Do you keep track of the games you play, and how?

[icterine]

I think most here probably use VNDB to track the games played, and maybe some also use KoiLog to track otome games, or Backloggd for games in general, or some other tracking sites, or a combination of sites and excel.

On my end, I do use VNDB as well, but since I also track non-visual novels and want greater control over what I track, I also use google sheets to keep track of some things including:

- The games I play each year, with columns for details like when I start and finish the game, its platform and language, its play status and any other notes (e.g. the DLCs, whether I backed the game on Kickstarter, whether I played a fan translation, etc.).
- A voltage game sheet to track whichever content I have purchased / read / am missing from the Love365 app games I'm following
- Two backlog sheets, one for Switch and PC games and one for every other platform (mainly DS, PS2, PSP, PSV).
- A table catalogue that tracks every CD / booklet / tokuten (bonus) I have
- A schedule sheet that tracks upcoming Japanese and past to upcoming Chinese releases (which also tracks whether I have and played the games listed)
- A CD and event sheet to track contents I'm missing and are in my wishlist (by event, think Otomate Party, Rejet Fes, Dessert de Otomate events etc.)
- A sheet for misc. tracking including the games my friend's interested in (for birthday purchase considerations) and joint games we've both played and our respective opinion of said games
- The misc. sheet is also where I put walkthrough related information if I'm compiling my own recommended save slots or making my own checkmark trackers (usually for non-otome games) based on existing guides. I clear the information out as soon as I'm done with the game though so usually it's blank.

Some examples below (nothing fancy at all but they do what I need them to do )

Voltage tracking sheet:

Schedule tracking sheet (actual schedules consolidated from other sites like Soregashi):

My misc. sheet (screenshot shows what I made as a walkthrough for Reine des Fleurs; it's possibly spoilerish if you can read Chinese):

 

[satory]

nothing fancy at all

Σ(゜ω゜)

You say it's nothing fansy but this looks like a huge amount of work. looks like it can take more time than reading a small-sized novel. Even my actual work isn't this much organized

 

[Gremgrem]

What do you mean it's nothing fancy? I couldn't bring myself to do half of that! I respect this level of organization tho

 

[xxzxc]

Wow, that's amazing! I don't keep such detailed records. I just occasionally jot down some short thoughts for myself in a notebook or KoiLog.

 

[haylie2019]

I don't really track unless I need to but nothing complex as yours. Just commentary like what type of bad ending I encounter that is not listed officially even with koilog tracker that just says "bad end 1, bad end 2".

I do have an excel sheet of otome games list with release date, platform, and whether localised with colour coding, that is duplicate on my PC and external hard drive.

 

[koschej]

I mostly just use koilog but I'm so impressed by your system, OP! :o

 

[LapisWhale]

Omg :0 that's a huge amount of work!! You're so amazing!!! I dont keep track of things in that much detail, I just create a column in notion and leave it at that xDdd

 

[rorudesu]

Oh yea spreadsheet the ultimate utility!! Can totally related on wrapping everything inside it.

I can't imagine myself to organize otome stuffs as detail and neat as this! Big respect.

I used to jot stuffs down manually while playing, but I found those constant pauses keep pulling me out of the flow.
Keeping track of start/end dates with summaries are all I can manage right now.

 

[Fruitcup]

I personally have a very methodically layed out exel sheet with month year game came out title,play staus( have, reading, read, dropped ect.) list of LI ratings/reviews. Over all game rating/reviews it was a little bit of work to start but im happy where it is now ヾ(´▽｀;)ゝ

 

[hinigarad]

I don't read enough to keep track, but if I forget I read something good I will end up reading it again and have fun again like it was the first time.

 

[Henriette]

Personally I tend not to keep track of games that I've played, but I must say OP, your system is very impressive!

The most I do is scribble down short notes, either on paper or on a note-taking app.

 

[Towaトワ]

Yes, I do keep track of the games I'm playing mainly using Steam.

