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Well, how was this year in your family? Did it seem entirely positive as people post on online? Full of academic success for your offspring and wild costume birthday parties for the grownups? Or perhaps it was a sea of frustration with only occasional fun flotsam? Is any of this genuine, or is everyone now seven-fingered AI slop beings with celebrity smiles?

I've assembled my thoughts together, whether they wanted to or not, to discuss the paramount thing in any given year: which releases we enjoyed the most. So here goes:

Game Oldest Daughter Played the Most

Pikmin

"Can’t you pick just one?"

"You can't expect my definitive list."

Meanwhile, on mobile, her go-to has been Cityscapes and "attempting to locate reasonable healthcare."

"Virtually?"

"In reality."

Game Second Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I refuse to play games on my phone." He seemed insulted that I even asked. I respect that.

Title Third Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

Her goal is to get into acting, but when she stepped away from the mic, she was tackling Resident Evil. She also elaborated in great detail about her accomplishments on The Sims, where the Shark has a thriving utopia with infinitely better healthcare than her big sister has outside the game.

Release the Spouse 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. Her mobile diversion: something called Woodle, where you have to extract pins.

Game I Laughed at My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Any time I see my adult son playing Minecraft, I rib him like a cross between a relentless heckler. When he protests, I reply that I am engaging in this to toughen him up so he can grow up and play games for mature audiences. It’s a very Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Notable Gaming Family Member This Year

Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024

She was the clear winner for this one. She is unstoppable. Even better than I was at Dancing Stage MegaMix in my prime.

Game I Played the Most

Marvel Snap

No other game compared to the hours I spent on this exceptionally well-crafted card game digital pastime, with its ever-changing 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 understand it is all just an attempt to lure you into fomo-fuelled microtransactions. So enjoyment soured halfway through the year and it was deleted.

Game I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

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

Title 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 holiday guests over the festive period, I will be playing this in the wee small hours after family time.

Game That Kept Me Sane When I Needed It

Balatro

I know Balatro was the previous year's surprise hit, but I was a late adopter. And it is incredible. It just gets every single thing right. Crazy Poker is a wonderful 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 charm of the card design, and this is an true peak of gaming. I dream of being stuck in a small space for hours just so I have an opportunity but play it.

Game I Got the Most Backlash For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I received a bit of backlash when I wrote about how a technical issue in another game soured the experience for me, but that other title is still a colossal gaming achievement in terms of production values – which I appreciated even more after experiencing Outer Worlds 2. So my appreciation goes out to the reader who took the time to contact me to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "bitter, confused resentment". I mention that verbatim, because I appreciate the effort, and she 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 Metroidvania-esque thing and leave me without guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "explore". Great fun. I understand that it looks ace and is perfection if you are into the genre, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I desire less in my adulthood. I was around back when all games were like this, and my patience is gone. It was acceptable when I was a kid, but so was many less comfortable things.

Biggest Gaming Scandal of 2025

Close call between corporate partnerships that raised eyebrows, and premium pricing. Both ethically dubious 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 be unique names bellowed from the garden at dinner time.

Part of My Body That Aches Most From Gaming

Right Thumb Joint. No joke. I don’t know if it’s because of video games or doomscrolling, but it burns like the mines of sulphur in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs protected 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 wait patiently until the end of days.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.