Every gamer has one. Whether they’re a mobile player who nervously pages past a pile of apps or a console gamer trying to pretend that stack of plastic clamshells isn’t just sitting there next to the TV, it’s there: The Pile of Shame–the stack of games you bought and have sitting unplayed. And it’s going to grow this holiday, as well-meaning family members buy you gifts and slightly-less-well-meaning marketing departments start fighting for your gift card money.
But the Pile of Shame need not be permanent. You can get rid of it, or at least reduce it, with a few simple techniques.
Start Now
Seriously, this winter has never been a better time to dig into all those games you bought and haven’t played. There’s not much of note arriving through the rest of the year, and really the major releases don’t start up again until February. So, boot up, pick a game, and start playing. In fact, if you follow me on Twitch, you’ll find my going through my pile of shame from now pretty much until early February.
If You Hate A Game, Admit It
Steam sales pioneered “buying a game because dammit it’s so cheap,” and Sony and Microsoft have been following their lead. I’m as much a victim as you: I love Godzilla, and when I saw the Big G’s latest console game for twelve bucks, visions of Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee danced in my head. How bad could it be?
Terrible, it turns out. It has tank controls, a scheme we haven’t seen since the early days of the PlayStation, and for excellent reason. It’s slow, it’s clumsy, and not in an endearing way, just in a poorly designed way. Yes, admitting that I wasted $12 is a bitter pill. But lesson learned.
If You Know You Won’t Play A Game, Get Rid Of It
It’s no coincidence Steam finally introduced the ability to delete games from your account right before the holidays. No, not hide. Delete. Eradicate. Remove completely from your account. And you should! If you know you’re never going to play a game again, get rid of it. Delete it, give it to a friend, donate it to your local gaming charity, sell it at GameStop, hell, use it as a coaster if that’s what you have to do. The pile of shame accumulates because we can’t admit to ourselves we just didn’t click with a game and we’ll totally play it “some day.” It’s okay. Consider it a yardstick to judge future purchases by; if it’s “just like” a game you played for five minutes and decided “Nah,” don’t buy it.
Be Strong
Look, gamers are, by their very natures, consumers. The Pile of Shame exists because our collective eyes are too vast for our gaming stomachs, something that a system of relentless hype and pre-orders only encourages. So, as the next Steam sale or flash preorder rolls around, ask yourself two questions: “How much do I want this game?” and “Will I really play it?” I find it helps to keep a list of games I know I’m playing in the future handy; I won’t be buying a ton of games this holiday season because, right around the time, I wrap up my Pile of Shame voyage, the Yakuza remake is supposed to arrive, and if that doesn’t eat up my gaming time, The Witness probably will.
The point is, you don’t need to have a pile of shame if you don’t want to. With a little playtime, and some honesty, you can be ready for 2016.