Even the most dedicated gamers have a fair number of titles they’ve never gotten around to finishing. In some cases, this is the result of diminished interest. Other times, time constraints are the culprit. Fortunately, if you’re bothered by your inability to finish more games, there are a number of ways to go about rectifying the problem. Since many of us are dealing with larger gaming backlogs than ever before, completing more games is liable to seem like a tall order. However, with the following pointers at your disposal, you’re liable to see your completion rate rise in a timely manner.
Don’t Get Hung Up on In-Game Achievements
Many modern-day titles feature in-game trophies and achievements that players can earn for a variety of reasons. For example, some trophies can be earned from simply starting a game, whereas others will require you to find hidden items, solve puzzles or complete other tricky challenges. While earning these trophies can certainly feel satisfying, some gamers take things a bit too far. Because they insist on finishing games with 100% completion rates, they won’t rest until they’ve obtained each and every in-game achievement.
While there’s nothing wrong with being thorough, earning every single trophy can add many hours to virtually any game. Needless to say, this can prove problematic for gamers with massive backlogs. After all, if you devote countless hours to earning trophies in a game you’ve already beaten, it stands to reason that the many titles that populate your backlog aren’t all that important to you. So, unless you genuinely have fun collecting obscure trophies, simply regard completed games as finished and move on to other titles.
Play One Game at a Time
The more games you tackle at one time, the longer it’s going to take you to complete these games – and the more likely you are to leave many of them unfinished. Considering how many incredible games are being released these days, wanting to dive into multiple titles at once is perfectly understandable. However, this approach to gaming is hardly conducive to high completion rates.
So, as difficult as it may be to resist the temptation of new games, stick to playing one game at a time. As an added bonus, the prospect of starting new games can provide you with a powerful incentive to finish any game you’re working on in a timely manner.
Buy Fewer Games
The idea of purchasing fewer games is liable to strike dedicated gamers as sacrilege. After all, there’s plenty of excitement to be found in purchasing the newest and hottest titles that instant they become available. On the flipside, if you won’t get around to playing these games in anything resembling a timely manner, there’s no sense in purchasing them right away.
For starters, stockpiling games that you won’t be playing for quite a while can make your gaming backlog hopelessly insurmountable. Secondly, exercising restraint stands to save you a small fortune. Most titles are never more expensive than they are at launch, and while there are certainly exceptions to the rule, video games generally drop in price fairly quickly. So, by the time you actually get around to playing a game you purchased at launch, that game’s price may have dropped considerably. Of course, this isn’t to say there’s anything inherently wrong with purchasing a game as soon as it’s released – provided, of course, you intend to play that game in the immediate future.
Give Yourself Adequate Stamina
If your stamina levels have been waning, there’s a chance that your gaming habits will be negatively impacted. To get to the bottom of the issue, talk to your doctor and heed their treatment recommendations. Replenishing your stamina reserves may be as simple as getting more sleep. Additionally, certain gaming supplements can help increase your energy and focus, leaving you primed for productive play sessions.
In the absence of unlimited leisure time, finishing every video game you start can be a tall order – especially when you consider that certain titles take hundreds of hours to complete. Finishing games can prove particularly difficult for people who constantly have a massive backlog of titles that are vying for their attention. Luckily, gamers looking to up their completion rates can easily do so by adopting the measures outlined above.