The digital gaming landscape is paradoxically overwhelming—players own more games than ever, yet struggle to choose what to play. Massive libraries on platforms like Steam lead to decision fatigue, forgotten purchases, and wasted browsing time. The core issue isn't access to games, but navigating the abundance of owned titles efficiently.

Solving Choice Paralysis

One approach could involve building a smart recommendation engine that turns a user's existing library into a curated playlist. Instead of suggesting new purchases (like store algorithms do), this would filter owned games based on:

• Practical filters: Game length, controller support, multiplayer status
• Matching preferences: Mood (relaxing vs. intense), perspective (first-person, isometric), or thematic tags
• Rediscovery tools: Highlighting deep cuts or games played less than an hour

For example, someone with 30 minutes before dinner could set filters for "puzzle games under 1 hour" and instantly see matching titles they already own but may have forgotten.

Making It Work Across Platforms

An initial version might start with Steam integration using their public API, then expand to other platforms like Epic Games Store. Key technical considerations would include:

• Standardizing inconsistent game metadata across stores
• Leveraging HowLongToBeat.com's API for accurate playtime estimates
• Developing a taxonomy for subjective filters like "mood"

The simplest MVP could begin as a web app with manual game entry, proving whether users engage with the filtering concept before investing in full platform integrations.

Why Gamers and Platforms Would Care

For players, this addresses the real frustration of owning hundreds of games but feeling like there's "nothing to play." Platforms might support it because:

• Increased engagement with existing libraries reduces refund requests from impulse buys
• Discovering forgotten games could lead to additional DLC purchases

Unlike existing tools that either track collections manually (Backloggd) or estimate playtimes in isolation (HowLongToBeat), this would combine those functions with personalized recommendations—all focused entirely on the games users already own.