#LoveYourBacklog, 2023, 400+ games

#LoveYourBacklog: a month dedicated to your pile of video games.

Last week, I had the pleasure of announcing the return of this event for 2023 and encouraging everyone to celebrate their backlog. A mountain of releases isn’t a cause for guilt, but a sign of how much we enjoy our hobby and having something to suit every mood.

The first part of the celebration involves displaying a badge on your blog throughout February and, if you’re happy to do so, linking it to your library so others can view your games list. You can check out mine above. I’ve managed to pick up 420 titles since joining Steam when I started blogging in 2013 and my collection of point-and-clicks continues to grow.

The next step is to answer six questions about your backlog and publish a blog post about the games selected. Further details can be found in Wednesday’s announcement and my own responses are included in today’s article. To keep things simple, I’ve decided to ignore my PlayStation, Xbox and physical libraries for now and concentrate on Steam alone – but how you choose to do it is up to you!

The final part of #LoveYourBacklog is to consider participating in #MaybeInMarch. If you’re up for it, why not attempt to complete the game that’s been sitting there the longest, and share your experience on your blog next month? It’s thanks to this challenge that I finally completed LIMBO, Thomas Was Alone, Machinarium and Dragon’s Lair in previous years. You can find out which title I’ll be working my way through this time a little later and now, on to the questions…

A game you’re eager to play, but haven’t yet started

One of my goals for 2023 is to play more detective and full-motion video (FMV) games. These are a couple of my favourite genres and my analysis of 2022 showed I hadn’t played as many entries as I’d thought. With that in mind, I picked up Late Shift by CtrlMovie in the winter sale as it was recommended to me by a friend and the reviews look pretty good. This ‘high stakes crime thriller’ features a mathematics student who needs to prove his innocence after being forced into the robbery of a lucrative auction house.

A game you’ve started several times but haven’t finished

I mentioned detective games above and here’s my answer for this question: Conway: Disappearance at Dahlia Drive by White Paper Games. I started it a while ago but soon realised how much fun it would be to stream it, as several friends-of-the-blog including Ghost Owl enjoy the genre as much as I do. The story takes place in the 1950s when a young child is reported missing, and it’s up to a retired detective to search for the truth about her disappearance. Keep your eyes peeled for a stream coming soon.

The oldest game in terms of release date

The oldest game in my Steam library is Dragon’s Lair by Digital Leisure, released in June 1983. I completed this during the last #LoveYourBacklog event however so let’s pick one which hasn’t been finished: The Last Express by Dotemu, released in March 1997. What makes this point-and-click unique is that its events take place in real time. While you’re investigating the murder in one carriage of the Orient Express, you might be missing something happening in another so there’s plenty of tension involved. I’ve had this game for years but haven’t yet installed it.

The most recent addition to your library

I had the chance to try the demo for Scavengers Studio’s SEASON: A letter to the future during the Steam Next Fest in October and immediately added it to my wishlist. Playing this ‘atmospheric adventure bicycle road trip game’ on Sunday morning while everyone else was asleep was such a lovely experience. The protagonist leaves home for the first time to collect memories before a mysterious cataclysm washes everything away, and you’ll find yourself taking photographs and making audio recordings for your journal.

The game which has spent the most time on your backlog

The answer for this one is technically Brütal Legend by Double Fine Productions. However, as this is a lead-in for #MaybeInMarch and I like to stream the event on Twitch, I’ll need to pick another game so as to not to receive a copyright strike. That means I have to decide between The Cave also by Double Fine, Papo & Yo by Minority Media or The Path by Tale of Tales. I’ve still got a few weeks to figure it out but I’d love to hear your thoughts: which of these titles should I choose for the #MaybeInMarch challenge?

The person responsible for adding the most entries to your backlog

I first met Darkshoxx in October 2020 when Pete and I were playing Shivers on Twitch. We’ve been friends ever since and both share a love of point-and-clicks (although he enjoys chess puzzles, while I say they should be banned) so I always trust his recommendations. The other person I’d like to mention here is Will from Geek Sleep Rinse Repeat, who I’ve known since starting blogging in February 2023. If he publishes a post about an adventure and says he has enjoyed it, it’s highly likely I’m going to enjoy it too.

That’s it from my Steam library for now – how about yours? To find out how you can join in with #LoveYourBacklog Month, take a look at this post and keep your eyes open for #MaybeInMarch details coming soon.