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So, what did you think of the past year in your household? Did it seem all as good as one might claim on Facebook? Overflowing with top marks for your offspring and wild costume celebrations for the grownups? Or was it a sea of frustration with only sporadic fun moments? Is any of this actually real, or have we all become digitally altered virtual entities with celebrity dental work?

I've corralled the family for a reflection, willing or unwilling, to reflect on the most important thing in twelve months: what titles we were obsessed with the most. Without further ado:

Release Oldest Daughter Played the Most

Pikmin

"Is it impossible to pick just one?"

"It’s not my games column."

On her phone, her go-to has been Cityscapes and "attempting to locate adequate healthcare."

"Digitally?"

"In reality."

Release Middle Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I don’t play games on my phone." He seemed insulted that I even asked. I respect that.

Game Youngest Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

She's attempting to get into drama school, but when she wasn’t singing, she was tackling Resident Evil. She also spoke at length in great detail about her successes on The Sims, where the Shark has a successful utopia with infinitely better healthcare than her big sister has outside the game.

Title the Spouse Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She started the year at 60% completion and ended it at eighty-two percent. She's in it for the long run not a sprint for her. Her mobile diversion: something called Woodle, where you have to extract pins.

Release I Found Amusing That My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Every time I see my adult son playing Minecraft, I rib 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 be a man and play games for grownups. This defines our Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Notable Gaming Family Member 2025

Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024

She was the clear winner for this one. She is incredible. Even better than I was at my peak gaming days in my prime.

Game I Played the Most

Marvel Snap

Nothing came close to the hours I spent on this exceptionally well-crafted deck building 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 endlessly add to their range is you have a moment of clarity and see 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.

Title I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

Glorious reinvention of a legendary franchise. Captivating atmosphere from the off. I wish I could deal with my demons so effectively in real life.

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

Blue Prince

I refuse to rush this gorgeous, distinctive game and I just was short on the mental bandwidth to give it what it deserved earlier this year. With family visits over the festive period, I plan to dive into this in the early morning after family time.

Game That Kept Me Sane When I Needed It

Balatro

I know Balatro was 2024’s sleeper hit, but I was slow on the uptake. And it is remarkable. It just gets every single thing right. The core concept is a brilliant concept, but the abilities behind the different wild cards are so inventive it has become a game I could play at any hour. Combine that with the wittiness of the card design, and this is an true high-water mark of gaming. I fantasize about being stuck in a elevator for hours just so I have nothing to do but play it.

Title I Got the Most Backlash For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I endured a bit of backlash when I mentioned how a glitch in another game damaged 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 my appreciation goes out to the individual who took the time to send a message to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "poorly reasoned". I share that as written, because I acknowledge the engagement, and they are obviously an astute 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 provide little guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "look around". Great fun. I get that it is beautiful and is ideal if you are into this kind of thing, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I want less of in my adulthood. I was around back when all games were like this, and my patience is gone. It was acceptable when I was a kid, but so was many less comfortable things.

Biggest Gaming News of 2025

Close call between questionable alliances that caused concern, and premium pricing. Both ethically dubious and unpleasant.

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

Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all make interesting names bellowed 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 endless scrolling, but it burns like anything 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 stretch time until the end of days.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.