Video Game Wishlist Paralysis
This news is going to shock everybody, but video games are a tremendously saturated industry. I’m writing this post on October 15, 2024. If you include demos, DLC, soundtracks, and the like, just over 300 items were released on Steam yesterday. According to SteamDB, Steam is seeing upwards of 14,397 games released in a year. The numbers speak for themselves. With the abundance of talented developers and interesting games coming out on a yearly basis, I’ve found myself in a hole I don’t think I can ever climb out of with my wishlist.
Between all of my wishlists, I estimate that I have roughly 150 games on my radar consisting of both upcoming titles and ones that have previously been released. Even with so many games I’m excited for, I’m finding myself only purchasing one new game every couple of months. This is a far cry from where I should be if I want to clean this list up. Unfortunately, playing all of the games I’m interested in is going to cost me thousands of dollars and hours that I just don’t have at my disposal. My Steam wishlist in particular would have to become something that I plan for on my calendar and budget.
I’ve now developed what I would call “Wishlist Paralysis.”
To throw out an example, I am incredibly excited to play Frostpunk 2. The first game is an expertly balanced masterpiece in resource management system design. Frostpunk strings you along, giving you all the necessary resources to survive, but not enough for you to manage them unwisely without serious repercussions. Every day is a tense battle, unlike so many other city builders and resource management games that tend to reach a point where the game simply isn’t fun anymore; the challenge disappears and your resources suddenly just feel infinite.
I remember when I first heard about Frostpunk 2. I was at a convenience store waiting for some food. At the time, I was working on a freelance basis as a video game news writer for ScreenRant. My lead editor put out a message asking if anybody was interested in breaking some embargoed news on Frostpunk. I immediately jumped on it having just fallen in love with the game that same year. I was excited to learn about a new Frostpunk DLC and write the story on it myself. Seeing the follow-up email’s contents sent me into an excited frenzy. That was a few years ago. I’ve been anxious to get my hands on the game ever since.
So there’s an obvious question looming. “Brandon, you do realize that Frostpunk 2 released nearly a month ago, right?” Oh, believe me, I know. Enter my Wishlist Paralysis. I know in my heart that I would love that game, but all I can think of are the excuses not to purchase it:
“I have too many games in my library already that I still haven’t played.”
“I haven’t even successfully beaten the first game. I should do that before buying and playing the second one.”
“I don’t really want to spend that kind of money right now.”
“I don’t want to purchase the game if I’m not really going to have any time to play it. My schedule is packed.”
It’s possible that I’m young, and this is just something that happens to everyone. However, now that I’m experiencing it for the first time, I feel compelled to play more, yet when I’m bored, I can never convince myself to act on even my most anticipated games.
The reality is that it must not be that important to me, no matter how important I think it is. I’m clearly prioritizing other things in my life. I’ve considered making specific room in my budget and calendar for video games. If it’s important, I should give it the same level of importance that I would give a dentist appointment or dinner with a friend.
I guess I’ll leave this post off with some of my top games from my Steam wishlist:
Frostpunk 2
Tavern Keeper
The Precinct
Nivalis
RimWorld
Manor Lords
Life Is Strange: Double Exposure
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
Mixtape
Metaphor: ReFantazio
TCG Card Shop Simulator