Sales, bundles, free weekends... It's easy to end up with a huge Steam library and still spend twenty minutes staring at it without deciding anything. It has a name: choice paralysis. The more options there are, the harder it is to pick one, and the easier it is to go back to the usual game or close Steam.

The good news is that you don't need to play everything. You need to choose well for this evening. These are the ideas that work best.

1. Start with the moment, not the game

The question "what do I feel like playing?" is too open. These are much easier to answer:

  • How much time do I have? Half an hour isn't the same as a whole evening.
  • How much energy do I have? A hard game when you're tired is a bad experience, even if the game is brilliant.
  • What do I feel like doing? Exploring, building, thinking, laughing, being told a story...
  • Alone or with someone?

With those four answers, half your library is ruled out for today. And that's a good thing: it's not that those games are worse, it's that they're not for right now.

2. Separate "unplayed" from "abandoned"

Not all backlog games are the same. There are games you've never opened, games you started and left halfway and games you dropped long ago and can't face picking up again because you no longer remember the controls.

Each group needs something different:

  • Not started: ideal when you have time and want something new.
  • Halfway through: the easiest to finish if you pick them up again soon.
  • To pick back up: better a game you can restart without losing much, or one that's quick to understand.

In Tackle my backlog we do this sorting for you using your Steam playtime. We don't know whether you've finished a game (Steam doesn't say), so it's an estimate, but it helps a lot.

3. Put a limit on the decision

Give yourself two minutes to choose. If after that you're torn between two, go for the shorter one. Finishing a small game is more satisfying than starting a huge one and dropping it by the third session.

A game you finish is worth more than three you start. If in doubt, pick the one you can finish first.

4. Don't force yourself to finish everything

Part of your backlog is games you bought at another time, with other tastes. If you're ten minutes in and it doesn't grab you, drop it guilt-free. Steam doesn't keep track of your commitments, and your free time is for enjoying.

What does work is trying with a clear idea: "I'll give it one full session and then decide". One full session is enough to know whether a game is for you.

5. Let someone else choose for you

Sometimes the best thing is to delegate. Ask a friend to pick from your library, play the first game on a list or let a tool decide.

That's what we built Pick from my library for: you answer five questions about your time, your energy and what you fancy, and we suggest a game from the ones you already own. If you'd rather not sign in, you can just type your Steam profile. And in My library you can see all your games with filters to find the ones you haven't played.

An example

Imagine it's Tuesday, you've had a long day and you have an hour before bed. You rule out anything hard, long or demanding. From your library you're left with, say, a farming game you left halfway and a relaxing puzzle game you never opened.

You choose the farming game, because you already know how to play and an in-game day lasts about fifteen real minutes. In an hour you get through four days and go to bed feeling you've really played.

Summary

  1. Think first about your time, your energy and your mood.
  2. Tell apart games you haven't started, games halfway through and games to pick back up.
  3. Decide in two minutes and, if in doubt, choose the shorter one.
  4. Dropping a game that doesn't grab you is also a good decision.
  5. If you can't choose, let someone choose for you.

Now

So what are you playing now?

Tell us how much time you have and what you fancy, and we'll suggest a game in under a minute.

Find my game