2022 Edit: Major update to this thread coming to reflect the current landscape (IGN Playlist)
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Some of you on this forum may be aware of one of the best websites on the internet called Letterboxd, a place for film fans to record, rate, and review the movies they have seen. As a fan of sites like these (Goodreads, My Anime List) that help me remember the media I have experienced and want to experience, I have been disappointed in the last couple of years that the options for these in the video game space have some combination of awful UIs, poor game Library APIs they are pulling from, or poor functionality.
I just wanted to let Era know about a couple of sites that I think are heading in the right direction in the hopes that they succeed and continue to put more resources into making these awesome platforms. Both currently have low userbases I believe.
1) IGN Playlist
2022 update: The new kid on the block! I have tested out Playlist this weekend and I am pretty impressed overall. More than anything I am excited about the potential of one of these sites having some serious backing. You will see below in the other options out there that these are mostly single dev projects. That's not to mention the dozens of mobile only apps out there you can try. But it has some other unique advantages as well. HLTB integration is very handy, as well as being able to quickly jump to the IGN walkthrough for the games in your play list. There is a bulk select option that also has allowed me to quickly add dozens of games to my collection at once. You can see my nitpicks in the threadmarks.
2) Backloggd
This one seems to be taking... inspiration... from Letterboxd more than any other. It is also as far as I can tell the one that is getting the most development time
2022 update: I was definitely correct that this site is progressing further than the rest despite it also seeming to be a one man band development team. I have to look more closely into it but after doing a test tonight it may actually have the best usability for what I want out of these sites, which is quick status adjustment. Imagine searching for Final Fantasy as a new user and being able to scroll down and set if you have played them or not without opening an additional menu. Good stuff.
3) GG
This is the website that I am currently going to try to spend more time with, as I really think the developer nailed the categories to place the games into and the experience of doing so. And funnily enough, he is both a big fan of Letterboxd and they have given him a shoutout on Twitter.
Beyond tracking the games via these lists the site's features are currently bare bones, but that is all I really want and the Android app is solid enough.
2022 update: Unfortunately this one hasn't made significant strides since I originally posted this thread, and I say that despite it being my go-to ever since and seeming to have gained some traction in adoption (partially thanks to Kinda Funny using it I am sure). As the newest review says in the Google Play store, both the app and the site version just aren't snappy enough. Despite that, I still think it has the best statuses to choose from for your games.
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Other suggestions from posters/former inclusions
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Some of you on this forum may be aware of one of the best websites on the internet called Letterboxd, a place for film fans to record, rate, and review the movies they have seen. As a fan of sites like these (Goodreads, My Anime List) that help me remember the media I have experienced and want to experience, I have been disappointed in the last couple of years that the options for these in the video game space have some combination of awful UIs, poor game Library APIs they are pulling from, or poor functionality.
I just wanted to let Era know about a couple of sites that I think are heading in the right direction in the hopes that they succeed and continue to put more resources into making these awesome platforms. Both currently have low userbases I believe.
1) IGN Playlist
2022 update: The new kid on the block! I have tested out Playlist this weekend and I am pretty impressed overall. More than anything I am excited about the potential of one of these sites having some serious backing. You will see below in the other options out there that these are mostly single dev projects. That's not to mention the dozens of mobile only apps out there you can try. But it has some other unique advantages as well. HLTB integration is very handy, as well as being able to quickly jump to the IGN walkthrough for the games in your play list. There is a bulk select option that also has allowed me to quickly add dozens of games to my collection at once. You can see my nitpicks in the threadmarks.
2) Backloggd
This one seems to be taking... inspiration... from Letterboxd more than any other. It is also as far as I can tell the one that is getting the most development time
2022 update: I was definitely correct that this site is progressing further than the rest despite it also seeming to be a one man band development team. I have to look more closely into it but after doing a test tonight it may actually have the best usability for what I want out of these sites, which is quick status adjustment. Imagine searching for Final Fantasy as a new user and being able to scroll down and set if you have played them or not without opening an additional menu. Good stuff.
3) GG
- IOS/Android App - Yes
- Categories for Game Progress and Custom Lists - Yes
- Friend / Follow system - Yes
- User Reviews - No
- Tracks Date of Completion - No
- Descriptive Data of Game - No
This is the website that I am currently going to try to spend more time with, as I really think the developer nailed the categories to place the games into and the experience of doing so. And funnily enough, he is both a big fan of Letterboxd and they have given him a shoutout on Twitter.
Beyond tracking the games via these lists the site's features are currently bare bones, but that is all I really want and the Android app is solid enough.
2022 update: Unfortunately this one hasn't made significant strides since I originally posted this thread, and I say that despite it being my go-to ever since and seeming to have gained some traction in adoption (partially thanks to Kinda Funny using it I am sure). As the newest review says in the Google Play store, both the app and the site version just aren't snappy enough. Despite that, I still think it has the best statuses to choose from for your games.
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Other suggestions from posters/former inclusions
- IGDB
- RAWG
- HowLongToBeat
- Glitchwave (Beta)
- Darkadia
- Mekami by ResetEra user Aku
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