buying video games to fill up your steam library is a different hobby to actually playing the games lol

November 26, 2024 - 13:45 UTC

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Which is also different from having boxes full of sealed games I still need to play, because my backlog goes back to the 80's...
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You play them? i thought it was just to see how many games you could buy during the sale.
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😂😂
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I bought Rick & Morty VR like 2 years ago b/c I was planning on doing the research and buying a good headset....

Still haven't gotten around to that.
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I’ll get around to playing them… one day!
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It started long time ago
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Just posted about this lol
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Now this is a whole mood!
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Lol happy I'm not the only one
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same with books 🫤
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Worse is what I do. See them on a YouTube playthrough/reaction video like Markiplier, buy the game and then never play it.... But do deep dives into lore (FNAF, Amanda the Adventurer , etc.), especially with Game Theory, etc.
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You're not wrong when you put it that way.
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Takes a minute to add to the backlog. Takes weeks to remove one game from it. It’s relentless haha
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So true 😂😂
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I have like 3 games I've bought that I haven't put in more than 2 hours into. I feel obligated to play them, but... rdr2 is right there...
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Different, yes. But I think of it like a squirrel storing nuts for winter.

Like, I don't remember how long I had "Streets of Fury EX" in my library before I actually needed to play a French side-scrolling beat-em-up, with Mortal Kombat style digitized characters.

But it was there when I needed it.
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It's not even lunch time yet. Don't call me out like that.
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Got a Steamdeck last year, can confirm you are indeed 100% correct.
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Good point. I've got 3 upstairs that I've not touched in months
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A hobby similar to modding Skyrim for days to only do Bleakfall Barrows. Then repeat.
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.. and fill up your SSD/HDD (delete as appropriate) 😁
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or even just looking
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Haha facts! I have so many games I bought that I need to play lol
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Same but also with books. My tbr is growing day by day. And there’s another pile of shame for Switch and PS5 games. 🫠
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First of all how dare you!
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that's my husband every Steam sale.....there are a lot unplayed😂
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I had to to just stop I’d buy games & never play them. Now I just play WoW non stop lol
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The joy of adding 3 months of a humble bundle subscription you forgot about to your steam library.
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This but with the switch
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Aye, have a 1.5tb micro SD card that's so overfull I'm considering a 2tb version just so I can put even more games on that I'll never open. It's great!
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This is me but with Switch games on PC
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This but with any fucking videogame console or PC lmao.
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Used to be me with the Switch lol now am rebuying some of those same games for Steam lol
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This would be me if my switch didn’t hate me and never have storage
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It's like curating your personal Disney Vault but for games.
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I feel seen!!
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Why do I feel read for filth?
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So true!
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Lord, do I resemble this observation. "It's on sale! I'll play it someday".
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My steam library is between me n god at this point lolol
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Ah there's a science to it actually. You should make a ranked list of games you want to play, ties get sorted alphabetically. Then just play down the list until you buy more games.
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You should see the library of games I have on gog that I don’t even have a machine that will play them.
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IDK why I'm so picky to play games when I literally fucking bought it already
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Agreed! I have bought so many games I have yet to play. I do want to, just never enough hours in the day!

Same with books. Buying/collecting them and actually reading them seem to be two seperate hobbies too. Both hardcopy ones & kindle.
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Sadly true
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Leave my enormous unplayed game library alone!
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We are all the same lol this is like group therapy
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My "Pile-o-Shame" came from the thought that "Sure, I'm going to play that eventually." Now, though, with not actually owning any of the games I've purchased on Steam...well...it certainly gives me pause in buying any game, on that platform, going forward.
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Steam sale somewhere today. Let's fill up the library!!
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but is it reading???
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Reading this after I already selected Complete Purchase 💀
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I feel attacked
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This is my backlog for retirement. I'll definitely beat over 600 games that will be piled up by then.
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What about buying them for the Xbox, then Steam, then Switch, then PS5 😭. Why oh why must I pay for the same game just to play it in a different room but oh I must .. collector's addiction
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I play them eventually! I feel called out. Lol
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It’s tsundoku for video games and I am a grandmaster at it.
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And then you buy a steam deck because you think it’s going to help your chances to get through your steam library. It doesn’t but you start buying more games because they will play well on the Deck
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Accurate
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This is me and building magic the gathering decks :(
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The problem with buying 50+ games each year is that none of them are Fable. When Fable comes out they may get their day in the sun, but until that day, those games are not Fable, and Fable is what the brain desires.
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Omg I love that hobby! I’m an expert at that hobby 😂
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It's a strategy game itself! 🤣
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Same with bookshelves XD
Those pesky beautiful editions T_T)9
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Stop talking about me.
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I'm old school, I love the physical ownership of a game cartridge or a diskette. None of this oh you lease it or you don't really own it anymore that's bullshit
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I’ve realized I spend more time collecting than playing. I’ve learned to accept this.
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Nothing more eye opening then buying a new system and going over your library deciding what to download right away and realizing you never even opened like 1/2 the games.
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i feel like there should be a german or japanese word for this, like there is for things like buying books but not reading them or the feeling of missing home but being at home
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I’ve seen those words! 😱
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Someone in the comments said it was called Tsundoku for books in Japanese.
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Digital Hoarding is so much more acceptable
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Damn you didn't have to call me out like that.
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I literally have so many games in my steam library that I have yet to finish which should stop me from buying new games 😂
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It never stops you. Sometimes buying games (and thinking about how much fun you will have later) is just as fun as playing them.
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Yes this 🤣🤣🤣
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Shh, that's my emotional support collection of 1000 games I've never played.
It's right next to my emotional support stack of books I haven't read.
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It's like gambling! Such fun. Will steam still be around tomorrow or is your whole library gone and just a memory?
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One is like collecting TCGs the other is playing TCGs
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This is me with collecting consoles and handhelds bsky.app/profile/theaugoosetus.bsky.social/post/3l6tazdqfyf2e
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Why did you attack me like that. I love having all of the resident evil games
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*Hurriedly closes HumbleBundle*

