If you’re reading my blog, I have to assume you play (and own) more games than the average person, so I’m sorry about my generalizing statement that will follow.
Most of us have a loooong gaming backlog. Whether it’s because we indulge too often in sales, or impulse-buy a new release that ends up going straight to the end of the line, so many titles stay untouched in our libraries (or shelves) until the day we have enough time to play all of them.
Today I’m sharing with you all the 5 games that have stayed in my backlog the longest. Which is not that long since I only started gaming in 2022, but anyway. Because you know a gamer not only for the games they play, but also for the games they keep postponing to start.
Feel free to judge me, I’m ready.
5. Night in the Woods
Purchased in August 2024.
NIGHT IN THE WOODS is an adventure game focused on exploration, story, and character, featuring dozens of characters to meet and lots to do across a lush, vibrant world.
Every Autumn in the last 2 years I promised myself I would pick up Night in the Woods – it’s one of those games that I see being recommended in seasonal indie game lists all the time – and both of these years I saw Winter arrive without playing it. It’s not for a particular reason, though, other than my mood not clicking. Sometimes I feel I need to be in the right state of mind to play a story-heavy game.
Will I still play it one day? Yes, but I should do it before Autumn. Not falling for this trap again.
4. Untitled Goose Game
Purchased in July 2024.
Untitled Goose Game is a slapstick-stealth-sandbox, where you are a goose let loose on an unsuspecting village. Make your way around town, from peoples’ back gardens to the high street shops to the village green, setting up pranks, stealing hats, honking a lot, and generally ruining everyone’s day.
Untitled Goose Game was one of my first purchases on Steam, even before I had my Steam Deck. It’s kind of embarrassing to have it in this list considering it’s only a 3 or 4 hour game. I literally took longer to write this post.
I bought it when I was looking for some fun co-op games to play with my partner. The truth is that we are terrible at starting up new co-op games, and even worse at finishing them.
Will I still play it one day? YES!, but maybe not co-op.
3. The Last Campfire
Purchased in June 2024.
The Last Campfire is an adventure, a story of a lost ember trapped in a puzzling place, searching for meaning and a way home.
The Last Campfire is a stunning game that I have also neglected. Maybe it was because I got it for €1,50 and then I feel less guilty of not starting it? Anyway, it checks many boxes for me so I know I will get to it at some point.
Will I still play it one day? Yes. It looks right up my alley.
2. Subnautica
Purchased in October 2023.
Descend into the depths of an alien underwater world filled with wonder and peril. Craft equipment, pilot submarines and out-smart wildlife to explore lush coral reefs, volcanoes, cave systems, and more – all while trying to survive.
Subnautica was one of the first games I purchased on my Xbox. I got the console in 2022 but I mostly played titles from Game Pass. Some friends said they really liked the game and I just got it without thinking much. Later on, I realized it might not be a game for me, starting with the first-person perspective (most times I feel motion sick when playing games in first-person, with a couple of exceptions).
Will I still play it one day? If you asked me a few weeks ago, I’d tell you I won’t. But since finishing Dredge and loving it, I really want to give Subnautica a try.
1. Outer Wilds
Purchased in March 2023.
Named Game of the Year 2019 by Giant Bomb, Polygon, Eurogamer, and The Guardian, Outer Wilds is a critically-acclaimed and award-winning open world mystery about a solar system trapped in an endless time loop.
It feels really bad to finish this list with Outer Wilds. The truth is that after Subnautica, this is the most out of my comfort zone from today’s list. And it takes effort to play something different, even if it pays off in the end (and I know it will).
Will I still play it one day? Yes. I feel this is an indie game staple that I just have to cross off my bucket list one day.
I hope I am not lying to myself when I wrote that I’ll play these games one day. Either way it’s nice to have this list documented in the blog, so I can look back and think “why were you waiting so long to play that game!?”.
What are the games that have been waiting the longest in your backlog?
-Luna
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