April 2026 Gaming Challenge : How many games can I complete?

It is challenge time, I have been inspired by Mystic's 30 platinum trophies in 30 days challenge however, as I don't collect trophies through gaming I am going to be doing a different take on this. For the month of April (all 30 days of it) I am going to be doing a challenge to see how many games I can roll the credits on. This should be a lot of fun and help me with my backlog challenge as I should get through a good number of games that I might have previously overlooked. 

As always the challenge is going to have a good set of rules for me to stick to so that the challenge is made a bit more interesting and keeps me locked in for hopefully a very productive month of gaming. First up we have a rule of the games being games I already own... I didn't want to go out and spend a fortune on games when I already have a massive backlog plus if I can't buy new games for this I should be able to save a fair bit of money over the length of the challenge. Another rule I am adding is that the games can't all be short games because where is the fun in that? So for this I am ensuring that no more than 5 games can be under the 4 hours to complete mark.

To make sure I am not just finishing up loose ends in games I have got to have played less than 1 hour of the game before the 1st of April too, no just jumping in to finish off 5 minutes every game either needs to be a totally new game of under 1 hour played. The challenge is going to run from the 1st of April until the 30th anything completed before or after this won't be counted. The final rule is that I play a mix of consoles and don't just stick to the PS5 like I have done recently. The other consoles I own have been massively neglected lately so hopefully this will help me play on other consoles a lot more.

I am really hoping that this helps me progress through a good chunk of my backlog to help me get to that 10 games complete that I am aiming for by the end of 2026. I am also hoping that it helps motivate me to game more as March hadn't been the best for gaming. The only obstacle I may have for this is a holiday during the month where I have 5 days where my options will be the Switch or Steamdeck but I am hoping I can keep momentum going and get at least one game complete whilst I am away. 

My target for this challenge is just to complete 5 games which to some may seem like a tiny amount but for me this would be huge compared to the past few years of gaming. Who knows I may end up completing more but I guess we will soon see.

How many do you think I am going to end up completing?

See you soon

TNG Games

The Older Consoles I Would Love To Pick Up

Me and Liam had a bit of a chat towards the start of the year and I have managed to convince him to add some older consoles into the games room. We have a fair few consoles in the space currently however, I would love to add even more to either help me relive my childhood or get me playing games I have previously missed out on. All this started after we found Liam's old PSP which I may have claimed for myself, it got me thinking of what I really wanted to add to our forever growing games room where we already have the PS2, PS3, PS4 & PS5 alongside the Xbox 360, Xbox One & Xbox Series X. We also have a Switch, Switch Lite & Switch too and the Nintendo Wii but here are the other consoles we would love to add...

Gameboy Advance SP

I absolutely loved the GBA SP growing up and spent far too many hours playing some fantastic games on the handheld. Every car journey this was by my side and plenty of hours were put into a variety of games as I grew up and my gaming tastes changed. I would love to pick up games such as Monsters Inc on this as that is where my time went as a child.

Gameboy Colour

The Gameboy Colour was my first console and it is one I want to pick up for pure nostalgia reasons. I had the purple one so that is at the top of my list for what I want to buy. I would also get some of the games I had growing up such as Pokemon Yellow, Pokemon Pinball & Rugrats : Time Travelers. This was such a good handheld and I would love to re-live it all over again.

Gamecube

I feel like I missed out on a lot by never owning a Gamecube as a child however, it never appealed to me back then. I would love to pick one of these up for the likes of Super Smash Bro's & Zelda but only if I can find one at a very reasonable price. I saw a few of these at a gaming market the other month but we hadn't even thought about new consoles back then so maybe it is time to hunt down a bargain.

PS1

I have been on the hunt for a reasonably priced PS1 for the longest time now and I am determined to pick one up ASAP. My first console was the PS1 and I spent so many hours on this after school and football. From sports games to Disney games I played it all and it is probably where my love for gaming actually begun. 

Xbox

It wasn't until me and Liam got together that I started playing on the Xbox (15 years ago), before that I had always been PlayStation with a bit of Nintendo thrown in the mix so I have missed out on so many Xbox classics in the past. The goal is to get a crystal clear Xbox but that is proving quite hard to find at the moment. This is the only one I will be buying though and it would certainly look good in the set up so let's hope we find a reasonably priced one soon.

