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Alright, what did you think of this year in your household? Did it seem all as good as you pretended on Facebook? Overflowing with academic success for your offspring and elaborate costume birthday parties for the parents? Or perhaps it was a swamp of disappointment with only rare entertaining moments? Is any of this authentic, or is everyone now AI-generated synthetic personas with unrealistic teeth?

I've assembled the family together, ready or not, to discuss the paramount thing in twelve months: which releases we were obsessed with the most. Let's get started:

Release First Daughter Played the Most

Pikmin

"Why can't you pick just one?"

"It’s not my definitive list."

Meanwhile, on mobile, she's invested time in Cityscapes and "searching for reasonable healthcare."

"In the game?"

"In the actual world."

Game Middle Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I don’t play games on my phone." He took umbrage that I suggested it. Fair enough.

Release Third Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

She's attempting to get into theatre school, but when she took a break from vocals, she was playing Resident Evil. She also spoke at length in great detail about her achievements on The Sims, where her avatar has a successful utopia with infinitely better healthcare than her eldest sister has outside the game.

Release the Wife Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She started the year at 60% completion and finished the year at 82%. It’s a marathon not a sprint for her. On her phone: something called Woodle, where you have to extract pins.

Game I Laughed at My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Whenever I see my 21-year-old son playing Minecraft, I set about him like a cross between a relentless heckler. When he objects, I reply that I am behaving this way to build character so he can grow up and play games for grownups. It's a classic Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Impressive Gaming Family Member 2025

Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024

There was no contest for this one. She is unstoppable. More impressive than I was at my peak gaming days in my prime.

Title I Played the Most

Marvel Snap

Nothing came close to the hours I spent on this insanely well-crafted card game digital pastime, with its constantly evolving range of cards and game variations.

Title I Wish I Had Played Less

Marvel Snap

The catch about games that frequently update their range is you eventually realize and realise it is all just an attempt to lure you into fear-of-missing-out driven microtransactions. So love turned to hate halfway through the year and it got uninstalled.

Title I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

Glorious reinvention of a classic franchise. Immersive atmosphere from the off. I wish I could dispatch my issues so effectively in real life.

Title I Wish I Had Played More (Puzzle-Focused Edition)

Blue Prince

I decline to rush this gorgeous, distinctive game and I just was short on the time or headspace to give it what it needed earlier this year. With relatives staying over the festive period, I plan to dive into this in the early morning after appropriate hospitality.

Game That Kept Me Sane When I Needed It

Balatro

I acknowledge Balatro was 2024’s surprise hit, but I was a late adopter. And it is remarkable. It just gets absolutely everything right. Its gameplay loop is a wonderful concept, but the abilities behind the different joker cards are so creative it has become a game I literally would play at any hour. Combine that with the wittiness of the card design, and this is an absolute pinnacle of gaming. I fantasize about being stuck in a elevator for hours just so I have the perfect excuse but play it.

Game I Got the Most Flak For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I endured a minor pile-on when I mentioned how a technical issue in another game ruined the experience for me, but that other title is still a gargantuan gaming achievement in terms of overall polish – which I appreciated even more after slogging through Outer Worlds 2. So thank you to the individual who took the time to contact me to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "poorly reasoned". I mention that verbatim, because I respect the passion, and they are obviously an excellent judge of character.

Game Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Sure. Give me a bastard-hard Metroidvania-esque thing and provide little guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "look around". Great fun. I understand that it looks ace and is perfection if you are into the genre, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I am less interested in in my current stage of life. I was around back when all games were like this, and my patience is gone. It was acceptable when I was a kid, but the same could be said for many outdated things.

Biggest Gaming Scandal of 2025

Close call between questionable alliances that sparked debate, and high launch costs. Both morally indefensible and concerning.

Games I Would Name My Children After, Were I I Was Ever Foolish Enough to Have More

Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all sound good names shouted from the garden at dinner time.

Part of My Body That Aches Most From Gaming

Right Thumb Joint. Seriously. I don’t know if it’s because of console gaming or doomscrolling, but it burns like hellfire in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs insured back in the past.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2026

Grand Theft Auto VI.
And it will come out in 2026, even if we have to make 2026 last until the cows come home.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.