Parallel evolution: not on MacOs, place everything on desktop () and move it into backup folder (usually just something like 2023mei29) if the desktop becomes too unmanageable. Happy to read this solution has been thought of by others as well

Are you me ? :p

I, too, subscribe to the 'shove all my crap into my bedroom closet when told to clean my room' method of computer janitoring.

Ironically enough I have a folder on my desktop called "Sorted" that I just drag things into when I haven't used them in a while. Gotta love the search function, else I'd never find anything in the rare case that I do need it.

Comes in handy sometimes however, like having the installers for every major version, patch and RC of an indie game going back a decade, or old editions of a minecraft or skyrim mod that the author may have pulled offline in some hissy fit or another.