I have no idea what you're talking about...
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I call it curating my potential.
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I’ve had to really stop with like thousands of games I may never play 😭
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"Physical media is forever, buy laserdisc." -Android 16
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Sort of like buying up guitars to fill your music library...
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Agreed
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I’ve got such a horrible backlog right now…
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Same.
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What, I'll clear the backlog of 100+ hour rpgs as soon as work slows down.

The FPS and 4x are lost causes, though.
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1.4k and counting 🙂‍↔️
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What? The likes? It’s showing as 2.5k for me lol
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Im definitely gonna play these games.... eventually
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There's actually a Steam achievement/ badge for it. I think I have one
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I actually stopped buying games that I won't immidiately play last year. It's been more fun imho, waiting for sales mean so much more now
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I feel at this point if I never bought a single game again, never worked again, spoke to another human, slept, ate or stopped playing games until I died... I would still die with a wall of shameful unplayed games that kid me would kick my ass over. Still though.... Black Friday soon! MOAR!!
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Steam winter sale is coming time to get another game for $5 I'll never touch
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I Live for ebay, tmu and Amazon except now I'm off Amazon. I found out this morning that they are selling stolen designs
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Shhh, stop calling people out

*Browses through wishlist prior to the Autumn Sale"
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I feel seen
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Sometimes you arent super into a game, but still want to support the devs. That's the only reason Inown amy FNAF games.
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It is what it is
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It's like how modding Skyrim might be more fun than actually playing modded Skyrim.
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I feel totally called out 🤣
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Fr tho & most of my games r indie #BestGames
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Digital ain't gonna keep an archive of gaming history, buy physical when and if you can m
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If you want a way to try and play them all, just put all your games into a list and just pick randomly and play for about 30 minutes.
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"They hated Jesus because he told them the truth"
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Like buying books you won't read to fill up your book shelf
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I feel attacked and seen at the same time! 🫠
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I feel so called out rn 😂
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That hit home… guilty on this, but only bc I do not play a lot of older games no more… 😊
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I bought an RTX 4090, but other than Cyberpunk 2077, I am mainly just using it on older games. Seems like a waste, but I am having fun. Most people usually spend a lot more on their hobbies, though, so I figure splurging every few years is not so bad. At least I do not own a boat or horse.
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why not both? (I've played like half of them)
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I very much feel this at the moment. I am staring at Baldur's Gate 3 being 20% off at GOG thinking why not while knowing the second I buy it I will never finish Divinity: Original Sin 2.
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I’m fairly sure that the only unplayed games in my library are free ones that I can’t stop grabbing even though I know I won’t load them. Or I played and uninstalled as they are seriously not my cup of coffee.
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Lol, its so easy to buy and forget though. Have done it a few times and end up reverting back to favourites anyway
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The sales always get me. It's always "wow ABC is on sale, I wanted that 8 years ago! Buy!" and then never installing it
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Ha! Yeah. Always the games we never got around to playing a decade ago.
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Wait, I’m almost up to 500 - do I get a badge or something?
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Sending this to my chronic-game-purchasing-but-never-playing man rn
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Yep. I’ve successfully built up the library, but am currently playing through 10 year old games.
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I'm not sure it's a hobby so much, but many people fill up spaces they have with things they love. Books, art, movies, collections, and so on. I often feel that we do this to not feel alone and to create purpose.
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Books for me. I’m old.
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It’s my virtual bookshelf
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It’s called “deal hunting” and there’s few games more rewarding
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not gonna lie… i find steam hard to use 😬
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So, so true…
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@maverickadub.bsky.social