I am really hoping we can add these to the games room soon as it would make the TV side of the room look complete but as we both get back into gaming a whole lot more it will allow us to relive childhood memories and even get into games we have previously overlooked. This could very well be an expensive journey to begin however, being able to play some of those classics will definitely make it worth it. 

See you soon, 

TNG Games

March 2026 Pay Day Wish List

 

Finally it is pay day and lets just say the countdown to today as well and truly been on as the bank account has been drained recently. Going forward I am really trying to be better with money as I am sick of buying things for the sake of it and not getting use out of those items as they really weren't needed. That is why I am doing a total over haul of my finances and going forward I will be only purchasing things that I have wanted a for a while, saved up for or are going to help me with things I am working on. Each penny is going to be put to good use so here is what has made it onto March's pay day wish list...

Card Reader

I am finally getting back to using my camera rather than it being sat gathering dust. One of the first things I want to get this month is a card reader so that once pictures are taken I can pop the card reader into my phone and have instant access to the images rather than having to get them onto my laptop then my phone. This will just make life so much easier going forward.

Camera Bag

As I say I am using my camera a whole lot more and I want to start taking it out so I need to invest in a small camera bag so I can safely transport it rather than just throwing it into my backpack like I have previously done. I don't want to break the bank on this one so I am really hoping that I can find a reasonably priced option online.

TCG Card Shop Simulator

I was hoping to purchase last month however, the budget didn't allow it so I am making sure I purchase this with March's pay. I am hoping I can put plenty of hours into this game which I have heard good things about but shall see how that goes. Fingers crossed I can get it to run on the Steamdeck.

Life is Strange : Reunion

Now I was hoping for this on day one however, I think I might have to see how the budget goes in the run up to this or after my break away. At the moment it would just be a case of adding another game into my backlog which I don't really want to do but this is a game I am really looking forward to playing.

Shrouded Fable Cards

Now I am not going for an ETB for this however, I would love to pick up some cards to add to the binder I am finally working on. I would love to pick up some packs if my local stores have some but even if I had to get singles, it would be a step in the right direction for filling up my binder at long last.

Money into PS Portal Savings

The plan going forward is to add money each month into separate savings pots for items I am really hoping to buy. The first pot is a PS Portal one as I am hoping to have purchased one of these in the next few months. Any amount added is really going to help going forward and with the price of these it is more than doable before summer. 

Money into PC Savings

Just like with the PS Portal I am finally sorting a separate pot for my PC savings so I can keep track of where I am at. I am hoping to be able to start off putting a small amount into here rather than any huge amounts, I know it will take longer to be able to make the purchase however, it will all be worth it in the end. 

Money into Camera Savings

Finally I am wanting to add some money into my camera savings pot. This one is a pretty important one as I am after a camera & a DJI so every penny put into this leaves me one step closer to owning the equipment to help me elevate my content going forward on all my accounts. I think this could be where I pop most of my money savings wise to help me pick these up sooner.

So there we go those are the items I am hoping to pick up, I am hopeful that I can get all these within my budget however, I guess time will tell with that. The main things this month is to get stuck into sticking to the plan budget wise and saving as much as I can but more on how I am going to do that later on in the week.

See you soon

TNG Games

The Games I Want To Play In March 2026

 

February was a total let down for gaming as life got in the way so I didn't have time to game or create content and in all honesty I wasn't a fan of this as I had been really enjoying my gaming nights throughout January. March is a pretty busy month for me however, I am determined to get plenty of games played as I work through my backlog and add in a few newbies that have recently been picked up or are going to be picked up. So here are the games I am planning on playing in March...

Coffee Talk 2

I finished the first installment back in January and I have been looking forward to playing the second installment since then so I think this could be the first game I work my way through in March and with the game not taking too long to roll the credits on I feel like in a weekend I could get this wrapped up. 

Lost Records Tape 2

Again I finished Tape 1 back in January but haven't got around to starting Tape 2 just yet. I am planning on getting through Tape 2 in a week to get this one out of my backlog. I enjoyed Tape 1 so I am hoping that Tape 2 follows suit and I also get lost in it. The Life is Strange vibes is strong with this one and I think that is playing a big part in why I am enjoying it. 

Spider-Man 2 

Finally I can play Spider-Man 2 thanks to it being added to the PlayStation catalogue. I put off purchasing this game due to the lack of play time I had so it is about time I finally gave it a go. Granted I want to complete Coffee Talk before I start this but I am hopeful of at least starting it in March.

