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Alright, how was this year in your home? Did it seem all as good as you pretended on online? Overflowing with academic success for the kids and wild dress-up gatherings for the adults? Or was it a ocean of disappointment with only occasional enjoyable flotsam? And was any of it authentic, or is everyone now AI-generated synthetic personas with perfect smiles?

I've assembled everyone for a reflection, whether they wanted to or not, to discuss the paramount thing in any given year: which releases we enjoyed the most. So here goes:

Game First Daughter Played the Most

Horizon Zero Dawn

"Is it impossible to pick just one?"

"This isn't my definitive list."

Meanwhile, on mobile, her go-to has been Cityscapes and "trying to find decent healthcare."

"Digitally?"

"In real life."

Title Middle Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I don’t play games on my phone." He was offended that I suggested it. Point taken.

Game Third Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

She's attempting to get into drama school, but when she took a break from vocals, she was tackling 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 older sibling has outside the game.

Game the Wife Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She started the year at sixty percent completion and ended it at 82%. It’s a marathon not a sprint for her. Her mobile diversion: something called Woodle, where you have to extract pins.

Title I Found Amusing That My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Every time I see my adult son playing Minecraft, I set about him like a cross between a relentless heckler. When he complains, I reply that I am behaving this way to prepare him so he can mature and play games for mature audiences. It's a classic Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Skilled Gaming Family Member This Year

Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024

It wasn't even close for this one. She is unstoppable. Even better than I was at classic rhythm games in my prime.

Game 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 competitive game, with its constantly evolving range of cards and game variations.

Game I Wish I Had Played Less

Marvel Snap

The worst thing about games that frequently update their range is you have a moment of clarity and see it is all just an attempt to trap you with compulsion-based 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 iconic franchise. Immersive atmosphere from the start. I wish I could deal with my problems so effectively in real life.

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

Blue Prince

I refuse to rush this stunning, original game and I just didn’t have the focused attention to give it what it needed earlier this year. With holiday guests over the festive period, I plan to dive into this in the wee small hours after appropriate hospitality.

Title That Saved My Soul When I Needed It

Balatro

I'm aware Balatro was 2024’s breakout game, but I was late to it. And it is incredible. It just gets each element right. Its gameplay loop is a brilliant concept, but the powers behind the different wild 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 true peak of gaming. I fantasize about being stuck in a broken-down lift for hours just so I have the perfect excuse but play it.

Game I Got the Most Criticism For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I received a bit of backlash when I critiqued how a technical issue in another game ruined the experience for me, but that other title is still a colossal gaming achievement in terms of art, sound, acting – which I appreciated even more after playing Outer Worlds 2. So thank you to the individual who took the time to send a message to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "missing the point". I mention that in the exact way, because I appreciate the effort, and they are obviously an sharp judge of character.

Title Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Fine. Give me a punishingly tough exploration-focused thing and don’t tell me guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "explore". Great fun. I get that it looks ace and is flawless if you are into challenging games, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I am less interested in in my mid-fifties. I was around back when most games were like this, and I'm over it. It was okay when I was a kid, but so was many outdated things.

Biggest Gaming Scandal of 2025

Toss-up between questionable alliances that raised eyebrows, and high launch costs. Both difficult to justify and unpleasant.

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

Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all be unique names called from the garden at tea time.

Part of My Body That Aches Most From Gaming

Right Thumb Joint. Seriously. 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 insured 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 stretch time until the end of days.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.