Nic Taylor
An indie game where you battle your ever-growing Steam backlog has gone viral, and it could be the game we deserve.
The Steam Summer and Winter sales are a thing of beauty. Thousands upon thousands of games at your fingertips at all-time low prices, it’s a modern-day PC gaming problem that can make the strongest players weak at the knees.
Combine this with the odd free game, gifts, and upcoming 2026 releases, and you have a backlog that can quickly spiral out of control. Well, one indie developer is putting all of our gaming shame front and center, allowing PC players to fight their unplayed games in a gladiator arena.
Fight your backlog to the death
According to the Steam page, The Backlog Battler is an arcade Hack & Slash that asks just one question: “What if the games you never play could attack you?” It’s a scenario that is just as bizarre as it sounds, and one that proves even more lethal for those who tend to splurge on more expensive games.
So, the more you paid for your unplayed title, the more damage it will do to you in the arena. Think of it as a buff to your pricey pixelated opponents and a major nerf to yourself, as the game dishes out the punishment for hurting your bank account.
What’s more, the never-played games are also treated as giant boss-like enemies that you’ll need to take down. Meanwhile, any you have played for up to two hours will attack you in waves, all the while your backlog appears in the stands, watching on as you desperately try to survive.
Nic Taylor
Fortunately, you do get some allies to help you take down your floppy disk foes, as your most-played games will fight by your side.
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Game Quest: The Backlog Battler launches on Steam in 2026, so be sure to keep your backlog in check if you wish to have a shot at staying among the living.
While being punished for paying and never playing through your backlog is certainly one of the most interesting games we’ve seen this year, it’s not the only title that has gone viral.
Back in March, someone made a Wikipedia gacha game that turns random pages into Pokemon cards you can collect.