Life is Strange Double Exposure

This game is a recent pick up and I am determined to have it completed before Reunion comes out at the end of March. The Life is Strange games have a hold on me and now I am back to gaming more often I am determined to fly through the series once more. The aim is to finish this before the new game comes out so lets see if that will happen or not.

A Short Hike

I am 100% determined to get A Short Hike out of my backlog this month even if it takes a while due to my potato of a computer. This game should be a nice change and easy to roll credits on as it reckons it only has a short play time so we will see how it goes.

So there you have it those are the games I am hoping to play this month... let's see how this goes...

See you soon,

TNG Games

February 2026 Pay Day Wish List

 

Here we go it is finally pay day and I am so glad as it seems like I have been waiting for the day forever. Going forward I am trying to do a low spend year as I am fed up of wasting money however, it doesn't mean I am cutting out spending all together. There are a fair few items I want to pick up this month and I have narrowed it down to trying to only buy the items I have put in this post. If I stick to these items I should be able to save a lot more money than I previously have whilst also getting what I really want. So here is what has made the cut...

Pokemon Pokopia 

This game looks like one I could very easily get lost in and with a few long car journey's coming up I am determined to treat myself to this as soon as it comes out. This game looks like it is going to help me get much more use out of the Switch 2 which has been massively neglected lately.

Pokemon Cards

I have decided I am going to complete the Shrouded Fable set so I am planning on picking up whatever I can find within reason. I am hoping my local card shop has a fair few packs in and I can make some good progress through this throughout the month. The love for cards is definitely back and I am capitalizing on that.

Lego Jeep Wrangler

This has been on my list since it was announced as my Lego collection is growing and I want to add all my dream cars to the display. If you know me you will know how much I love the Wrangler so this needs adding ASAP. I feel like this month could be the start of the Lego love coming back.

Money into PC Savings

This month I am going to put money into my gaming PC savings and not take it back out which I have been doing far too much recently. I am hoping to make a good dent in the savings for this over the next few months so let's see how it goes. 

A nice short one today but I am determined to save money and get better with my spending. Let's see how this month goes...

See you soon

TNG Games

The tech I will be purchasing in the near future

 

This year I am focusing on investing in things that are going to help me level up my content and grow my accounts how I want to rather than feeling like content etc just isn't good enough. There are a fair few upgrades I want to make over the next few years to really help me along with this journey and make my content look much better and also to help me make more content even if I am short on time like I have previously been. So here are the items I am hoping to pick up... 

iPhone 17 

I am really hoping to upgrade my phone this year to get myself a better camera as I have heard very good things about the camera on the iPhone 17. To be honest a phone upgrade is going to be an overall benefit as my current phones battery is draining pretty quickly and is generally just aging. Hopefully I will have one of these before the end of the year.

Camera

I really want a camera that will be good for video as well as photo as I plan to create more video content going forward and want some great quality content without relying on my iPhone. I am struggling to decide between a Canon or Sony camera so this might need to wait a while to be picked up so I know I am making the right decision when it comes to what I need. I think I might need to set a budget for this too so I don't go too overboard but hopefully it wont be too long until a new camera is added to the set up. 

DJI Osmo Pocket 3

My plan is to head to more events in the future and I want to document them alongside other parts of content I want to bring to the social media accounts. My plan for before the end of the year is to have my very own DJI Osmo Pocket 3, potentially the content creator bundle. Again I have heard these are great so I think it is about time I started thinking about purchasing one for myself.

iPad Pro

I don't always want to be lugging my Macbook around with me and I have had my eye on an iPad Pro for a while now so I think it is time to start putting some money to one side to actually make this purchase. I can edit on the go with this, consume content, draw some graphics and so much more so it will definitely be a worth while purchase. I will definitely be getting an Apple Pencil to go alongside this too. 

Tripod

If I am getting a more expensive camera I will be making sure I upgrade my tripod going forward too as my current one isn't the most stable and if I am attaching a more expensive camera to it I need something I can rely on. I am hoping I can find a good one at a reasonable price very soon so it can be ticked off the to buy list nice and early on. 

Photo Box

This is a bit of a random one but I would love to purchase one of these for a little project I have coming up. This would make photographing items so much easier as it is blocking light in and cutting out backgrounds for me. I have seen a few very reasonably priced ones of these so who knows it could be the first thing I end up purchasing off this list.

