Thanks to a vast library of games available on Steam and frequent sales on those games, many PC gamers find themselves with a Steam library overflowing with things to play. Many of us dive enthusiastically into Steam sales thinking we should buy a game, only to shamefully realize we bought it on the cheap long ago but never played it (let alone installed it).

So if you’re serious about addressing your Steam backlog, here are a few helpful tips to get your life in order and clear out your PC game library.

Take stock of your Steam library

The first step is admitting you have a problem. If your goal is to finally tackle that backlog of games (or you’re thinking about buying Farming Simulator 15 because it’s only $4.99 right now, so why not?), the website HowLongToBeat can scan your Steam library and determine just how many hours’ worth of game time you still have ahead of you. It’s not an exact science — the site lists Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, for example, as requiring 447 hours to “complete” — but it’s helpful if you have some single-player games or lengthy RPGs gathering dust in your backlog.

HowLongToBeat will break down those completion times into multiple categories, so if you want to know how long it’ll take to finish the main campaign of The Witcher 3 versus 100 percenting the thing, they have that info.

Organize your Steam library

If your Steam library is so overwhelming that you just don’t know where to start, use Steam’s “categories” feature to get organized. Right-click on a game in your library and select “Set categories,” then tag as needed. I have a category simply named “backlog” that keeps my most important, more shameful gaming oversights at the top of my library.

Steam also lets users sort games by how much storage a game takes up on disk, so if you’re looking to free up some hard drive space ASAP, maybe it’s time to finally cross Final Fantasy 15 or Doom off your backlog list. Or you can sort by Metacritic metascore, a reminder that you have a batch of critically-acclaimed games on your backlog that you should really get to.

There are third-party tools that can also help you whip your backlog into shape. Steam Backlog lets you sort your library (and your wishlist) with tags and other metrics (like Steam user score and Opencritic score) that aren’t built into Steam natively. The site also lets you create collections of your games, if the Steam interface isn’t doing it for you. HowLongToBeat also offers a game-tracking service if you have an account. Import your Steam library, then figure out your backlog attack plan from any web browser.

Hide your shame

If you’re looking to hide games on your Steam library, a helpful move that can reduce clutter, you can do that too, using categories. Simply right-click on a game in your library, select “Set categories” and check the box next to “Hide this game from my library.” It’s helpful when you realize you still have the Dota 2 Test on your game list in the year 2018. Your hidden games can still be accessed via the “hidden” menu item in the Library dropdown on Steam.

Finally, if you want to be rid of something in your Steam library forever, you can delete a game permanently. Let’s say, just hypothetically, that you have a problem with Bejeweled 3, and that you play the comforting match-three puzzle game at the expense of better, more important games on your list. To delete something like, just as an example, Bejeweled 3 from your Steam library, go to the Help menu, then click on Steam Support, then “Games, software, etc.” Either click on or search for the game you want to delete, then select “I want to permanently remove this game from my account.” This does not grant you a refund. Instead, it frees you from the burden of owning the game that might be destroying your life. To do so, click “Ok, remove the listed games from my account permanently.” It’s a drastic measure, but in certain cases, it’s the right one.

The nuclear option

Want to keep your backlog reasonable and achievable? Here’s a tough love suggestion: Don’t buy any more games on Steam. Resist the temptation to purchase a cheap copy of, say, Aliens: Colonial Marines, even if it’s only $2.99 during a Steam sale. Keep your backlog from growing by realizing that that money you’re about to throw away on Steam could be better spent elsewhere. Put it in savings. Buy a book. Make a charitable donation. You probably need some new socks. Deal with your backlog first, because yet another Steam sale is right around the corner anyway.

Got any Steam backlog tips to share? Please let us know in the comments.