Backloggery: The Best Site to Track a Backlog

We’ve discussed backlogs a lot on Underlevelled.com. It’s one of those unavoidable horrors that you inevitably stumble into when entering the gaming hobby, especially when you get older and suddenly have access to disposable income. Assuming you don’t play the same 5 service games on loop, chances are you have a long list of games you’ve bought on sale, been recommended, or simply plan to purchase at some point in time. This ultimately becomes unmanageable if you don’t track it correctly and can have real consequences if you let it slide too far. You could end up buying the same game multiple times, forgetting the existence of games you were excited about, or simply having choice paralysis and jumping back into something familiar. The issue stems from the upkeep and maintenance of the backlog, if it feels like work or isn’t in an accessible place then it becomes a chore to do and becomes outdated quickly, thus defeating the point in the backlog to begin with.

I tackled this problem for years. I’d build complex spreadsheets to update, forms to keep it easy, and even tried multiple websites that promised an easy experience, but none of this appealed to me. They lacked the customisation and stats that I craved. It was back in 2018 when I first discovered Backloggery, a small and unassuming site that allowed full customisation on the importing of games and an easy-to-understand UI that was accessible and easy to share with friends. I started filling the games in and then stopped and never revisited. Why? Probably because I wasn’t ready to commit to the backlog lifestyle just yet. Snap forward to 2024, I’ve been keeping a meticulous log of all games I’ve played using that overly complex spreadsheet I mentioned before and then I remembered the site existed after failing to adjust to GGapp.io. I have used Backloggery for the last 6 months, it has worked absolute wonders on my motivation and ability to track and log games effortlessly.

What is Backloggery?

Backloggery is a database-driven site created by mrdrumble in 2007 with the mission statement to “give people a chill, inclusive space to enjoy games” as well as empower users to enjoy the games they have before buying new ones. It has a simple interface. You select the systems that you want to include on your profile, then add the games you own and categorise them by system, format, and even region. You can go as in-depth as you want and include achievement totals if you wish, but what I like is that you can add a game collection and add sub-games below it; think Spyro Reignited, with each of the three games as subgames below the collection. You can even add DLC to games effortlessly, without needing a separate entry on the backlog, with its own tracking.

As you’d expect, this works wonders for a physical collection as you can keep a complete log of all games you’ve played, owned, sold, etc. all in one place with an easy-to-filter list. You can also create lists on the site to track whatever you want. I use it to track games I’ve completed in a specific year, or my favourite games so I can keep them easy to retrieve. It also has social media elements, you can follow other users, check out their backlogs, and get inspiration or motivation from seeing your friends complete their backlogs; it’s an all-in-one hub to share, inspire, and complete!

Advantages

To prevent this from becoming a list of things I like, I will outline the key features Backloggery presents that make it a cut above other methods. First is categorisation, which includes the usual: unplayed, unfinished, beaten, etc., as well as a priority system that includes whether you are replaying a title or shelving it-never to see the light of day again. Categories are important for filtering and seeing your backlog at a glance. Having pre-set and easy-to-understand categories from the get-go can really help in the long run, especially as your list grows. Part of categories, as previously mentioned, is the ability to show which games are physical or digital so that you can filter and see your physical collection with ease. This is great for when you’re thrifting for used games.

Whilst easy filtering and searching are benefits all on their own, the fact that you can click a system and see all its games is something you shouldn’t take for granted, especially with the view shown above. It really does help to see which systems you need to prioritise and lets you know where to spend time if you’re feeling for a specific era of gaming for a little while. But, by far, the most underrated feature on the site is the backlog roulette which is fully customisable with filters for consoles, priorities, and statuses. This allows you to decide how many games get chosen if you’d like to narrow your options down. This can be a huge help in choice paralysis when deciding to tackle a particularly daunting backlog size, especially if you know which platform you want to play.

As you’ve been able to tell from my screenshots, the site looks very purple, but have no fear purple haters (you strange people), the site is fully customisable with hex colour values so you can set the colour scheme to literally whatever you want. The site is inclusive of gif support for avatars and banner images so you can add your personal touch to your own page. Last but not least, the fact you can share your page with anyone at any time to take a look at your collection, get a feel for your tastes, and look for game recommendations is handy since sharing personal spreadsheets can be cumbersome and a little risky; this method is safe and doesn’t require you creating any sharing links from your own cloud storage.

Downsides

There are, of course, disadvantages to every way of tracking and Backloggery isn’t shy of these either. There are no images for the games and no way to add them. This is likely due to storage space and loading times as it’s a very snappy site. Adding thousands of images is likely to slow it right down. The other downside is that you have to add all of your games manually, one by one, with very little automation which, depending on the size of your backlog, could take hours or even days. I personally found this to be a relaxing experience and even did my partner’s account for her, but for others, I can see this potentially being a tedious experience. It might be best to start small and fill in older and legacy entries later when you feel like it.

Conclusion

Obviously, backlogs are best tackled in a way that remains non-intrusive to the hobby, i.e. as a way to manage your time more effectively. They aren’t for everyone, but I firmly believe that when it comes to the text-based, statistically-driven logging of a large catalogue of games, Backloggery has a firm and clear advantage over spreadsheets and its competitors, even with its drawbacks. It has an easily searchable interface with clear statuses that can show your current state with your entire backlog at a glance with stats that update dynamically. What more could you ask for?

If you’re interested in seeing what a fully utilised Backloggery looks like, here is my own. If you decide to join the site, feel free to follow and leave a comment with your Backloggery page and I will follow you back! I’m curious to see how our audience feels about this kind of site and how you manage your own backlogs, so let us know with a comment or join the discussion over on our discord! While you’re here, why not check out Azza’s article on tackling backlogs too? He offers a unique, listless perspective that runs counter to my method here, it might be the method that works for you!