Video games, backlogs, and time

I posted this on Bluesky recently:

I legit don’t think I can play massive, 100-hour+ RPGs anymore. Mostly because of Life™ but also I can’t justify spending that much time on a single game when I can finish several smaller ones on my backlog in the same amount of time.

I’ve been struggling with what to play recently, and I think I’ve finally come to realize that there are certain games I can’t play, no matter how much I want to.

Saying this out loud has helped shift my mindset.

Part of the reason is that life is more important now. I have a family, a job, and obligations that take priority. The other part is that I obsess over the free time I have and how well I’m using it. Spending 50-100 hours on a single game over a few months that doesn’t work with my life anymore.

I tell myself that, in that same period, I could play half a dozen other games I’m excited about. It’s disappointing to know that I don’t have time to play Metaphor or the Oblivion remake as much as I might want to, but it’s liberating if I’m being honest.

---