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Well, what did you think of the past year in your household? Was it truly wonderful as people post on social media? Full of academic success for the children and riotous dress-up celebrations for the parents? Maybe it felt like a swamp of disappointment with only sporadic entertaining moments? Could any part be authentic, or are we all AI-generated synthetic personas with perfect dental work?

I've corralled my thoughts together, willing or unwilling, to discuss the crucial thing in any given year: what titles we enjoyed the most. Let's get started:

Title Oldest Daughter Played the Most

Pikmin

"Is it impossible to pick just one?"

"It’s not my definitive list."

In the mobile realm, her go-to has been Cityscapes and "attempting to locate decent healthcare."

"Digitally?"

"In the actual world."

Game Middle Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I have no interest in games on my phone." He took umbrage that I suggested it. Fair enough.

Game Youngest Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

She is trying to get into drama school, but when she stepped away from the mic, she was playing Resident Evil. She also went on in great detail about her successes on The Sims, where her avatar has a blooming utopia with far better healthcare than her older sibling has in the real world.

Game the Spouse Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She began the year at sixty percent completion and finished the year at 82%. It's a long haul not a sprint for her. Her phone game: something called Woodle, where you have to unscrew pins.

Release I Laughed at My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

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

Most Impressive Gaming Family Member 2025

Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024

It wasn't even close for this one. She is incredible. More impressive than I was at classic rhythm games in my prime.

Game I Played the Most

Marvel Snap

No other game compared to the hours I spent on this remarkably 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 catch about games that frequently update their range is you eventually realize and see it is all just an attempt to suck you into fomo-fuelled microtransactions. So love turned to hate halfway through the year and it got uninstalled.

Title I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

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

Game I Wish I Had Played More (Thoughtful Edition)

Blue Prince

I'm unwilling to rush this beautiful, unique game and I just was short on the mental bandwidth to give it what it deserved earlier this year. With relatives staying over the festive period, I plan to dive into this in the wee small hours after family time.

Title That Kept Me Sane When I Needed It

Balatro

I acknowledge Balatro was last year's breakout game, but I was late to it. And it is exceptional. It just gets every single thing right. Its gameplay loop is a fantastic concept, but the powers behind the different joker cards are so creative it has become a game I literally would play constantly. Throw in the cleverness of the card design, and this is an absolute high-water mark of gaming. I dream of being stuck in a elevator for hours just so I have the perfect excuse but play it.

Title I Got the Most Flak For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I received a wave of criticism when I critiqued how a technical issue in another game damaged 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 thank you to the commenter who took the time to contact me to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "poorly reasoned". I mention that as written, because I acknowledge the engagement, and they are obviously an excellent judge of character.

Title Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Sure. Give me a brutally difficult non-linear thing and don’t tell me guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "explore". Great fun. I understand that it is beautiful and is perfection if you are into challenging games, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I want less of in my adulthood. I was around back when many games were like this, and I'm over it. It was acceptable when I was a kid, but the same could be said for many questionable things.

Biggest Gaming Controversy of 2025

Debate between questionable alliances that raised eyebrows, and expensive game releases. Both ethically dubious and concerning.

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

Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all make interesting names bellowed from the doorstep at dinner time.

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 endless scrolling, but it burns like anything 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 stretch time until the heat death of the universe.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.