We are navigating a period of unparalleled gaming abundance. In 2024, nearly 19,000 games were introduced via the digital distribution platform Steam. This implies that you could have experienced 52 fresh games each day of the year, and still have some remaining. Yet 2024 was viewed as a relatively light year for significant releases. This year holds the promise of much more, with new additions to major franchises such as Grand Theft Auto, Assassin’s Creed, Monster Hunter and the debut of the recently announced Nintendo Switch 2 console. As of this writing, 715 games have already been released in 2025.
Inquire of gamers how they feel about living through this abundance of options, and you’ll hear a consistent response: it’s tiring. Online communities are filled with players expressing their overwhelm concerning the sheer volume of new releases. Too many games, insufficient time. How did we arrive at a stage where the wealth of choices feels more burdensome than delightful?
Throughout the 2010s, the thresholds for entry into both game creation and dissemination decreased significantly, prompting a surge of small games referred to as the “indiepocalypse” that some feared might overshadow all quality content. Although noteworthy games frequently emerged at the surface, the accelerating tempo of releases was exacerbated by substantial investments in gaming during the pandemic. Many of the games developed during that time are now being released.
This inundation poses a challenge as gamers are inclined to be completists. We strive to gather every gold coin, achieve every trophy. We are the community that transformed “100 per cent” into a verb. Thus, we purchase endless new releases and swiftly relegated them to a library of untouched games discussed in exasperated tones as “the backlog,” waiting for an elusive downtime in the future when we’ll finally manage to catch up. The emergence of subscription services like Xbox Game Pass has only inflated backlogs to colossal sizes. Regardless of how diligently you tackle your list, it appears to grow longer.
Part of the reason backlogs persist is due to all the older games that individuals continue to play. A study by industry analysts Newzoo revealed that 61 per cent of all gaming time in 2023 was spent on titles released six or more years prior, marking a 15 per cent rise since 2021. Ultimately, those 19,000 games launched last year compete for merely 8 per cent of total gaming hours. Perhaps it’s not surprising that the overwhelming majority of them were played by virtually nobody.
This flood of content is not an issue unique to gaming. My list of movies to view and books to read is as extensive as my list of games I wish to engage with. One distinction is that it might take 15 hours to finish a book or two hours to watch a film, but many of last year’s most acclaimed games require nearly 100 hours of your attention. That’s if you can even locate the games you want to experience. A few reader-supported websites and newsletters have achieved moderate success, and certain YouTubers undoubtedly possess influence, but the avenues for discovering gaming recommendations today are narrower and less varied than ever before.
It’s challenging for gamers who have been engaged with the medium for years. There was a time when they could effortlessly keep track of their interest, experiencing all the noteworthy releases of a year with some time left for a few underwhelming titles. Now this is unfeasible. We must adjust our strategy in this era of gaming superabundance. You can no longer be knowledgeable about all of gaming than you can be an expert in every music genre.
One solution is to specialise. Are you passionate about ultra-realistic farming simulations? Historically accurate World War II strategy games? Japanese LGBTQ dating sims? There exists a thriving niche for every preference. To stay informed about broader gaming culture, it may be more effective to tune into podcasts or observe players on Twitch rather than attempting to carve out time in your calendar for yet another 40-hour game. While gaming culture was once a wave you could ride, today it surges with the force and scope of a powerful tide. If you don’t adapt, you’ll get swept away.