If the game is on Steam I keep track there and usually I prefer since I can write exactly my game time and when I started vs when I finished later on VNDB. VNDB for me is more for games outside Steam and keeping track of wishlists as well. I also have a document (more like an excel) where I write down everything from a game such as routes finished, when I started or when I put the game on pause.

But usually I only use Steam, sometimes opening the doc gets quite tiring lol and I forget as well

 

[Plain]

This is impressive. Its making me want to get as organized as you on an excel sheet but I know I'd stop updating it halfway haha. The most I do is just add any recently completed game to a list alongside my thoughts on it.

 

[judahslove]

Yes !!! I tbh just note them out or uses that one website ( i forgot the name ) that basically is focused on otome games where u can select which games u played which you wanna and that you started or finished! Its a very detailed one !!

 

[mangopie]

I should probably start keeping track, I mostly just go off with the cg screenshots I have in my camera roll or just trust my memory not to fail me.

 

[Arisara]

oh wow amazing! Never did it. I just have 2 folders on my pc " Otome and completed games". All my fav games there. And i have just txt files with games i didn't like.

 

[Aerith]

I use VND and my good old friend Excel lol

 

[sophiamolin]

因为我除了记录还需要写各种玩后感，需要一个更加系统的数据库来辅助，其他的游戏，书籍我也是这么处理的，我用的是notion

Because besides keeping records, I also need to write various post-play reflections, I need a more systematic database to assist with this. I handle other games and books the same way. I use Notion.

 

[Moonblink]

God this post made me realize i play games like an uncivilized heathen, i just play what i play and that's that . I don't really keep track

 

[icterine]

因为我除了记录还需要写各种玩后感，需要一个更加系统的数据库来辅助，其他的游戏，书籍我也是这么处理的，我用的是notion

Because besides keeping records, I also need to write various post-play reflections, I need a more systematic database to assist with this. I handle other games and books the same way. I use Notion.

View attachment 102897

第一反應是：評分竟然大多偏低！？
我也看過不少Reddit用戶提到自己在用 Notion，看起來很整齊、有條理，而且很漂亮！


以下机翻成英文：
My first reaction was: wait, the ratings are mostly low?!
I've heard quite a few people on Reddit talk about using Notion as well. It looks really neat, organized, and visually appealing!

 

[sophiamolin]

第一反應是：評分竟然大多偏低！？
我也看過不少Reddit用戶提到自己在用 Notion，看起來很整齊、有條理，而且很漂亮！


以下机翻成英文：
My first reaction was: wait, the ratings are mostly low?!
I've heard quite a few people on Reddit talk about using Notion as well. It looks really neat, organized, and visually appealing!

哈哈，那个评分作为参考，我通关后还会自己打分归类，这个数据库付出了很多的学习成本，但让我事半功倍。notion的最大的特色是嵌套式的设计，像厂商，剧本，都能归类，下次我就能快速判断新的游戏是否值得玩

Those ratings serve as a reference. After I finish a game, I'll give my own score and categorize it myself. This database has required a lot of learning investment, but it makes me twice as effective with half the effort. Notion's greatest feature is its nested design—things like developers and writers can all be categorized, so next time I can quickly judge whether a new game is worth playing.

 

[Taiyou]

God this post made me realize i play games like an uncivilized heathen, i just play what i play and that's that . I don't really keep track

You and I are in the same boat , OP is impressive to keep such a clean and organized log. I just buy games, play them until I don't and then they land in a drawer but I think I like this style of tracking. I do have a hard time remembering what I liked/disliked about a specific game/route so this could be fun to do for the future

 

[sergylort]

Nowadays I use Backloggd to keep track of the games I played or want to play

 

[wangpanda]

Never track them just based on own memory. But usually will remember what had been played, and now switch has some kind of "tracking" of the game history and length spent on them.

 

[rutu]

I write down my thoughts; it will be interesting to look back on them anytime in the future. I use Notepad.