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Well, what did you think of this year in your household? Did it seem all as good as one might claim on social media? Full of top marks for the children and riotous costume celebrations for the adults? Or perhaps it was a ocean of letdowns with only rare fun moments? Could any part be genuine, or is everyone now AI-generated virtual entities with unrealistic teeth?

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

Title Eldest Daughter Played the Most

Pikmin

"Why can't you pick just one?"

"It’s not my games column."

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

"In the game?"

"In reality."

Release Middle Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I have no interest in games on my phone." He seemed insulted that the question was posed. Fair enough.

Title Youngest Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

Her goal is to get into drama school, but when she stepped away from the mic, she was immersed in Resident Evil. She also elaborated 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.

Release the Spouse Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She started the year at 60% completion and finished the year at eighty-two percent. It's a long haul not a sprint for her. Her mobile diversion: something called Woodle, where you have to unscrew pins.

Title I Teased My Kids About My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Any time I see my adult son playing Minecraft, I give him a hard time like a cross between a relentless heckler. When he protests, I reply that I am behaving this way to prepare him so he can be a man and play games for grownups. It’s a very Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Skilled 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 classic rhythm games 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 competitive game, with its regularly updated 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 eventually realize and see it is all just an attempt to trap you with 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

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

Game I Wish I Had Played More (Thoughtful Edition)

Blue Prince

I decline to rush this stunning, original game and I just was short on 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 wee small hours after family time.

Game That Was a Lifesaver When I Needed It

Balatro

I'm aware Balatro was the previous year's sleeper hit, but I was late to it. And it is incredible. It just gets each element right. Crazy Poker is a wonderful concept, but the powers behind the different special cards are so creative it has become a game I could play at any hour. Combine that with the cleverness of the card design, and this is an definite pinnacle of gaming. I fantasize about being stuck in a small space for hours just so I have nothing to do but play it.

Title I Got the Most Criticism For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I endured a wave of criticism when I wrote about how a specific bug in another game ruined the experience for me, but that other title is still a colossal gaming achievement in terms of overall polish – which I valued even more after experiencing Outer Worlds 2. So my appreciation goes out to the reader who took the time to write in to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "poorly reasoned". I present that in the exact way, because I respect the passion, and they are obviously an astute judge of character.

Title Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Sure. Give me a bastard-hard non-linear thing and provide little guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "explore". What a joy. I understand that it looks ace and is flawless if you are into the genre, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I am less interested in in my adulthood. I was around back when many games were like this, and my patience is gone. It was okay when I was a kid, but so was many less comfortable things.

Biggest Gaming Controversy of 2025

Toss-up between corporate partnerships that raised eyebrows, and high launch costs. Both difficult to justify and repugnant.

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

Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all make interesting names called from the doorstep 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 button mashing or endless scrolling, but it burns 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 cows come home.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.