🔗 Share this article

Well, how was this year in your family? Did it seem truly wonderful as you pretended on social media? Overflowing with academic success for the kids and wild costume birthday parties for the adults? Or perhaps it was a swamp of letdowns with only occasional enjoyable moments? Is any of this actually real, or are we all seven-fingered AI slop beings with perfect dental work?

I've assembled my thoughts for a chat, willing or unwilling, to reflect on the most important thing in any given year: which video games we were obsessed with the most. Without further ado:

Game Eldest Daughter Played the Most

Pikmin

"Why can't you pick just one?"

"This isn't my personal ranking."

Meanwhile, on mobile, her go-to has been Cityscapes and "trying to find decent healthcare."

"In the game?"

"In real life."

Release Middle Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I don’t play games on my phone." He seemed insulted that I even asked. Point taken.

Game Youngest Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

She's attempting 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 accomplishments on The Sims, where her character has a thriving utopia with significantly better healthcare than her older sibling has in real life.

Release the Partner 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 mobile diversion: something called Woodle, where you have to unscrew pins.

Game I Teased My Kids About My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Every time I see my adult son playing Minecraft, I set about him like a cross between a classic comedy bit. When he protests, I reply that I am engaging in this to prepare him so he can mature 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. Superior than I was at classic rhythm games in my prime.

Game I Played the Most

Marvel Snap

It was in a league of its own to the hours I spent on this insanely well-crafted deck building wizard’s poker, with its constantly evolving range of cards and game variations.

Game I Wish I Had Played Less

Marvel Snap

The downside about games that endlessly add to their range is you eventually realize and realise 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 was deleted.

Title I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

Excellent reinvention of a legendary franchise. Immersive atmosphere from the off. I wish I could dispatch my problems so effectively in real life.

Game I Wish I Had Played More (Cerebral Edition)

Blue Prince

I refuse to rush this stunning, original game and I just didn’t have the time or headspace to give it what it needed earlier this year. With holiday guests over the festive period, I plan to dive into this in the wee small hours after appropriate hospitality.

Title That Kept Me Sane When I Needed It

Balatro

I'm aware Balatro was the previous year's surprise hit, but I was a late adopter. And it is exceptional. It just gets each element right. Its gameplay loop is a brilliant concept, but the powers behind the different wild cards are so inventive it has become a game I would happily play constantly. Add in the wittiness of the card design, and this is an absolute peak of gaming. I wouldn't mind being stuck in a small space for hours just so I have an opportunity but play it.

Title I Got the Most Criticism For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I experienced 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 art, sound, acting – which I appreciated even more after playing Outer Worlds 2. So my appreciation goes out to the individual who took the time to send a message to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "missing the point". I share 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

Sure. Give me a brutally difficult Metroidvania-esque thing and leave me without guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "figure it out". Great fun. I get that it has great art and is flawless if you are into challenging games, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I desire less in my mid-fifties. I was around back when most games were like this, and I'm over it. It was fine when I was a kid, but the same could be said for many less comfortable things.

Biggest Gaming Scandal of 2025

Toss-up between business deals that raised eyebrows, and premium pricing. Both difficult to justify and unpleasant.

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

Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all be unique names bellowed from the doorstep at tea time.

Part of My Body That Aches Most From Gaming

Right Thumb Joint. Honestly. I don’t know if it’s because of video games or phone use, but it burns like hellfire in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs protected 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 wait patiently until the heat death of the universe.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.