🔗 Share this article

So, how did you experience the past year in your home? Did it seem truly wonderful as one might claim on Facebook? Packed with A-grades for the children and riotous dress-up celebrations for the grownups? Maybe it felt like a ocean of frustration with only sporadic entertaining flotsam? Is any of this genuine, or is everyone now AI-generated AI slop beings with perfect smiles?

I've assembled the family together, whether they wanted to or not, to reflect on the crucial thing in a calendar year: which releases we enjoyed the most. Let's get started:

Game Eldest Daughter Played the Most

Horizon Zero Dawn

"Why can't you pick just one?"

"You can't expect my personal ranking."

Meanwhile, on mobile, she's invested time in Cityscapes and "trying to find decent healthcare."

"In the game?"

"In the actual world."

Title Second Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I refuse to play games on my phone." He was offended that the question was posed. I respect that.

Title Youngest Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

She's attempting to get into theatre school, but when she wasn’t singing, she was playing Resident Evil. She also went on in great detail about her achievements on The Sims, where her character has a thriving utopia with far better healthcare than her eldest sister has in real life.

Title the Wife Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She started the year at 60% completion and ended it at eighty-two percent. It's a long haul not a sprint for her. On her phone: something called Woodle, where you have to extract pins.

Title I Found Amusing That My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Whenever I see my adult son playing Minecraft, I give him a hard time like a cross between a persistent critic. When he protests, I reply that I am doing this to build character so he can mature and play games for grownups. It’s a very Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Impressive Gaming Family Member 2025

Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024

She was the clear winner for this one. She is unstoppable. Superior than I was at Dancing Stage MegaMix in my prime.

Title I Played the Most

Marvel Snap

It was in a league of its own to the hours I spent on this insanely well-crafted card game wizard’s poker, with its constantly evolving range of cards and game variations.

Game I Wish I Had Played Less

Marvel Snap

The catch about games that endlessly add to their range is you have a moment of clarity and realise it is all just an attempt to suck you into compulsion-based microtransactions. So love turned to hate halfway through the year and it was deleted.

Game I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

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

Game I Wish I Had Played More (Cerebral Edition)

Blue Prince

I refuse to rush this gorgeous, distinctive game and I just lacked 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 late night after evening drinks.

Game That Saved My Soul When I Needed It

Balatro

I'm aware Balatro was the previous year's breakout game, but I was late to it. And it is remarkable. It just gets each element right. Its gameplay loop is a brilliant concept, but the abilities behind the different wild cards are so inventive it has become a game I would happily play any time. Add in the cleverness of the card design, and this is an absolute peak of gaming. I dream of being stuck in a elevator for hours just so I have nothing to do but play it.

Game I Got the Most Backlash For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I endured a wave of criticism when I critiqued how a glitch in another game soured the experience for me, but that other title is still a gargantuan gaming achievement in terms of overall polish – which I recognized even more after experiencing Outer Worlds 2. So my appreciation goes out to the commenter who took the time to write in to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "poorly reasoned". I share that in the exact way, because I respect the passion, and she is obviously an excellent judge of character.

Game Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Fine. Give me a bastard-hard exploration-focused thing and provide little guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "explore". Great fun. I understand that it looks ace and is flawless if you are into the genre, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I want less of in my adulthood. I was around back when many games were like this, and I’ve had enough. It was acceptable when I was a kid, but the same could be said for many outdated things.

Biggest Gaming News of 2025

Toss-up between questionable alliances that sparked debate, and premium pricing. Both difficult to justify 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 be unique names shouted from the garden at dinner time.

Part of My Body That Aches Most From Gaming

Right Thumb Joint. No joke. I don’t know if it’s because of video games or phone use, but it is sore like the mines of sulphur in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs protected 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 heat death of the universe.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.