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Editorial Board #01
2026 has officially begun, and I’m crawling out of my winter break hole to get back into the swing of things here with The Backlog Bin. Our first year was more productive than I expected it to be, given it was an impulse project kickstarted by burnout with my side hustle reviewing comic books. That being said, the plan for this year is going to be more structured, as I have a few things I would like to cover in an organized and attentive way. So, for those who care, here are my plans for 2026.
PART 1: INTENTION
When I get really into something, whether it be a new hobby or job, I can get lost in the flow of things and burn out very quickly. The same could be said for my life as well, which is why I want to begin approaching things more with intention than passivity, in hopes of curbing any rising feelings of burnout I may run into throughout the year.
In doing so, I’ve created a list of eleven games, each one part of my personal backlog that I am committed to finishing this year. Some are games I’ve already started, others I have never touched. Disconnecting from second-screen media is also a huge factor in achieving this, on top of only engaging with new releases when I am personally very interested in them—not so much what the community at large is saying you need to play.
Check that backlog linked here.
PART 2: HORROR GAMES & JRPGs
These two genres are the types of games that I adore the most. I’ve spent most of my life obsessively playing these genres, and this is the year I really want to close the book on them by targeting games from these two worlds that I desperately want to play but have never given myself the room to. Unlike the backlog goals I established in the first part of this journal, these games will be ones I have never played before and would finally like to add to my crown of genre knowledge.
The first you’ll see of this goal is a series of reviews covering Silent Hill 1–4, acting as a comprehensive look into the iconic series while it was still under the direction and control of Team Silent. This will begin in March and run monthly through June. On the JRPG side, I’ll be dipping my toes into the original six Final Fantasy games, acting as the next review series starting in July and wrapping up in December.
PART 3: GAME CLUB
Every month I participate in a club that gets together to play, review, and discuss a random game from our combined backlog of titles. I’ve participated twice now with pieces on both A Short Hike and TOEM. I’ve skipped the last two games, as one I simply did not like, and the other was Undertale, a game I have played too many times in my life at this point.
Starting in February, we will be collectively playing Cult of the Lamb, which we will follow up in March with Dredge. Not only will both of these games get factored into my play and review schedule, but so will every other game we play this year. The best part about this club is that it is open to the public, and we employ readers and authors alike to join up as Sey, the club’s facilitator, continues to help build a real Substack gaming community via outreach like this.
Well, for the two of you who read this far, thanks for sticking around for 2026. Get out there and really spend time maturing your relationship to games, playing through titles that you genuinely have an itch for. Next time you hear from me, I’ll be chronicling all the games I played over my radio-silent winter break. Cheers!