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So, how did you experience the past year in your household? Was it all as good as one might claim on Facebook? Packed with A-grades for the kids and wild costume gatherings for the parents? Maybe it felt like a ocean of frustration with only sporadic fun flotsam? Is any of this authentic, or is everyone now digitally altered virtual entities with perfect smiles?

I've assembled the family for a reflection, willing or unwilling, to reflect on the crucial thing in twelve months: what titles we were obsessed with the most. So here goes:

Release First Daughter Played the Most

Pikmin

"Why can't you pick just one?"

"You can't expect my games column."

On her phone, she’s been playing Cityscapes and "trying to find reasonable healthcare."

"Virtually?"

"In reality."

Release Second Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I have no interest in games on my phone." He took umbrage that I even asked. Point taken.

Game Youngest Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

Her goal is to get into theatre school, but when she stepped away from the mic, she was immersed in Resident Evil. She also went on in great detail about her achievements on The Sims, where her avatar has a thriving utopia with significantly better healthcare than her big sister has in the real world.

Release the Partner Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She began the year at sixty percent completion and ended it at 82%. It's a long haul not a sprint for her. Her phone game: 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 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 behaving this way 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

She was the clear winner for this one. She is a machine. 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 competitive game, with its ever-changing range of cards and game variations.

Game I Wish I Had Played Less

Marvel Snap

The downside about games that constantly evolve their range is you have a moment of clarity and understand it is all just an attempt to lure you into fear-of-missing-out driven microtransactions. So enjoyment soured halfway through the year and it went into the bin.

Title I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

Glorious reinvention of a iconic franchise. Engrossing atmosphere from the beginning. I wish I could dispatch my problems so effectively in real life.

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

Blue Prince

I refuse to rush this beautiful, unique game and I just was short on the time or headspace to give it what it deserved earlier this year. With holiday guests over the festive period, I will be playing this in the late night after appropriate hospitality.

Title That Saved My Soul When I Needed It

Balatro

I know Balatro was the previous year's surprise hit, but I was slow on the uptake. And it is incredible. It just gets each element right. Its gameplay loop is a wonderful concept, but the abilities behind the different wild cards are so inventive it has become a game I would happily play at any hour. Add in the wittiness of the card design, and this is an true pinnacle of gaming. I dream of being stuck in a small space for hours just so I have the perfect excuse but play it.

Title I Got the Most Flak For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I endured a bit of backlash when I critiqued how a glitch in another game soured the experience for me, but that other title is still a colossal gaming achievement in terms of production values – which I appreciated even more after playing 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 "missing the point". I mention that in the exact way, because I respect the passion, and they are obviously an sharp judge of character.

Game Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Fine. Give me a brutally difficult exploration-focused thing and provide little guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "explore". What a joy. I acknowledge that it is beautiful and is perfection if you are into challenging games, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I desire less in my current stage of life. I was around back when many 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 questionable things.

Biggest Gaming Controversy of 2025

Close call between business deals that raised eyebrows, and high launch costs. Both ethically dubious and concerning.

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

Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all sound good names bellowed from the garden at bedtime.

Part of My Body That Aches Most From Gaming

Right Thumb Joint. No joke. 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 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 heat death of the universe.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.