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So, how did you experience this year in your family? Did it seem truly wonderful as people post on online? Overflowing with A-grades for the kids and wild costume gatherings for the grownups? Maybe it felt like a ocean of letdowns with only sporadic fun flotsam? Could any part be authentic, or are we all AI-generated synthetic personas with perfect teeth?

I have gathered the family for a reflection, ready or not, to discuss the crucial thing in twelve months: which releases we were obsessed with the most. Let's get started:

Game First Daughter Played the Most

Pikmin

"Can’t you pick just one?"

"This isn't my personal ranking."

Meanwhile, on mobile, she's invested time in Cityscapes and "attempting to locate adequate healthcare."

"Digitally?"

"In reality."

Release Second Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I refuse to play games on my phone." He was offended that I suggested it. I respect that.

Title Third Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

She's attempting to get into theatre school, but when she stepped away from the mic, she was tackling Resident Evil. She also spoke at length in great detail about her successes on The Sims, where the Shark has a blooming utopia with infinitely better healthcare than her eldest sister has outside the game.

Game the Partner Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She began the year at sixty percent 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.

Release I Laughed at My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Whenever I see my 21-year-old son playing Minecraft, I give him a hard time like a cross between a persistent critic. When he objects, I reply that I am engaging in this to build character so he can mature and play games for grownups. It’s a very Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Notable Gaming Family Member This Year

Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024

There was no contest for this one. She is incredible. Even better than I was at my peak gaming days in my prime.

Title I Played the Most

Marvel Snap

No other game compared to the hours I spent on this insanely well-crafted strategy wizard’s poker, with its constantly evolving range of cards and game variations.

Title I Wish I Had Played Less

Marvel Snap

The worst thing about games that endlessly add to their range is you wake up one day and understand it is all just an attempt to suck you into fear-of-missing-out driven microtransactions. So enjoyment soured halfway through the year and it was deleted.

Game I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

Excellent reinvention of a legendary franchise. Engrossing atmosphere from the beginning. I wish I could eviscerate my demons so effectively in real life.

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

Blue Prince

I'm unwilling to rush this gorgeous, distinctive game and I just lacked the focused attention to give it what it required earlier this year. With family visits over the festive period, I aim to experience this in the early morning after appropriate hospitality.

Title That Was a Lifesaver When I Needed It

Balatro

I know Balatro was 2024’s breakout game, but I was late to it. And it is exceptional. It just gets each element right. Crazy Poker is a fantastic concept, but the effects behind the different wild cards are so creative it has become a game I literally would play any time. Add in the wittiness of the card design, and this is an definite peak of gaming. I dream of being stuck in a elevator for hours just so I have nothing to do but play it.

Title I Got the Most Criticism For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I received a wave of criticism when I critiqued how a specific bug in another game damaged the experience for me, but that other title is still a massive gaming achievement in terms of overall polish – which I recognized even more after slogging through Outer Worlds 2. So my appreciation goes out to the commenter who took the time to send a message to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "poorly reasoned". I present that verbatim, 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

Sure. Give me a brutally difficult non-linear thing and don’t tell me guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "look around". What a joy. I understand that it has great art and is ideal if you are into this kind of thing, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I desire less in my mid-fifties. I was around back when most games were like this, and I’ve had enough. It was fine when I was a kid, but the same could be said for many less comfortable things.

Biggest Gaming Controversy of 2025

Toss-up between corporate partnerships that sparked debate, and high launch costs. Both difficult to justify and unpleasant.

Games I Would Name My Children After, If I Was Ever Crazy Enough to Have More

Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all make interesting names called 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 endless scrolling, but it aches like hellfire in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs looked after back in the 90s.

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 wait patiently until the cows come home.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.