Monitor

The PC monitors need a huge upgrade as I plan to spend a lot more time at them so I need to do a bit of research on which is going to benefit me the most. I will be using this to edit, create content and game so I need to make sure the display quality is spot on to get the most out of it. The other question is if I stick with multiple screens or go for one that is curved? I guess I have some time to consider the options so I just need to make sure I do the correct research to make sure I am getting what is right for me.

Gaming PC

It is finally time to get myself a new gaming PC. I am using my PC set up so much more however, I am struggling to run any games on it so I will be upgrading to something that is going to be able to handle everything I throw at it. This needs to be able to handle all levels of games and editing and who knows if things go to plan it might need to be able to handle recording and streaming but we shall see on that last part. I am slowly saving towards this and hopefully it won't be much longer until I can make the purchase and upgrade the set up.

Streamdeck

The plan is when my PC gets upgraded to add a Streamdeck into the set up to help me switch between what I am doing much easier and make creating a smoother process. Granted this is a bit on the expensive side of things but it is going to become an essential piece of kit if plans start to fall into place.

PS Portal

I am hopefully going to be on the go a lot in the future so I want to make sure I can still work through my games even when I am away from home. This is where a PS Portal will come in super handy as I can still work through my PS catalog whilst away from home. This is at a reasonable price point too so I won't feel too bad purchasing this and I know I will get the use out of it as I try to beat the backlog.

ROG Xbox Ally X

Now this is a lot more expensive than the PS Portal but again it is something I have got my eye on for getting more use out of my Xbox and actually getting through the games I have on there. This is definitely something me and Liam would share but I can just imagine travelling playing on this or relaxing out of the games room chipping away at the backlog games. 

So there you have it those are the tech items I am looking at getting in the near future. For once on one of my wish lists each item actually has a purpose that is going to benefit me so I am really looking forward to seeing how each purchase helps me achieve the goals I have set myself.

I wonder what purchase number 1 is going to be...

See you soon

TNG Games

January 2026 Pay Day Wish List

Finally the first pay day of the year is here and it feels long over due. It seems like I have had to stretch December's pay forever and unlike that pay this time around I really want to think about what I am spending rather than spending for the sake of it. 2026 is definitely the year of saving to purchase the items I really want to elevate content and it is also the year of beating games from my backlog so I don't plan on buying games for the sake of it like I previously have. So with that in mind this months wish list is a bit of a mixed bag and whilst I don't think I will buy all of it I am hoping to buy a good chunk of it as these are items I have wanted for a while now and those items are...

Life is Strange Double Exposure

I have wanted this game for so long now and with me really back into my gaming I think it is finally time to make the purchase. Especially with the new game coming out in March I really want to play this one before the new one releases so it seems like the perfect time to be buying it. I am hoping I can get this for a reasonable price now it has been out a while.

SpongeBob SquarePants : Titans of the Tide

I really wanted to pick this up when it was first released however, with me not gaming back then it seemed silly to buy it and just have it sat on the shelf. Now I am making my way through games though the plan is to finally pick this up and try make my way through it nice and early on in the year. I think this will be a nice change to other games I have been playing recently and hopefully it will be a game I enjoy playing.

PlayStation Controller

Now I am gaming more I think I can justify getting a new controller and all this has come about since the announcement of the Hyperpop collection. The red one looks absolutely perfect for me and although it is on the pricey side I think I am going to treat myself to a pre-order of this with my January pay. This is probably the most expensive thing I want to buy this month but will definitely be worth it.

Lucario Plush

Recently I have found myself being pulled towards Lucario being my favourite Pokemon and I am not sure where that has come from as I was never really a fan before. I have a bit of a Pokemon plush collection going on at the moment so I think January will see a Pokemon Centre order being placed to add Lucario into the mix. 

Shrouded Fable Cards

I am back on with the Pokemon cards this year and my plan to kick start things is to complete the Shrouded Fable set which I made a start on in 2025. It is definitely going to be a challenge to see where I can actually find packs but I am determined to get this complete during this year. 

Put money into my PC Savings

Finally with this month wage I want to put some more money into my PC savings. I am determined that I will own a new gaming PC in 2026 so I really need to get on top of my money if I want it to happen as we all know these aren't cheap. The plan is to put a good chunk of money in here with January's pay and not to take any out which is what I have found myself doing from time to time. 

So there you have it those are the items I am hoping to pick up with this months wage, let's see if  I can stick to this and have plenty going into those savings rather than wasting money.

See you soon,

TNG Games