to play through all the games in my library I had even a passing interest in. And of course, since there are SO MANY great games out there , that effectively meant that my backlog was going to be an endless list of obligations I was setting for myself.
Getting rid of the notion of a "backlog", therefore, has proved fantastically helpful for me! I've felt much more free to just simply play what I want to play now that I'm not fretting about the "efficiency" of my gaming decisions :) And creating a list of "played" games that I add to vs. having a "to-do-" list I make smaller has been really fun!
So thanks for putting this video essay together :) It's definitely made a positive difference in my life!
i feel like this probably couldve gotten the same idea across in around 5 minutes, but still great video. maybe i'll start a digital canvas where i draw a little icon for every game i've completed (or enjoyed as much as i feel i want to)
Glad you liked it. We could probably make it shorter if we really wanted to, but only if we wanted to cut it down to the barest minimum, which isn't really our vibe. It would compromise so much of what makes these videos "us". We do want to have the introduction to the subject, the analysis section and we want to be able to wax on philosophically for a bit too. It just wouldn't come together the same way in 5 minutes, at least not in a way that we would be satisfied with. Hope that makes sense, haha.
my backlog is just one game, the game I want to play after I finish this one
Nice and clean.
video games are for assholes and that's why we love them
This is true
Love this video, you two have such cool art!! I now want to start a journal and track what I think of video games. Plus I can draw my fursona on the sides of pages. (:
Thank you, Kiki does a great job with all the drawings, and Alicia animates them afterwards. Glad you like it! Good luck with the journal and the fursona! 🧡
I'm very much in the same boat as you in that I never really *got* the idea of the backlog, I just play games I want to play. I do keep vague lists of games I haven't played yet, but those are just for games that look interesting that I don't want to forget about, rather than a task that needs to be done.
And I love the idea of a reverse-backlog of sorts! Basically the same idea as my lists - compiling things you don't want to forget - but for past experiences instead of future ones!
I even wrote down a game to remember that was mentioned in our stream chat yesterday, so yeah, I totally get you. Like I said, we just write down stuff all the time to remember. I like you calling it "compiling experiences to not forget". It sounds very cozy and wholesome!
excellent video! I love the idea of the reverse backlog :). I love making lists. with my roommate we started watching a movie every night and it quickly morphed into thematic lists (by director, genre, or a vague theme or some other random category that seems fun). it's not about finishing the list but it's about never randomly scrolling while wondering what to watch. whenever we're in doubt we roll a couple dice. it's a fun way to discover beautiful and weird stuff we'd never have watched ever.
Sounds lovely!
@@Transparencyboo it is! we did every Stephen King adaptations, every John Carpenter, fighting game movie adaptations, and right now we're on a Cronenberg exploration. it's a lot of fun
@@eveningdreamermusic The fighting game adaptations are bangers, lol.
@@Transparencyboo my guilty pleasure is the Dead or Alive adaptation. It's so goofy
@@eveningdreamermusic Secretly very funny, yeah.
I never had a "backlog" of games to play and kept for years a list of "games I beat this year" so watching this video sure felt nice, I guess I had the right idea from the start, but now after watching this I might make a sketchbook like that, each page a brief nice sketch of what I beat, thanks for the idea
My greatest auxillary joy from playing games has been documenting them on discord servers, giving small reviews and progress updates, sharing tips and tricks and seeing people excited a game they like is being played and jumping in with extra knowledge, or getting to document something others might not want to play. It is so joyous
Great video as always, but this is funny, because what I've thought of as my "backlog" is pretty similar to what you've recommended here, haha. I keep a very short and constantly rotating to-play list to prevent decision paralysis, and a much longer list of anything that's ever been on my radar, just as a means to remember what's out there. But I also am on a couple game logging sites and make an effort to journal how I feel about a game once I've decided to put it down, since I've realized that writing even just a little blurb about something both forces me to think about it, and it really emphasizes that feeling of having gained a bit of perspective.
Totally agree that once you start treating the backlog as an obligation it just naturally follows that you'll feel unfulfilled about it. It's like a Hydra, almost every game I play puts at least two more on my radar, lol.
Great minds think alike, right? 😏Also thank you for adding another monster metaphor to the pile, calling it a Hydra is pretty awesome and accurate, haha.
I can't help but think of those type of interviews where old people, who don't have too many years or even months left, are asked if they have any regrets in life. As expected, they all have regrets. Even if they were able to fullfill those pursuits, there would've been other things they would've regret doing. Or not doing. Backlogs are basically a surefire way of prematurely forcing those kinds of regrets on yourself. At the end of our lives, we will all have a bunch of games we never had time to get through, so the healthier option will always be to focus on the games we did spend our time with, and the positive experiences they provided.
mini-alica is so cu- WHAHT THE HECK WHAT IS AMY HOLDING
It's a dilator, haha
@@Transparencyboohaha, that's what I figured ^_^
@@Transparencyboo inappropriate of her
@@zinfuldreams1709 We couldn't possibly let her hold something disgusting like a video game controller though.
@@Transparencyboo true...
EARTHBOUND REFERENCE!!!!!! I love Earthbound! I don't have a backlog either, I just replay Earthbound over and over again and never play other games ever. My fursona is even based off of 3rd strongest boss in the game!
Hell yeah to all of that!
I just finished the video and I have to offer a testimony to the reverse backlog... last year I had a big backlog of albums that I wanted to listen, the 4chan, rym-core type stuff and a lot of my favorite music does come from that but this year I took a different approach and just chose albums I wanted to listen in the day at the beginning without planning way in and advance and then afterwards I'd add them to a list and last year I listened to 89 albums, I think? But this year, I listened to 300 albums and that's only the past five months, reverse backlog actually works. Changed my perspective on music and maybe if I implement into my gaming habits, I can play games other than Earthbound, like maybe I can play Earthbound beginnings!
I have actually not encountered talk about backlogs of games all that much, but I have encountered the exact same phenomena in bookish spaces. the subtle perspective differences are interesting to me though, while the gaming space seems to have is like this is a challenge to overcome time to hustle/grind type of attitude. while when it comes to books the refrain is more like as 'punishment' for having bought to many books you need to read them.
Chapter 3 was the third strongest chapter in this video.
I agree!
What a great video (found the channel via this posted somewhere, will check out the rest). This made me realize that the way I've been using the word - means something COMPLETELY different from how most people use it. I simply somehow found myself with so many games (either via sales or extras from bundles) that it was hard to get an overview of what I had even that I wanted to play, and this was creating some stress for me, so I just went about getting a better overview. I was never really concerned with finishing games, but rather "settling them" - this is a game I've gotten, ok let's decide if it's a game I want to play and if not, I don't, I just move it away from view. Watching this video made me realize this is not apparently what most people mean with a backlog. Very good video.
in my mind a backlog is “games u rly want to play but cant afford to buy right now” and “games u rly want to play but dont have time for” so i feel like i am glimpsing another universe
I try to make sure my backlog isn't so much a source of stress as it is something of wonder, letting me think "wow look at these cool things that I might like to play in the future". I do, however, feel unnecessarily stressed about playing games in a long series, like there's some kind of massive time debt sitting over my head... definitely something to reconsider in the future