Last year, I aimed to complete another 100 games from my backlog as part of the eternal quest to work my way through all of these games.

I didn’t make it, ending the year with 71 games completed.

Like I mentioned two days ago, this is The Great Ace Attorney’s fault. I spent a lot of time, especially near the start of the year, picking up a game to play only to put it down with a sigh because it wasn’t The Great Ace Attorney. I’m amazed I reached 71.

So with that in mind, I’m going to try again. 100 games is the goal!

In addition to the overall number, I also made a list of 20 specific games I wanted to play last year. Of those, I finished… three. (One of those three did end up being my favorite game I played last year, so at least there’s that.)

For this year, let’s carry over the unfortunate number of remaining titles, along with my most-anticipated games of 2023 and a couple others I firmly intend to finish.

• Batman: Arkham Knight (followed by Arkham Origins)
• The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings (followed by Witcher 3)
• Dragon Quest XI
• Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition
• Yooka-Laylee
• Aurion: Curse of the Kori-Odan
• Dies Irae
• The Great Gaias
• Trails in the Sky SC (followed by Trails in the Sky the 3rd and Trails from Zero)
• Triangle Strategy
• God of War Ragnarok
• Yakuza 5
• The Good Life
• Xenoblade Chronicles 3
• Tokyo Xanadu eX+
• Alan Wake II
• Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes
• Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse
• Final Fantasy XVI
• Like a Dragon: Ishin

How many years will I make this list before I decide the games that have shown up on it for half a decade now probably shouldn’t be listed as specific priorities if I just ignore them anyway? Oh well, maybe this will be the year I actually play them!

…Although with the 3DS and Wii U eShops shutting down in March, I’ll want to pick up some games before they’re out of reach forever… sorry, backlog.

Do you have any backlog goals in mind for 2023?

To no one’s surprise, I did not complete my backlog in 2020, but of course that means it’s time for another round of Operation Backlog Completion!

Last year, I finished a massive 91 games, so this year I’m raising the goal to a terrifying 100 games.

That should make a dent in my backlog, even though it’s always offset by bundles, review games, and other situations that increase my backlog even as I work through it.

My goal last year also included 17 specific games I intended to play. I only actually finished three of them, but I have two more currently in progress, two were delayed, and one was removed.

So here is this year’s list, which includes the remaining games from last year’s list and my most-anticipated games of 2021.

• Batman: Arkham Knight (followed by Arkham Origins)
• The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings (followed by The Witcher 3)
• Dragon Quest XI
• Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition
• Yooka-Laylee
• Aurion: Curse of the Kori-Odan
• Dies Irae
• The Great Gaias
• Bug Fables
• Tales of Arise
• Yakuza 3
• Psychonauts 2
• Muv-Luv Unlimited: The Day After
• God of War sequel
• NEO: The World Ends With You

(I also add any new games I crowdfunded that came out in the previous year. However, for 2020 that was only Chuusotsu 1.5, which I played right away, and The Wonderful 101 Remastered, which I backed largely to support it since I played the original.)

I have Bug Fables and Yakuza 3 in progress already, so maybe this will be the year I actually play my prioritized games.

What about you? Do you have any specific video game goals set for 2021?