All Tools

Game Backlog Estimator

Calculate how long your gaming backlog will take to complete. Add games and see your total hours and finish date.

Your backlog (4 games)

GameHours (main)

Backlog summary

Total hours

261

hours of gaming

At 10h/week

26.1

weeks to complete

Finish date

Feb 2027

at current pace

Hours are approximate estimates. Actual playtimes vary based on difficulty, playstyle, and whether you skip cutscenes. Data based on HowLongToBeat community averages.

Tips & Guide

The backlog struggle is real

Studies suggest the average gamer has 40+ unplayed games in their library. On Steam alone, the average completion rate for games is around 50% — half of all purchased games are never finished. The humble bundle era created a generation of backlog hoarders.

Main Story vs Completionist

HowLongToBeat.com data shows that completionist playthroughs average 3–4x longer than main story runs. Open-world games like Skyrim (35 hrs main vs 232 hrs completionist) show the most extreme variance. JRPGs like Persona 5 can take 100+ hrs even for just the main story.

Gaming sessions and consistency

If you play 10 hours a week, you get through roughly 2–3 substantial games per month if sticking to the main story. Many people underestimate how long games actually take, leading to backlog pile-up during sales.

The sunk cost fallacy in gaming

Many players feel obligated to finish a game they don't enjoy because they paid for it. Remember that your time is the scarcer resource. It is perfectly valid to stop playing a game that isn't enjoyable, regardless of how much it cost.

HowLongToBeat.com

The data in this tool is sourced from community submissions on HowLongToBeat.com, the largest crowdsourced game time database. For any game not listed here, visit HLTB directly for accurate times based on thousands of community submissions.

Build your game backlog and see exactly how long it will take to finish. Search popular games or add custom entries with your own estimated hours.

How to use the Game Backlog Estimator

  1. Click a popular game to add it, or use 'Add custom game' to enter your own.
  2. Choose your completion mode: Main Story, Main + Extras, or Completionist.
  3. Enter your weekly play hours to see when you'll clear your backlog.
  4. Remove games with the trash icon.

Examples

3 open-world games, 10 hrs/week

150–300+ hours — approximately 15–30 weeks

5 indie games, 15 hrs/week

40–100 hours — approximately 3–7 weeks

According to HowLongToBeat data, the average AAA game takes about 12 hours to complete the main story. The longest mainline game ever tracked is Persona 5 Royal at 102 hours for the main story alone.