Let the Challenge Begin – Backlog Challenge 2016

As I stated in the What We’re Playing This Week, I’ve decided to take on a challenge that I feel will definitely be hard to complete. Long ago, I had gone into a period where I thought I had no games to play (which is a lie, I’ll always have games to play) and decided to play some games that I had picked up but never finished. Those reviews were officially called “The Backlog Reviews”, and we’ve only published two: Enslaved: Odyssey to the West and Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep.

That said, I’ve started the challenge known as “The Backlog Challenge”. The goal? Finish all or as many games that I’ve bought but neglected or haven’t played. The first part of the challenge can be broken down as the following:

• Write the Game, System, Release Date, Genre, Rating and Date Played
• Write down amount I paid when I got the game versus how much it costs when I start playing the game.
• Put down how many hours it takes to complete each game.
• Last, I’m going to write a review of each game that I finish.

This feeds into the second objective I have in mind when it comes to this Backlog Challenge:

• Depending on the length of the game(s) played, for every 1-4 games completed I’ll get a new, recent release and review it
  • Criteria for the Game listing:
    • Games that equal 8-19 hours = 1 game
    • Games equaling 20-59 hours = 2 games
    • Games equaling 60+ hours = 3 games

Overall, the backlog challenge is going to serve as an honest reflection on a revelation I really don’t want to face: I’ve spent more money on games than I absolutely should have based on impulsivity. Truthfully, as I stated in my reflection at the end of the year, there’s only so much I can do to match my creative output versus ambition. I have bought many games on release day believing I’d be able to keep up a torrential pace to review them for the site…nearly ALL of the major releases.

Realistically, that is equally unhealthy and unrealistic in thought. It’s also very toxic.

The Backlog Challenge feels like it fits into Last Token Gaming’s idea of quality over quantity, as well as bringing something new to video game journalism. We want to provide exciting, fun ideas and this was one I believed could be a hit.

I’m going to work on building up my backlog list within the week and post it on the site for everyone to see how my list looks. From there, I’ll be updating it as I start and complete games.

If you join me, I hope you enjoy following this challenge.