Gaming backlog completion calculator
How long until you finish your pile of shame? Enter the number of unplayed games, the average hours each takes and how much you play. Add the new games you buy each month to see if you will ever catch up.
How the backlog calculator works
Your backlog in hours is the number of unplayed games multiplied by the average hours each takes. Divide that by the hours you play each week and you have the weeks needed if you never bought another game. Twenty games of 15 hours is 300 hours, which at 10 hours a week is 30 weeks, or about seven months.
That figure is the best case. In practice you buy more games, so the calculator includes the new games you add each month. It converts those into extra hours per week and subtracts them from your play time to find the net rate at which the pile shrinks. If you add more hours than you play, the backlog never clears, and the tool says so.
Time to clear 300 hours of backlog
How long a 300 hour backlog takes at different weekly playtimes, with no new games added.
| Hours per week | Weeks | Months |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 60 | 13.8 |
| 10 | 30 | 6.9 |
| 15 | 20 | 4.6 |
| 20 | 15 | 3.5 |
| 30 | 10 | 2.3 |
Why backlogs grow
Games are cheaper than the time to play them, and sales make it easy to buy more than you can finish. Subscriptions add dozens of games at once. The result is a pile that rarely shrinks, not from lack of interest but because the arithmetic is against you. Playing 10 hours a week gives about 520 hours a year, which is only around 35 games of 15 hours, less than many people buy or receive.
The calculator makes the trade-off visible. Change the new games per month and watch the time to clear change, often dramatically. Dropping from four a month to one can turn a pile that never clears into one that clears in a couple of years.
Tackling a big backlog
Choose a method that suits you. Play the shortest games first for quick progress, set a rule of one new game for every game finished, or sort the list by what you most want to play and ignore the rest. Give yourself permission to drop games you are not enjoying, since a half-finished game still gave you hours of play. Track what you finish and what it cost with the cost per hour calculator.
If your hardware is the reason games sit unplayed, check them with the can my PC run it checker, and see how much a download takes with the download time calculator. For farming time inside games, see the loot drop chance calculator.
How to use the backlog completion calculator
- Count the games you own and have not played.
- Enter the average hours each takes. Use the figure for the games you own.
- Enter your typical hours of play per week.
- Add how many new games you buy per month.
- Read the time to clear the backlog, or the warning if it is growing.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using the hours of a short game for a whole library of long ones.
- Forgetting that new purchases add to the pile.
- Assuming you will finish every game, including ones you drop.
Related tools and guides
Keep going with these: Cost per hour of gaming calculator, download time calculator, Can my PC run it?, Loot drop chance calculator, best graphics cards guide.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate how long my backlog will take?
Multiply the number of unplayed games by the average hours per game, then divide by the hours you play each week. Twenty games of 15 hours at 10 hours a week is 30 weeks. Add new purchases for a realistic figure.
Why does my backlog never shrink?
You may be adding more hours of games than you play. Every new game adds its length to the pile. The calculator shows the net rate. If it is zero or negative, play more or buy fewer games to start reducing the list.
How many hours does the average game take?
It varies enormously, from a couple of hours to well over a hundred. Use the lengths of the games you actually own, from a site that tracks completion times, rather than a single average, for a more accurate estimate. Short games lower the average.
Should I drop games I am not enjoying?
Yes. Your time is limited and a game you do not enjoy delays the ones you do. Dropping games also shortens the backlog in real life, which makes the calculator estimate a worst case. Dropping a dull game frees time for ones you love and is a simple way to shrink the backlog.
How can I clear my backlog faster?
Play shorter games first, set a one in, one out rule, buy fewer games and pick what you most want to play next. Even a small cut in monthly purchases changes the time to clear a great deal, as the table shows.
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