Gaming New Year's resolutions: a realistic guide to clearing your backlog

Every January, the same thing happens. We open our game libraries, scroll past dozens of titles we bought in a sale and never started, and promise ourselves: this year, I’ll play them. By February, we’ve bought four more.

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone – and there’s nothing wrong with you. Games are cheaper and more plentiful than ever, subscription services add hundreds more, and nobody has more evenings than they used to. A backlog isn’t a failure. It’s just a long list of good things you haven’t got round to yet.

Still, if your backlog has started to feel more like a chore than a treat, a few simple habits can turn it back into something fun. Here’s our guilt-free guide.

1. Make the list (but only once)

Start by writing everything down. It sounds tedious, but it takes an evening and it’s oddly satisfying. Include unstarted games, half-finished ones and anything on a subscription service you keep meaning to try.

Free trackers such as Backloggd make this easy and let you mark games as playing, finished, shelved or abandoned. A simple spreadsheet or notes app works just as well. The point isn’t the tool – it’s seeing the whole picture.

2. Triage ruthlessly

Now go through the list and sort every game into one of three piles:

• Excited – you’d genuinely like to play this soon.
• Curious – you might enjoy it, someday.
• Obligation – you bought it because it was cheap or because everyone said you should.

Here’s the liberating part: delete the obligation pile from your list. Not from your library – just from your to-do list. You’re allowed to never play a critically acclaimed 80-hour epic. Nobody is keeping score.

3. Check how long things take

Sites such as HowLongToBeat give crowd-sourced estimates of how long games take to finish, from the main story to full completion. This is a game-changer for planning. A ten-hour adventure is a couple of weekends; a 60-hour RPG is a season.

Mix short and long. Finishing a few short games early in the year builds momentum – and there’s a lot of joy in rolling credits.

4. One big, one small

Our favourite rule: have one “big” game and one “small” game on the go at any time. The big one is your main project. The small one is for nights when you’re tired, have half an hour, or just want something light. Cosy games are perfect for the small slot – see our winter cosy games list for ideas.

What you shouldn’t do is juggle six games at once. That’s how backlogs grow.

5. Put a pause on buying (sort of)

A full buying ban rarely survives the first big sale. Instead, try a gentler rule: finish (or drop) one before you buy one. Wishlists are your friend here – add things freely, and only buy when a slot opens.

If you subscribe to a games service, give yourself permission to not chase every new addition. They’ll still be there next month (usually – check when games are leaving).

6. Quitting counts as clearing

This is the big one. If you’ve given a game a fair go – say, a few hours – and you’re not enjoying it, stop. Mark it as abandoned and move on with a clear conscience. Life is short and there are thousands of great games. Dropping something you don’t love is a perfectly good way to clear your backlog.

7. Make it social

Backlogs shrink faster with company. Ideas:

• Backlog buddies: pick a game with a friend, play separately and chat about it each week.
• Co-op catch-ups: dig into those multiplayer games you bought together and never played. Our co-op games for winter nights list has a few to start with.
• Share your progress: many people post monthly “finished” lists online – it’s motivating and you’ll pick up recommendations.

8. Play where it’s easiest

Portable and handheld devices can unlock a surprising amount of play time – on a commute, in bed, or while someone else hogs the TV. If you play on PC, Steam’s Steam Deck compatibility pages show which games run well on handheld. Switch players already know the joy of a quick session under the duvet.

9. Set a cosy spot

It sounds small, but having a comfortable, inviting place to play makes it much more likely you’ll sit down and do it. Our guide to building a cosy gaming corner has ideas for lighting, seating and comfort. If your desk chair is the thing putting you off, What2Buy (a UK buying-guide site, prices in pounds) has a round-up of office chairs under £200.

10. Celebrate the wins

Finished something? Mark it. Write a couple of lines about what you liked. Treat yourself to a small reward – a new game is allowed, if a slot has opened! Some people like a little physical memento for a favourite, and fan-made bits from small shops such as Nightfandom on Etsy make a nice trophy for the shelf.

A sample January plan

• Week 1: list and triage the backlog.
• Week 2: finish one short game you’ve already started.
• Weeks 3–4: start your “big” game, with a cosy “small” game alongside.
• End of month: review. Drop anything that’s not sparking joy, and pick February’s next game.

The only resolution that matters

The point of a backlog isn’t to finish it. It never will be finished – new games keep arriving, and that’s a good thing. The point is to spend your play time on games you actually enjoy. If you do that in 2027, you’ve already won.

Happy New Year, and happy gaming.