I’ve had a look at the test version and it seems basically ok (text in the games list is awfully small, though), but if there are two words that fill me with dread as someone who mostly uses the internet on a phone they’re “mobile-friendly”.
I’ve been using howlongtobeat.com for coming up to 10 years and I’ve found that it’s either something you go all in on, or use just one or two of its functions.
I started using it pretty comprehensively to manage everything that I had access to, at a time when I didn’t have to worry too much about free games from subscriptions or bundles (or having much disposable income). I’ve since felt a sense of fatigue updating the actual backlog section now and last updated it maybe a year or two ago and I now pretty much exclusively use it for logging games that I’ve finished for the first time and the date that I finished it (I don’t log replays unless it’s a different version of a game). When I first started using it I didn’t log the exact dates and I tried to retroactively figure them out for some of the earlier entries by looking at achievement lists and so on. I haven’t figured them all out but I’m content with what I managed to do.
My other personal dilemma is whether I log emulated games as their original hardware or the console I played it on and I seem to flipflop between the two so my list is inconsistent in that regard.
Having said all of that, after nearly a decade of using it I do like to go through the list to see what I’ve played over the years and it’s nice to be reminded of things that I’ve forgotten about.
1 Like
I don’t use just one:
Backloggery is where I log my actual physical collection, and I recently dropped the idea of having a “backlog” based on this collection so its main purpose is just to track what I own. I’m slightly hesitant about the UI changes coming to the site, but the collection options look to be even more robust so I may actually add my digital games back in once it’s officially moved.
Backloggd is where I track what I’m playing, have played, and the “true” backlog, most of which is stuff I own but also includes digital games and gives me the flexibility to not include things like “the JP version of this game I also own an NA copy of” as a backlog entry. I vastly prefer the review and logging functionality here to Backloggery, plus I like using the wishlist feature here for games that I don’t own, can’t play due to current hardware limitations, or just aren’t out yet.
3 Likes
I am exclusively using the backlog → completed functionality. I don’t enter any details other than name and platform (I use original for emulated) in order to just use it as a to do list with a helpful time estimation. You could send as much time playing a game as logging all the details on that site…
1 Like
I have a lovely notion database but my brother has just a txt file and I honestly envy the simplicity
(i think it has 2 or 3 more tomb raiders now)
10 Likes
I’m really into the idea of doing themed years; that seems like a fun way to play games.
5 Likes
I use an excel file for the same thing, just write down any games I finish, the month and the format it was on. I tried doing a very in depth database with game catalogue codes, release dates - far too many fields.
Some times you just have to KISS it!
2 Likes
yeah, thats the best part. Remember 2023 started as “the year of pc gaming” but didn’t stick
1 Like
Getting lots of new follows from here recently!
I have also been trying the past couple years to make lists of the games I want to play in the year ahead, and also which games I have played in said year:
My 2023 list was a bit ambitious and didn’t leave much room to play other stuff organically as it came up, so for 2024 I mostly just carried my list forward and added a couple shorter ones.
I have been slowly trying to work my way through popular series like Yakuza, Zelda, Ys, Paper Mario, God of War. I quite like the idea of doing a sort of theme year, although I tend to feel pretty burnt out on bigger games like Yakuza by the time I am finished with one - so far I am managing about 1 per year (so I’ll likely never catch up!).
8 Likes
Text file is such a good way to do it. I maintain a yearly notes app note in addition to Backloggd.
No site falling over or chasing venture capital can take away my note files.
3 Likes
I’ve changed my approach of tracking videogames many times during the years. At the beginning I just had a humble Google Docs document. This wasn’t good enough and moved to Google Spreadsheets and kept at it for years. I changed the formatting over the years and eventually got something that looks somewhat okay.
(These have a bunch of entries because I had a lot of time and basically no other hobbies back then)
I made a Backloggd account one day and moved everything I had on this sheet to the app. But I didn’t end up using it. I still get it up to date like twice a year or so, not sure why.
Nowadays though, I moved everything yet again to a markdown document in an Obsidian vault. Which is a pretty powerful markdown formatter / note manager. I’ve been really liking Obsidian these last couple of months. It allows me to create links between notes and have my bizzarre rambles very organized. Also, since the notes are essentially .md files indexed by folders, I can have the folder on my computer synced between multiple devices with Google Drive (You can use Git too but I haven’t seen a good Git solution for smartphones). Now I have the actual files backed up and synced between machines and I no longer depend on a Google account or some other service to access the documents.
(Left is Obsidian, right is how the raw .md file looks)
9 Likes
I’m a big fan of Obsidian, though I’ve only ever used it as an app for my writing. Hesitant to move from Apple Notes just because it’s what I’ve been using for so long.
Linking notes is very appealing though! As is working in markdown, because I really like markdown. That table looks lovely rendered, and raw markdown it looks cool as. Something about plaintext is so cool.
2 Likes
well I changed my username and I dunno how to mess with the OP so my new backloggd is Backloggd | SlumWolf
3 Likes
This has inspired me to try out backloggd. I’ve thought about it in the past but feared it would feel like doing homework. I tend to be pretty text book adhd full tilt jumping in to something new for a limited time before I forget it exists suddenly (or regret not ever going back to it the rest of my life, lol). Here’s my account. I’ve started following posters here.
3 Likes
I’m meunierd basically everywhere unless I stupidly locked myself out of an account. You can find me on backloggd: Backloggd | meunierd
I’m not super on top of it but at least try to track the things I finish.
2 Likes
I only need a library website for one thing: to keep track of when I bought stuff and for how much. That’s why I use dekudeals.com to keep track of my games. It now supports Switch, Playstation and Xbox, so unless you need to keep track of PC releases (I use a Mac, so I just mentally keep track of the six games that release for Mac each year), it’s perfect. It has a little chart that shows you the historical prices of game, so you know when to click that buy button.
It’s shocking the amount of publishers who deeply discount their games, but only for very short periods of time that repeat. Like 2 days every month, their game is 80% off. dekudeals.com allows me to keep track of that, and the global value of my expensive hobby, which is what I need out of a games library tracker.
4 Likes
Owing to a desire to keep track of which JRPGs I want to get my hands on with my renewed interest in them, I decided to setup an account on Backloggd
I’ve definitely played way more than the 200-odd games I’ve got marked on there so far, but so many of them are buried in the recesses of my memory that it’s going to take awhile to get the real number…
5 Likes
Thank you thread for humouring me by friending me on Backloggd
I’m at the same junction, I could go back and plot out years worth of gaming… it would probably be a helpful incentive for me to avoid replaying the same games for the Nth time instead of trying something new.
4 Likes
I haven’t used my Backloggd account since I made it in January, so this week I took the time to log every game I’ve completed or abandoned since I made the account (my brain would catch fire if I went farther back than that). It’s really just a running log for me, but you can follow me if you wanna see my impulse ratings: Bbtone's profile | Backloggd
4 Likes
Someday somebody’s going to collate all of the data in this thread into… something.
5 Likes