Gaming can sometimes feel like a chore when we build up immense backlogs, forcing us to trudge through games that we bought on a whim.

Sometimes, we end up enjoying those games while other times, we do not. While I do think there are some games that just won’t click with us, I do think we know ourselves well enough that we often buy games that have an interest to us.

If that is the case, we can working through a backlog feel lethargic at times rather than enjoyable? I think it all comes down to timing.

We do know ourselves well enough to buy games, but we may not know ourselves well enough to know when to play them. When we play a game has just as much of an effect on our enjoyment as the game itself.

While it might not seem like it does, I’ve seen that it really does. It’s important to take into consideration what is going on in our lives so we know if we can handle playing certain games at certain times.

For example, I work as a high school teacher and am fairly new to the profession. This leads me to feeling mentally exhausted at the end of the day, which impacts my gaming time.

I used to think that gaming was meant to be an escape from my stresses. I still think that, but I learned some caveats this last school year.

I would try to play intensive or slow-burning narrative games that would, eventually leading to a mental burnout quickly during what was supposed to be a relaxing time. I couldn’t figure out why this was the case.

I read an article about this and realized that I was going about my gaming backlog wrong. I switched up what I played after school to something that respected my time more. Fore me, that was God of War (2018) because it packed more into an hour or two that the slow-burn games.

Pretty soon I was finding the relaxation in games I was wanting again. The main reason for this was the cinematic nature of the game meant a lot more would happen in my play sessions. This wouldn’t be the case if I played a game like Breath of the Wild or another open-world game where you could spend entire play sessions just exploring.

Now that summer break is here, I can jump into those types of games more. I am playing Persona 5 Royal for the first time and I know there is no way I could play it during the school year. This all comes from knowing myself and my situation.

My personal solution to this has been I am always playing two types of games. The first is a main game that I go to for main play sessions. Which game this is exactly depends on where I’m at in life at that moment.

The second is a low-impact game that I can play while I watch something else. This is meant for days when I am extremely exhausted and don’t want to put much effort into thinking while I play.

How this looks may look different for everyone but it is what works for me. It’s also shifted my mindset on games and my backlog, ensuring I am actually enjoying my journey through it rather than it feeling like a chore.

If you are finding your time with your backlog to be less than enjoyable, it may be worth exploring a more strategic approach that can help change that.

What do you think? What is your best approach to tackling your backlog? Let us known in the comments below or head over to our Discord channel to join the conversation.

Featured Image: Erik Mclean (via Unsplash)

Boss Rush Podcast – A Podcast about Video Games

The Boss Rush Podcast – A Podcast about Video Games – is the flagship show of the Boss Rush Network and Boss Rush Media. Each week, hosts⁠ Corey Dirrig and LeRon Dawkins⁠ are joined by friends, fellow creators, indie developers, and industry veterans to discuss the latest in the world of video games, including news, rumors, new releases, and what they’ve been playing. They also answer listener questions, debate important industry topics and Boss Rush Banter discussion points, and feature a rotating weekly segment. New episodes post every Monday.

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