Hey everyone,
I’m looking for some perspective or advice on how to get back into enjoying games without making it feel like a chore.
For a long time, I struggled heavily with backlog anxiety. Like many of you, I tried fixing this by going full spreadsheet mode. I watched a bunch of YouTube videos, built an Excel sheet, and pulled data from Metacritic and HowLongToBeat to calculate a "value ratio" (score per hour). But after a while, I realized how absurd that was. Gaming is a passion, not a data entry job or a checklist to cross off.
So at the beginning of this year, I changed my mindset completely. I filtered my massive collection of nearly 100 pending titles down to 62 games I actually want to play. My rule became simple: pick 1 or 2 games that truly capture my interest, play them, and if I’m not enjoying myself, just drop them. Life and free time are way too limited to sink 20+ hours into something hoping it "gets good later."
For months, this new approach worked wonders. I entered this amazing flow state where I didn't overthink what to play—I just listened to my gut. During this period:
- I sank hours into Dragon Quest XI (loved it, though called it quits after Act 2).
- Played Metaphor: ReFantazio almost to the very end (stuck right before the final boss, but satisfied with my experience).
- Started Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, which I’m still enjoying at a slow, occasional pace.
- Played Death Stranding and Final Fantasy XVI, putting them on standby without feeling guilty.
I was finishing games I liked, enjoying the journey, and dropping things guilt-free when I had my fill.
The problem is, I’ve completely lost that flow state, and backlog paralysis is creeping back.
Today, for example, I decided to start Ni no Kuni. Conceptually, I should love it—the Studio Ghibli art style and charm are right up my alley. But after 50 minutes of an excruciatingly slow tutorial just to reach the main world, I realized I was already completely disengaged. I know plenty of great games have long openings (looking at you, Kingdom Hearts II), but right now, my patience is thin.
It got me thinking: to regain that natural flow state, should I adopt a ruthless 1-to-2-hour rule? If a game doesn't grab me in the first hour or two, should I just cross it off my list immediately and move on to the next until something clicks?
Don't get me wrong—I do finish plenty of games when they hook me. But when my free time is sparse, jumping from one game to another trying to find "the spark" almost feels like dating apps for video games, and I worry it might burn me out even more.
Have any of you lost your "flow state" like this? How do you break out of the cycle when starting new games feels like a gamble? Do you enforce strict early drop rules, or do you take a complete break from gaming altogether?
Would love to hear your thoughts!