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Alright, how did you experience 2025 in your home? Was it entirely positive as one might claim on social media? Packed with A-grades for your offspring and elaborate themed fancy dress gatherings for the adults? Or perhaps it was a swamp of frustration with only rare enjoyable moments? Could any part be actually real, or is everyone now digitally altered synthetic personas with celebrity dental work?

I've assembled my thoughts together, whether they wanted to or not, to discuss the paramount thing in any given year: which releases we played the most. Let's get started:

Release First Daughter Played the Most

Just Dance 2024

"Is it impossible to pick just one?"

"This isn't my definitive list."

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

"In the game?"

"In the actual world."

Release Middle Son Played the Most

Overwatch

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

Release Third Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

She is trying 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 successful utopia with significantly better healthcare than her eldest sister has outside the game.

Title the Partner Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She began the year at sixty percent completion and ended it at eighty-two percent. It's a long haul not a sprint for her. On her phone: something called Woodle, where you have to extract pins.

Title I Teased My Kids About My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Any time I see my 21-year-old son playing Minecraft, I rib him like a cross between a classic comedy bit. When he objects, I reply that I am engaging in this to toughen him up so he can mature and play games for mature audiences. It's a classic Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Skilled Gaming Family Member of the Year

Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024

She was the clear winner for this one. She is incredible. More impressive 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 remarkably well-crafted strategy wizard’s poker, with its constantly evolving range of cards and game variations.

Title I Wish I Had Played Less

Marvel Snap

The catch about games that endlessly add to their range is you have a moment of clarity and see it is all just an attempt to lure you into fear-of-missing-out driven microtransactions. So love turned to hate halfway through the year and it got uninstalled.

Game I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

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

Game I Wish I Had Played More (Cerebral Edition)

Blue Prince

I refuse to rush this beautiful, unique game and I just lacked the mental bandwidth to give it what it needed earlier this year. With family visits over the festive period, I will be playing this in the early morning after appropriate hospitality.

Game That Was a Lifesaver When I Needed It

Balatro

I know Balatro was last year's sleeper hit, but I was late to it. And it is remarkable. It just gets each element right. Its gameplay loop is a wonderful concept, but the powers behind the different wild cards are so creative it has become a game I literally would play at any hour. Throw in the cleverness of the card design, and this is an true pinnacle of gaming. I dream of being stuck in a broken-down lift for hours just so I have an opportunity but play it.

Game I Got the Most Criticism For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I endured a bit of backlash when I wrote about how a glitch 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 appreciated even more after playing Outer Worlds 2. So my appreciation goes out to the reader who took the time to send a message to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "missing the point". I present that as written, because I respect the passion, and he is obviously an sharp judge of character.

Title Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Alright. Give me a punishingly tough Metroidvania-esque thing and leave me without guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "explore". Great fun. I get that it looks ace and is perfection if you are into challenging games, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I am less interested in in my current stage of life. I was around back when all games were like this, and I’ve had enough. It was acceptable when I was a kid, but so was many less comfortable things.

Biggest Gaming Scandal of 2025

Close call between business deals that sparked debate, and premium pricing. Both ethically dubious and repugnant.

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

Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all be unique names shouted from the doorstep at bedtime.

Part of My Body That Aches Most From Gaming

Right Thumb Joint. Honestly. I don’t know if it’s because of button mashing or phone use, but it aches like hellfire in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs looked after 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 make 2026 last until the heat death of the universe.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.