🔗 Share this article

Well, how was this year in your home? Did it seem all as good as people post on online? Overflowing with A-grades for the kids and wild costume celebrations for the parents? Maybe it felt like a swamp of disappointment with only occasional fun moments? Could any part be genuine, or are we all AI-generated synthetic personas with celebrity dental work?

I have gathered my thoughts together, ready or not, to reflect on the paramount thing in a calendar year: which video games we were obsessed with the most. Without further ado:

Game Oldest Daughter Played the Most

Horizon Zero Dawn

"Can’t you pick just one?"

"This isn't my personal ranking."

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

"Virtually?"

"In real life."

Release Second Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I don’t play games on my phone." He took umbrage that the question was posed. Point taken.

Game Youngest Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

She's attempting to get into acting, but when she stepped away from the mic, she was tackling Resident Evil. She also went on in great detail about her successes on The Sims, where her character has a thriving utopia with infinitely better healthcare than her older sibling has outside the game.

Release the Wife Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She started the year at 60% completion and finished the year at 82%. It's a long haul not a sprint for her. On her phone: something called Woodle, where you have to extract pins.

Release I Teased My Kids About My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Every time I see my adult son playing Minecraft, I rib him like a cross between a relentless heckler. When he objects, I reply that I am doing this to build character so he can mature and play games for mature audiences. It's a classic Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Impressive Gaming Family Member of the Year

Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024

She was the clear winner for this one. She is incredible. Even better than I was at my peak gaming days 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 strategy wizard’s poker, with its ever-changing range of cards and game variations.

Game I Wish I Had Played Less

Marvel Snap

The downside about games that constantly evolve their range is you eventually realize and realise it is all just an attempt to trap you with fomo-fuelled microtransactions. So enjoyment soured halfway through the year and it went into the bin.

Game I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

Excellent reinvention of a legendary franchise. Immersive atmosphere from the start. I wish I could eviscerate my demons so effectively in real life.

Game I Wish I Had Played More (Thoughtful Edition)

Blue Prince

I refuse to rush this stunning, original game and I just didn’t have the mental bandwidth to give it what it needed earlier this year. With holiday guests over the festive period, I will be playing this in the early morning after appropriate hospitality.

Game That Saved My Soul When I Needed It

Balatro

I acknowledge Balatro was last year's breakout game, but I was slow on the uptake. And it is remarkable. It just gets absolutely everything right. Its gameplay loop is a fantastic concept, but the powers behind the different special cards are so creative it has become a game I would happily play any time. Throw in the cleverness of the card design, and this is an definite peak of gaming. I wouldn't mind being stuck in a broken-down lift for hours just so I have nothing to do but play it.

Game I Got the Most Flak For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I endured a wave of criticism when I mentioned how a glitch in another game ruined the experience for me, but that other title is still a gargantuan gaming achievement in terms of production values – which I appreciated even more after playing Outer Worlds 2. So thank you to the commenter who took the time to send a message to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "poorly reasoned". I mention that as written, because I acknowledge the engagement, and he is obviously an excellent 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 provide little guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "look around". How delightful. I get that it has great art and is ideal 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 my patience is gone. It was fine when I was a kid, but so was many outdated things.

Biggest Gaming Controversy of 2025

Toss-up between business deals that sparked debate, and high launch costs. Both morally indefensible and repugnant.

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. Seriously. I don’t know if it’s because of video games or phone use, but it burns like the mines of sulphur in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs insured 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 stretch time until the heat death of the universe.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.