This is a question I’ve been asking myself since January. Actually, it’s a question I’ve been asking myself well before 2025 even started because I only finished 2 new games last year. Ever since I started getting into video games in 2020, I’ve always felt like I’ve been “catching up” with everyone else who has been gaming their entire lives, throughout their childhood and adult years. Though I didn’t initially put too much pressure on myself to complete a certain number of games in a year, I started keeping track of things like that– obsessively in my video game tier list and chronological list– which makes it seem more obvious when I haven’t been doing “enough.” In 2024, I only finished Elden Ring and Alan Wake 2, and I started a few games that I either DNFed (did not finish) or decided to put back on the figurative shelf for now. Those games were Fallout 4, Shadow of the Erdtree, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Dark Souls (I know, it seems like a lot).
In 2025, my attempt at completing more games than in the previous year also started out as a bit of a flop because I started and quickly shelved Borderlands 2 and Hollow Knight. Borderlands 2 reminded me that I’m not usually the biggest fan of first person shooters, with the exception of Far Cry 3, which I then ended up replaying instead. Then I sorely underestimated how difficult Hollow Knight was going to be and realized that it was basically my 2D Elden Ring/Souls-like nightmare that came too soon after playing Elden Ring, so I decided to put it away for now. It wasn’t looking good considering my first month of 2025 continued the trend from the previous year of giving up on games.
However, I struck gold in a place I wasn’t expecting: with the EA couch co-op A Way Out. My initial idea was to play this with some friends in person, but I wanted to make sure it wasn’t outrageously difficult like some of my recent endeavors. I ended up playing it first with my dad, and it was honestly a really fun game. Relatively straightforward but with a lot of small areas and moments to goof off, A Way Out was just the kind of game I needed to get out of my gaming slump.
I don’t want to be boring and give a mini review for each game I’ve played since then, but after A Way Out, each new game has pretty much been a win for me— which I define as a game that I actually complete or at least play for more than a few hours. The other games I’ve played in 2025 so far are:
- Firewatch
- Kentucky Route Zero
- Alan Wake
- Max Payne
- Jedi: Fallen Order
- Jedi: Survivor
- Road 96
- Silent Hill 2 Remake
A mix of weird indie games and action-adventure third person shooters has really redeemed the year in gaming for me. And though they aren’t new to me, I also replayed Alan Wake 2 and Control (2025 has been a very Remedy Entertainment-centered year apparently— not FBC Firebreak though; sorry Remedy). Now that I’m 9 games into the year and immensely making up for last year, the pressure is off once again and I don’t feel as stressed about finishing any more games. I don’t know if the way I think about how many games I “need” to play in any given year is a negative thing, since it motivates me to try more new stuff, or if I could afford to be a bit more relaxed about it (probably). But this is the way that I do things, and sometimes it helps to have the slightly panicked feeling of racing to the finish to do something you want to do.
I’d like to say that I apply this mindset to other activities, like reading, creating art, or even the dreaded job search (ewww) but it’s never as present as it is with video games, which is probably an issue to be honest. I strive to achieve this balance of both panic and relaxation to other aspects of my life that might just help me get things done instead of being stuck in a state of stress-induced paralysis. Maybe one day I’ll achieve a balance in my video game playing and in my everyday life that doesn’t make me feel like I’m falling behind or simply racing to the finish.
Featured image by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash.
