What strategies helped you prioritize a huge Steam backlog and actually play?

[Ava_P]

My Steam library has grown to an overwhelming size over the years, and I've realized I have dozens of unplayed games from bundles and sales that I genuinely want to try, but I can't decide where to start. I've tried organizing with categories and collections, but it doesn't help me actually choose what to play next. For others who have tackled a massive backlog, what strategies or tools did you use to prioritize games, set realistic goals, and actually make a dent in your library without feeling paralyzed by choice or guilty about purchases?

[EdwardGT]

Build a lightweight backlog tracker. Notion, Trello, or a simple spreadsheet with columns like Game | Estimated Hours | Mood/Reason to pick | Priority | Plan (beat / checkpoint) | Status. Then pick 2 titles to focus on this month, block out 2–3 play sessions weekly, and do a quick month-end review to decide what stays in the active queue.