Every so often I check through my collection of games in a bid to keep it whittled down to only those I'm able to re-play and, despite the still vast number, I think I have finally actually reached that stage

I do have several versions of some games because of re-releases by the original developers plus later tweaked (GOG-LIKE) releases .... with the likes of the Monkey Islands, King's Quests and Gabriel Knights etc scoring high .... but I can still play them all so I won't part with them

Now I'm wondering does anyone else ever "refine" their collection in this or any other way, or do most of you feel loathe to part with a game whether or not you CAN still play it ??

There's no pressing need for me to get rid of anything. I like having the original games. It's not like my collection of physical boxes is growing the way it used to. If I don't think I'll ever play a game again I may sell or trade it. Usually there is some chance I'll play or replay the games. I have old computers so replaying isn't an issue.

GOG tweaks for maximum compatibility, and what plays 'at all' on most systems is not the same as what plays 'best' on yours or mine. This is why some people get the "postage stamp" game window -- because some other GOG customer might be playing on a monitor with very low resolution and GOG wants to make sure they get a picture. The GOG installer is not 'smart' enough to tailor the installation for your system. So you have to go in and configure the DOSBox or ScummVM settings anyway to get what's best for your system.

When GOG uses ScummVM rather than DOSBox, they may not include the original game exe. That means I can't play the game in DOSBox, or move it to a vintage computer. I can only use it with ScummVM, and that may not be the best version. Even if GOG uses DOSBox, they may not include the original game installer -- which can be a problem if the original game required you to run the installer to change settings. I've read complaints about how GOG configured a game to run with an MT-32, where people got no sound because they had no MT-32. I had the opposite problem -- I have an MT-32 (and USB-to-midi cable) but my GOG game was configured to use DOSBox's emulated Adlib, which sounds awful by comparison. Since GOG removed the installer file that allowed you to change sound settings, GOG could at least have included an alternate config that would allow you to choose if you wanted MT-32 or SB16/Adlib. But no...

For Windows games there may be better patches or better wrappers than the one GOG includes with the game. Sometimes the patches work with the GOG version, but sometimes not. Substituting a different wrapper requires finding a how-to meant for the GOG version. But since GOG occasionally changes their version, even this isn't as reliable as having the original game.

There are games where I'd hold onto them even if I wasn't able to play them. I like having the physical contents of the box. Sierra and LucasArts used to have some interesting box contents. The Discworld games did too.

Mad I just replayed The Curse of Money Island recently and now I want to play the entire series again. I hate to part with my old games because I passed along several of my old games and sometimes I think I wish I still had Circle of Blood, Day of the Tentacle, the Tex Murphy and Discworld games etc.

I used to have an older computer that I kept just to play my old games.

I wish I had taken better care of my old computers and that I knew a "guy" to help me with them. I did have a working 98 and XP until I didn't use them for awhile and then they didn't work anymore.

Even if I cannot play a game, I am "loathe" to part with it. I am that way with most things. I'm a bit of a hoarder but I know me. When I moved into this house 22 years ago, I didn't bring some things with me and to this day, there are some things I think about and wish I had.

I just gave away 6 computers from Win 95 on, to a friend yesterday. I held on to them for games I never play but "just in case" I'm glad they are finally out of the house!

Oh, there’s no pressing need for me to get rid of games either, Jenny100.
I can still play the old ones on my older computers – and I think that’s where they look and play the best anyway
[Although I no longer have the big monitor on which I think they absolutely looked their best.]

But I am picking up versions of them "tweaked for modern machines" as they become available - just in case - which I then burn them to disk and store with the original versions in their lovely old boxes.
And my “whittled down” games can actually be counted on one hand, being only very early games with timed or action sequences that I'd never be able to manage !!

Also, happily, since I started buying tweaked games from GOG I’ve had very few problems with them - and none that GOG haven’t been able to solve.
Which is wonderful because I’d never solve any myself

BrownEyedTigre !! I am so shocked I can feel myself going into a decline

It had to be done Mad and they went to a wonderful home where they will be restored to their former glory! And I can always visit them!

Well, a fabulous Bonanza of a gift for a very lucky recipient, BrownEyedTigre