Community Backlog Blitz Season 26 - Runs January 1 through March 31 with a game prize raffle at the end

Wibble

Robot on the inside
Dec 6, 2018
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We just finished a successful twenty-fifth season of the Backlog Blitz. Or series if you're British. What happened during this last quarter that's worth noting? Well, 2025 finally ended. That means this next year will be great, right? RIGHT?! This last year was a great year for indies so will 2025 be a big year for the big publishers? Based on how they've been doing, we'll see. But this first quarter is starting off pretty big as February is heavy loaded. Can't wait for the new Resident Evil, personally. With 25 seasons completed we have now bested the current number of Law & Order seasons. I am the law! Pretty sure that's what they say on that show.

We had 14 participants again. Might be the first time that stayed exactly the same? There were 70 game goals set (+2 change) and 49 of them were completed (-4 change). Congrats on clearing out those backlogs! The rate of completion was a little lower than last time but it's the holiday season so I'll allow it. Congrats to Wibble for winning the raffle. Make sure to give me congrats for clearing that backlog and winning. I got the win for completing Last Command. You should all play it. It's neato and like evil Snake.

It's the start of a new year and time for those resolutions to get made and broken. Except for the resolution to clear out your backlogs and have a perfect Blitz year. What are the big gaming goals you all have? I'd like to go through Baldur's Gate II and III this year after going through the first game last year. And Elden Ring. Why are games so long, by the way? Remember when we were kids and a long game was like the coolest thing ever and now a long game feels daunting and we then look at short games and sigh contentedly? Ahhh....

The spreadsheet has been updated, the prize pool has been reset. We'll start with $20.00 but chipping in is always welcome. The details to do so will be posted separately within the thread soon after we get started.

Pick your games accordingly!

What it is:

It's a simple way to clear out some backlog games. You select a number of specific games you want to complete and if you complete them in a set time frame you have a chance to pick a game of your choice within the prize limits.

Rules:

First off, there is no time limit on when you can join. If you come in late and only have a month left please feel free to join. Even one completed game will get you entered into the raffle detailed below.

Everyone shares the same rules so an agreed amount of time would be set (three months this time) and then a set amount of games you want to complete in that time (been using five games). You then pick your specific five games with the intention that you don't go changing it all the time. The idea isn't that once you beat some game you go and list it and mark it complete. Instead, you pick five games to complete at the start of the Blitz and ideally you complete them as well as anything else you want to finish in that time.

Prize:

In the end, I suggest a prize pool and a simple raffle done. I always chip in $20 to start it and accept any other additions. Raffle winners must use at least half but can go up to the full price of a game (capped at $60 if the prize pool gets large enough). Leftover goes to the next drawn winner until it gets down to $0 (or close enough at which point I'll just add it to the next Blitz).

Thoughts?

There's no entry fee or anything so there's really no loss for taking part or starting it and then ignoring it. It's just a fun way to clear out backlog games and have discussion about what you're completing. And commiserate if you pick a game you don't enjoy and sour one of your spots on your list.

I created the Google Sheet so feel free to add yourself and games:



I changed to a hide until replied as I think some people had issues with the hide until reacted. Ask any questions and sorry for those that already posted their new lists in the previous thread. Feel free to just post it again here as we continue for the next three months here.

Good luck, everyone![/REPLY]
 
1. Stellar Blade - (In Progress - couldn't complete in 2025 beacuse Hades 2 took up a lot more time than I expected)
2. Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion
3. Routine
4. Promise Mascot Agency
5. Expedition 33
 
As usual, my picks are based on the games I set in my yearly goal list, which is organized by category. So this time I'm going with

  • Elden Ring - Just started today. This'll be a big one.
  • Hi-Fi Rush - Played the first level before, will start over
  • Five Dates
  • LINKITO
  • Dragon Quest I HD-2D Remaster
The other three I haven't played before, excluding beating the original Dragon Warrior on NES a handful of times as a kid.
 
Hello, I'll pick as I go.
First few ones
  • Professor Layton Unwound Future
  • Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag
  • (1 pending 3DS game)
  • ...
  • ...
 
I have a lot of work related stuff at the beginning of the year so I'll try to be conservative. My picks are:

-Lost in Random (since I couldn't finish it for the previous blitz)

-How to Survive (one of the first games in my library)

-Please Fix the Road (something for my Deck)

-Inmost

-To be determined; I will try to choose one depending on my workload.
 
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I've completed Hector Badge of Carnage

And old school P&C with dark humour and not PC at all, todays kids may call it edgelord, good graphics, good dialogue and voice acting, good characters, most puzzles are easy and very funny. One of the last traditional P&C published by Telltale. Recommended. First game of the season.
 
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Congrats Wibble from Wibble !

I was able to complete all of my games last time, hopefully I can continue the streak!
  • Chrono Trigger DS
  • The First Berserker: Khazan
  • Tomb Raider (2013)
  • Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles
  • RoboCop: Rogue City - Unfinished Business
Good luck and Happy New Year everybody!
 
Skin Deep
Babushka's Glitch Dungeon
Zen Bound 2
X-Blades
Woodle Tree Adventures

Did not go with any kind of theme after all.
Skin Deep and Babushka are 2025 games that I'm trying to finish or at least put a decent amount of time in before I cast my goty votes, rest are kind of sort of random.
Zen Bound and X-Blades were on my "tough letters list" in A-Z challenge and have still installed, and I think that this year I'll try to do the tougher letters early, so that's a good reason to pick them.
All 3 of the older games I've owned for more than a decade at this point so I guess it's about time I actually play them eh.
 
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Finished two of mine so far:

LINKITO - Puzzle game that's all about connecting circuits and like other baby electrical engineering type stuff. Pretty decent. Skipped one bonus level as it just felt too overwhelming in size and I couldn't be bothered. The final levels were really fun and wish they had done more like those. But overall just a decent enough time.

Dragon Quest I HD-2D Remake - Pretty mixed feelings. I beat the original back when it was new and thought this was just the same gameplay/writing but new graphics. Instead it's completely redone with voice acting, lots of new writing, story, and cutscenes, and lots of quality of life and updates to gameplay. All the extra story stuff just dragged it out and the new gameplay was fairly welcome but also it was still pretty tedious. The last third, especially the final dungeon, were absolutely ridiculous with how much damage everything did and how easy it was to die, even with the best gear on. But they make dying essentially negligible so I still got through it. Some of the late game bosses were annoying because of that, too.

Elden Ring is the main game I'm working on now so it'll be some time until the next completion.