200 Games and nothing to play.

So I've had a Steam account since early 2008. I am about to reach 200 games in my library, and I still don't have jack to play. Does this happen to anyone else? You would think with this many games there would be something that interests me somewhere in that library.

I have over 1300 games (not just steam, mind) and this same thing happens to me, daily. It's the very definition of analysis paralysis. (Should I play this? Maybe this? Hmmm... no what about... nah... hmmm...DAMN IT I'M BORED!)

No because I'm responsible with my money. Just pick a game and fucking play it.

Just pick something at random and start it, I dunno.

@fallen189 said:

Shut up, dad! Gawd!

Analysis paralysis should be a legit disease.

I've been the same recently. However I have found entertainment in re-visiting some classics that I missed for one reason or another. Namely:

Paper Mario (N64)

and

F Zero (N64) - Getting all the cups but I've hit a brick wall on the expert difficulty.

Here's a study of that condition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Paradox_of_Choice:_Why_More_Is_Less

If you feel you are unable to decide, play one game at random. I you feel some subtle reasons to chose any one title choose it and play it. This is if you want to play a game.

Sometimes I'm faced with the same predictment.

Yeah really. I buy a game then finish it, then buy my next game. I don't understand people who buy tones of games. "Hey look at all these games I got for so cheap" or whatever. Yeah so you put it in your console for 5 minutes and never touched it again. People don't understand they're losing money if you look at it in terms of dollars:hour ratio.

If I buy a Humble Bundle for $1 for one game I want, I often get like 6 others automatically as part of the deal. Buying the bundle in this case is the smarter financial option, but as a result, you also get library bloat.

It's part of the reason that I wish I could just delete things from my Steam library. It makes it hard to sort through it to find things to play when at least 30% is garbage that I don't care at all about.

@rebellion91:

yep... over 600 games on steam alone, and for some reason I keep playing mount & blade :P it's my go to game whenever I don't feel like playing anything else

but lately I've adopted a system that is kind of working, I uninstalled every "story heavy" game I had installed and then started picking games of interest to play one at a time, because for me those are the problem, games you have to commit yourself in order to finish; And when you have too many of those installed it's difficult to pick one, specially if none of them manage to really get a hold of you.

Yeah well, it's a bit different with a pc, when you see a game that normally sells for $60 going for $5 on steam it's hard not to go like "well, I'll just pick this up now and play it later", because you don't know if it will ever be at that price again... and I gotta say every single game I purchased I always had the full intent of playing, I never get games I have no interest in just because they're cheap.

I know it's hard for a console only gamer to understand, because that sort of thing never happens on consoles.

^ This. I'll gladly pay the price of one game (or a fraction thereof) for multiple games. Though lately I have been more strict when it comes to humble bundles because of the library bloat. I'll only get a bundle when I like at least 3 games.

*shrug* I don't know what a dollars:hour ratio is supposed to mean. I just like games. And I do play what I buy. I like having the choice, regardless of what that might imply if I dunno what I should play next. I realise I did exaggerate I have this struggle daily. There are always some old faithfuls I'll grab to. It's starting something new that's challenging, and the "new game smell" is so, so alluring.

I guess I should build a randomizer or something and play whatever it poops out! Sounds like fun, actually.

@khessed: Yeah. Try it. :) One thing that works for me is planning and experiencing something unusual, like this. When you try the game, you'll view it differently, much like a new experience. :)

This makes more sense, I'm mainly talking about console gaming. I have this friend in mind that does what I said. I was just kind of venting about that I suppose.

You don't need to build a randomizer, just scroll up along your library with your eyes closed and click, first game you land on take it. You're really not doing that bad if you've had Steam since 08' anyway, I'm pushing 150 games and I've only had Steam for 16 months, especially considering I'm unemployed.

I used to be real bad about just this but then I found Final Fantasy XIV and since there is so much to do in that game its held my attention for the course of a few months. So I dunno try getting into a MMO of some sorts if you want something that has the potential to hold your attention.

Happens to me sometimes. Just pick anything and play it.

I found an easy formula that I've now implemented in the spreadsheet that holds all my games. If I dunno what to play, I can cut/paste that formula and get a random game to play. Thanks @jeust :D Now I should just stick to my guns and play whatever random thing I roll :P (something about me racking disiprine)

Ha! That's one of the old faithfuls I go back to every time! MMO's are really good for playing something consistent, but breaking away from that and playing something else is tricky, I find.

I really like the random idea, yeah sure I could just scroll through my library with my eyes closed and click on something but that is far from ideal I think...

Here's what I'm gonna do, I generated a list using http://www.mysteamgauge.com it's nice because you can export directly to a csv or excel file(just so I don't have to type it all in), then I got only the name column of the generated file (only of the games I haven't played yet, you can filter that out using the "hours played" column), then paste the list on this randomizer , the first line of the result is what I'll play.

I like this because it takes my choice out of the equation, because I'm always like "oh I should play this, but Idk maybe I'll play this instead because there will be a sequel soon, but then I won't have time to play that other one" and so on and on... and in the end I end up not playing anything at all.

edit: and the results are in, I'll be playing torchlight II next :P, man that was easy, should have thought of this sooner.

@pinner458: I suppose I'm not doing bad but this is all while having a ps4 with mostly every game out except sports. Also I have a fiancee, am a college student, have a part time job. Could explain why I can't game all that much. :P

@onarum I just rolled Shadowgate for the NES! Time to revisit that! Just in time too, with that remake coming up.