Will I Actually Play This? A Self-Check Before Buying Another Game

Most gamers have a pile of games they bought and never started. Sales make it easy: a deep discount feels like saving money, even when the game sits untouched for years. A game you never play is the most expensive game you'll buy, no matter the price.

This self-check takes about a minute and catches the purchases you'll regret. It's not about buying fewer games for the sake of it; it's about buying the games you'll actually enjoy.

Why the backlog grows

Understanding the habits behind a backlog makes them easier to break. The usual culprits:

• Sale urgency. Countdown timers and "lowest price ever" labels make it feel like you'll lose out by waiting.
• Buying the idea of a game. You love the concept of a huge strategy game or a 100-hour RPG, but your actual play time goes elsewhere.
• Hype and social pressure. Everyone's talking about something, so you buy it, even if it's not your genre.
• Bundles. You buy a bundle for one game and the rest pile up.
• "Future me" optimism. You assume you'll have more free time soon. Most people don't.

The 60-second self-check

Run through these before clicking buy. If you answer "no" to three or more, put it on your wishlist instead.

• Would I start this tonight or this week if I bought it now?
• Have I finished, or played a lot of, a similar game in the past?
• Do I have the time its length demands, given how much I play per week?
• Am I in the mood for this genre right now, not just in theory?
• Would I still buy it at this price if the sale lasted another month?
• Is there nothing in my backlog that already scratches this itch?
• Do I know what I'll actually do in the game for most of its hours, and does that sound fun?

Do the time math

This is the check most people skip. Estimate how many hours a week you realistically play, then compare it to the length of the games you're considering. Community sites that track completion times give rough length estimates; treat them as ballparks.

These figures are simple division, not predictions, but they make the point. If you play a few hours a week and already have a long RPG going, a second long RPG won't be touched for months. That's months of possible price drops you're giving up.

Know your play profile

Honest self-knowledge is the best backlog tool. Which of these sounds like you?

Sale season survival tactics

Big storefront sales are where backlogs explode. A few tactics help:

1. Make your list before the sale starts. Decide what you want and the price you're willing to pay. Buy only from that list.
2. Set a budget. A fixed amount for the sale keeps things grounded. A prepaid balance works well here: load a set amount with a Steam gift card or PlayStation Store gift card and stop when it's gone.
3. Ignore countdown timers. Seasonal sales come around regularly. Missing one rarely costs much.
4. Check price history on PC, so you know whether a "sale" price is actually good.
5. Skip bundles for one game. Unless you want most of the games in it, buy the single game you want.

Watch for these impulse triggers

Some situations reliably lead to purchases you'll regret. Notice them and pause:

Already have a backlog? How to tame it

If you're reading this with dozens of unplayed games, you don't need to feel guilty. Just get organized:

• Sort into three piles: "play next," "maybe someday," and "honestly, never." Hide or archive the "never" pile so it stops nagging you.
• Pick a short game next. Finishing something builds momentum.
• Give yourself permission to drop games. If a game isn't fun after a fair try, move on. Finishing isn't mandatory.
• Use a one-in, one-out rule for long games: start a new one only when you finish or drop another.
• Track it simply. A notes app or spreadsheet with "playing," "next," and "done" works fine.

When buying ahead does make sense

This isn't a rule against ever buying early. Some cases are reasonable:

• A genuinely rare deep discount on a game you're confident you'll play within a few months, and price history shows it's unusually low.
• A game at risk of being delisted, for example because of expiring licenses, where buying now protects your access later.
• A physical edition likely to go out of print that you specifically want to own.
• A gift you're planning ahead, where timing matters more than when it gets played.

The common thread: you're buying for a specific reason, not because a sale banner told you to.

Small upgrades that help you actually play

Sometimes the problem isn't buying too much, it's friction. If a game requires sitting at a desk and you're tired after work, it won't get played. A few setup changes can help:

• A comfortable controller for couch play on PC: browse PC-compatible controllers on Amazon.
• Enough storage that your backlog games are installed and ready, not waiting on a long download: browse external SSDs for gaming (check your platform's support for running or storing games from external drives).
• A handheld or portable option if your best play time is commuting or in bed.