222 Gamer Guilt Episode 04 - Backlogs, Bias & Letting Go

In this final instalment of our Gamer Guilt series, we delve into the emotional baggage of gaming: the backlog shame spiral, perfectionism, and the internalised pressure to “do it right.” Hosted by Jem, with Alex and Matt in conversation, this episode is a thoughtful, funny, and heartfelt wrap-up on how guilt seeps into our gaming habits—and how we can begin to let it go.

Do you really need to finish every game you start?
From towering game libraries to piles of unread books, we explore the guilt of not finishing—and why sometimes we need to remember that the journey, not the destination, is enough.

Therapy, spreadsheets, and the Hitman roguelike spiral
Matt walks us through his epic journey modding Hitman: Freelancer, tracking progress via spreadsheets, and why he abandoned completionism in favour of joy.

Game shame: Are mobile games ‘real’ games?
We challenge our own gaming snobbery: Is playing FIFA or mobile puzzle games somehow less valid than a 100-hour epic RPG? And what does our choice of games say about us?

Wisdom from Gotham’s Hugo Strange
Yes, really. We discuss

Favourite moments from the episode:

Alex’s reflections on (not) finishing Assassin’s Creed Valhalla— and why that’s okay.Jem and her daughter finally completed It Takes Two after months away from it, rediscovering its warmth and wit.Matt shares an unexpectedly moving quote from Gotham, featuring a truth-serum-induced confession and a villain’s twisted kind of absolution.

If you struggle with Gamer Guilt, listen to this episode. We guarantee you'll remember that it’s okay to enjoy yourself. No justification required.

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The podcast where 3 intersectional feminists examine gaming and games  through a feminist lens.  

New Episodes every Thursday.

Alex, Jem and Matt believe gaming is good.  Gaming is good for relaxation, for learning, for bringing people together and for your mental health. But like all media, there is both good and bad and we want to address how we make gaming a safe and healthy environment for women and minority groups (although lets not forget that people of colour are the global ethnic majority).

We want to see the small steps towards an intersectional feminist future that have been made in games to go further. We are Gaming the System because we want to see our beloved world of Gaming reflect the values we hold dear, and until it does we are here to shine a light on what needs to change.

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• No. of episodes: 225
• Latest episode: 2025-05-07
• Society & Culture Leisure Video Games

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