You Own Too Many Video Games
By: Shawn Laib
Tags: Features, Gaming, Culture, Digital Life, Videogames

You Own Too Many Video Games

It is that time of year again. Black Friday. The time when bargain hunters wake up at five in the morning just so they can get a peek at a television that is on sale for a small fraction of the original price. The time when Fred Meyer puts socks and underwear at the forefront of their store, enticing innocent grandparents to get the stereotypical clothing gift for their little ones.

It’s also the time when digital game shops start putting half of their entire catalogue on sale, leading game hoarders like me to fight against the urge to splurge. Buying several game releases you’ve been waiting on for months is an exhilarating feeling, and it can happen all from the comfort of pajamas and warm blankets.

Before you know it, you look at the front of your Nintendo Switch and see that you’ve bought over a dozen indie gems that you haven’t even bitten into yet, all because you’re still trying to finish that AAA release that takes upwards of 50 hours. Does that mean you shouldn’t have bought those eShop games that were on sale? If you hadn’t, they would have gone back to full price, excluding them from your grasp for another eternity.

How then do you decide what to play when you own too many video games? What are the motivations behind devoting your precious time to one title while another sits lonely, waiting patiently to entertain and impact its player? Here are some tips to decide what to pull off the shelf of your personal library when you have some me-time.

Image by Enisaurus on Dribbble.

Pick up and play

Once you are an adult, gaming becomes a much more difficult hobby to navigate, unfortunately. You know, responsibilities and all that stuff are to blame. That doesn’t mean we don’t deserve to enjoy our childhood pastime, though. Even if it’s only for 20 minutes right before bed, it’s satisfying to wind down with an enjoyable title.

Some of the bigger, meatier releases pose a problem on this front. Many games of the current generation are so involved and so deeply narrative-driven that it makes it virtually impossible to pick them up and play for a small chunk of time. Sometimes you need a smaller release to engage in when all else fails.

Here’s where I suggest that if you are a grown-up who is inundated with the boring pleasantries of the working world and the chores of the household, you should go directly to the pick-up and play games in your library. Those retro hits like Super Mario World that require only ten minutes to complete three levels during a lunch break, or an indie stud like Gunman Clive that folds into your pocket on the Nintendo 3DS.

Sure, you want to get to the big release that you bought a couple of weeks ago, but that one can wait until vacation or a much-needed open patch of time in your life. Take what you can get with grab-and-go gaming. It’s like eating a piece of candy in the meantime until the cake arrives. Satisfying still, isn’t it?

What to play? So many games! Source: Shawn Laib.

Avoiding spoilers

Now, I realize waiting to play the enormous launch title you bought for your new PS5 or Xbox Series X has some gigantic drawbacks. Besides the fact that you bought a console possibly just to play that single huge release, you also have to avoid the avalanche of spoilers that fall upon you every time you open social media.

As already mentioned, games are so narrative-driven in modern times that any detail that slips across your eyes could completely ruin your own experience with the game. If you are paranoid about this possibility, then forgo my previous advice about tinkering with a small title. Dig into the one everyone is talking about, and then you’ll be able to add to the conversation instead of waiting on the sidelines, missing out.

Perhaps you bought a sequel to a game that you haven’t even played yet. Better to play the first one so that you can get to work on the next one as soon as possible. I know that my brother played The Last of Us this summer specifically so that he could hop in for the controversial follow-up. So if you see that there is some work to do before getting to the new release, prioritize those older games in your collection to get in on the new fun!

What is the most fun?

Sometimes it’s just as simple as what game you think you will have the most fun with. Not what game others have had the most fun with, and not the game that fits most snugly into your busy schedule.

Choose the game you’ve played every other year since you were a teenager, rekindling that magic you crave from previous times experiencing it. Play the game that your friend recommended to you in the genre that is your absolute favorite, allowing you to dive even deeper into the category that makes you the happiest.

Hobbies are about enjoyment, first and foremost. That same philosophy applies to gaming. Just because The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is considered the GOAT doesn’t mean that you have to keep playing it to the end if you aren’t feeling the same way about it.

Many gamers feel like it is sacrilegious to start and not finish a game, but if there is another title on the shelf you’ve been holding off on, you should probably quit and move on. We as adults don’t have that many hours in the day to play, so make sure whatever you’re playing is the experience that provides the most fun for you. All other reasoning is worthless without that ultimate joy.

Image by Scott Ulliman on Dribbble.

I hope that if you have been struggling to dig through all of your games for which one to enjoy next, these tips helped you even a little bit in your decision making. It is the holiday season, after all, so we should all get a little more time to play. Happy buying and happy gaming.