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Alright, what did you think of the past year in your family? Did it seem all as good as you pretended on Facebook? Full of top marks for the kids and wild dress-up birthday parties for the adults? Or perhaps it was a ocean of disappointment with only occasional enjoyable highlights? Is any of this genuine, or have we all become seven-fingered AI slop beings with perfect smiles?

I have gathered everyone for a chat, whether they wanted to or not, to reflect on the crucial thing in any given year: what titles we were obsessed with the most. Without further ado:

Title Oldest Daughter Played the Most

Pikmin

"Is it impossible to pick just one?"

"You can't expect my games column."

On her phone, her go-to has been Cityscapes and "trying to find reasonable healthcare."

"Digitally?"

"In real life."

Release Second Son Played the Most

Overwatch

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

Release Third Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

She is trying to get into drama school, but when she wasn’t singing, she was tackling Resident Evil. She also went on in great detail about her successes on The Sims, where the Shark has a successful utopia with far better healthcare than her eldest sister has outside the game.

Title the Wife Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She began the year at 60% completion and finished the year at 82%. It's a long haul 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

Whenever I see my adult son playing Minecraft, I rib him like a cross between a relentless heckler. When he complains, I reply that I am behaving this way to build character so he can be a man and play games for adults. This defines our Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Skilled Gaming Family Member This Year

Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024

There was no contest for this one. She is incredible. Superior than I was at classic rhythm games in my prime.

Title I Played the Most

Marvel Snap

Nothing came close to the hours I spent on this exceptionally well-crafted card game wizard’s poker, with its constantly evolving range of cards and game variations.

Game I Wish I Had Played Less

Marvel Snap

The catch about games that endlessly add to their range is you wake up one day and realise it is all just an attempt to trap you with fear-of-missing-out driven microtransactions. So affection became resentment halfway through the year and it got uninstalled.

Game I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

Excellent reinvention of a iconic franchise. Captivating atmosphere from the start. I wish I could dispatch my issues so effectively in real life.

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

Blue Prince

I refuse to rush this beautiful, unique game and I just didn’t have the time or headspace to give it what it required earlier this year. With relatives staying over the festive period, I will be playing this in the wee small hours after appropriate hospitality.

Title That Saved My Soul When I Needed It

Balatro

I acknowledge Balatro was the previous year's sleeper hit, but I was a late adopter. And it is remarkable. It just gets absolutely everything right. The core concept is a wonderful concept, but the effects behind the different joker cards are so imaginative it has become a game I would happily play at any hour. Add in the cleverness of the card design, and this is an definite pinnacle of gaming. I wouldn't mind being stuck in a elevator for hours just so I have an opportunity but play it.

Game I Got the Most Backlash For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I endured a wave of criticism when I wrote about how a technical issue in another game ruined the experience for me, but that other title is still a gargantuan 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 individual who took the time to write in to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "bitter, confused resentment". I share that as written, because I appreciate the effort, and he is obviously an sharp judge of character.

Game Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Fine. Give me a bastard-hard exploration-focused thing and don’t tell me guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "look around". How delightful. 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 am less interested in in my mid-fifties. I was around back when most games were like this, and I’ve had enough. It was okay when I was a kid, but the same could be said for many less comfortable things.

Biggest Gaming Scandal of 2025

Debate between business deals that caused concern, and expensive game releases. Both difficult to justify and repugnant.

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 shouted from the back door 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 doomscrolling, but it burns like hellfire in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs protected back in the day.

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 heat death of the universe.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.