My friend has the same hobby!
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Building a Steam library is like creating a museum of games you loved, missed out on, or dream of playing someday (maybe in retirement?). It’s not just about gaming—it’s about nostalgia, amazing sales, and hope for free time we might never have. What’s your most prized ‘still-to-play’ game?"
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This is me with books 😂
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We all have that steam library of unplayed games ;)
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Guilty 🫣
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I feel attacked 😆. But the backlog must grow 😂
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Yes but the sale starts today.... 😀😀😀
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I have trouble finishing games because as soon as I buy a new one, I have to play it immediately 😅
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I have bought games and not even touched them 🫣 because so many came before them and I have to play those first 😬
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Same and like with books I’m a mood reader, I’m definitely a mood gamer depending on the day lol
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Hey..hey...I'll play them .. eventually... Blue sky be calling me out lately... that's fair...
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That’s kind of why I ended up getting Game Pass. A smorgasbord of games and I don’t feel quite so guilty for failing to finish any of them.
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I just subscribe to humble bundle and they throw games at me monthly
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See I’m not allowing myself to do that lol but my friend gives me his spare code anytime he gets doubles! I’ve bought individual games from the Humble Bundle site tho
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And a more expensive one 😆
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Me, when I used to constantly buy so many Humble Bundles...🫠
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I usually feel like Bullwinkle: “this time for sure!”, followed almost always by disappointment and uninstalling. Well, the rapidly-approaching gutting of Medicare and Social Security will at least prevent me from adding new disappointments to my existing library.
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Oh man, do I hear this
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We gamers can't help but try to categorize, subcategorize, disagree & granularize each individual aspect in order to min-max our understanding of the medium.

But ultimately, what are you trying to add to the conversation with this? Is this a real conversation you want to have or is this just bait?
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You tell yourself they would be fun to play at some point, maybe third in your library. I have bought so many games as something more exciting turns up
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Humble bundle helped a lot ^^
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💯
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My goal is to have 10k games by the time I retire.
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So excited for the sale tomorrow
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This one cuts deep.
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One of my favorite pastimes frfr 😅
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The never ending backlog
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Need to keep that big picture mode carousel looking awesome
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Can't wait for tomorrow.

Pray for me guys
😭 🙏
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Get a Humble Bundle subscription to max out the games you never play.
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Accurate, this is how I obtained many of mine. 😂
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Why do I feel attacked? (As I pull out my wallet getting ready for black Friday sales)
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don't say this while there's a Steam Sale going on T_T
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50% of all bought steam games are never played 🥲
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That actually makes me feel 100 percent better
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Same for my switch tbh
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Steam could do something like pokedex with games and you would have to collect all games released in parts of the year. it would be categorized into genre. I would collect all the souls like/lite
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I’ve never agreed more with a statement!
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that's just wasteful; there are children in africa "starving" to play those games
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Yaaaaas. I feel seen. And my steam library. And my hopeful one day I'll get through it all attitude.
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Me with 81 games 🙃
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Not me with a huge wishlist just waiting for those games to go on sale.
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198 and counting... but I swear; one of these days I may actually definitely maybe finish one of them 🫣
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I am proud to say that I have played 80% games library. Haven’t beaten them all but I have at least played them.

I have also moved into buying physical games because it feels like I have a physical reminder to play/beat that game.
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It's probably a thing we as gamers do to feel cozy haha
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See but at the time, I WANT to play them, then my ADHD says "no." :(

I'm sorry games we'll get to you eventually!
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Yes 100% same with me!
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Collecting games is a whole meta game in and of itself. There's a certain satisfaction in seeing the library grow, regardless of if you end up playing them or not 🤷
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Tsudonko, but with games.
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Miss little game shops around everytown with diff names were u could trade ur old games and so forth :) Also some human interaction and with good luck ull find more humans that like to game around :)
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912 games on steam. I have a problem.
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Retro Game Treasure sells all the old games through a monthly subscription
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PSA - a big sale is coming at the end of the week.
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I sometimes turn my pc on for the first time in a few weeks just to install software and driver updates and then when everything’s good to go I turn it off
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I own 1k games on steam and have definitely finished less than 100 LMAO
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Yeah and now I'm doing this with my bookshelf too.
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Ain't no shame in stamp collecting! We're all out here having the time of our lives ❤️
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I had to stop buying Magic The Gathering cards and am only focused on my video game obsession now. With MTG, it was getting crazy… wait… What is this? Final Fantasy MTG crossover this Summer!? [Pulls out wallet]
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and if you're broke you just have an absurdly long wishlist :)
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Much like a crafter and someone who purchases craft supplies. And a reader and someone who buys books. I am guilty of both and fear I would be a video game purchaser not a player if given the opportunity.
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I have a ridiculous amount of games on my steam library that I’ve never played or forgot that I even had. 🤣 Its an unhealthy obsession
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Shit. Sprung!
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"Hmm, I should wishlist this game... already in Library. What the..."
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so, that's an accumulation of surplus production 🤔
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Steam sales are really tough to pass up...lol
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REAL
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This is the case with any hobby, buying art supplies and using them are also two vastly different hobbies 🤣 unfortunately they're expensive hobbies and I seem to have all of them
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