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Alright, what did you think of this year in your household? Was it entirely positive as you pretended on social media? Overflowing with top marks for the kids and elaborate themed fancy dress birthday parties for the grownups? Maybe it felt like a swamp of letdowns with only rare entertaining highlights? And was any of it actually real, or is everyone now AI-generated synthetic personas with perfect teeth?

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

Title Oldest Daughter Played the Most

Horizon Zero Dawn

"Is it impossible to pick just one?"

"This isn't my games column."

Meanwhile, on mobile, she’s been playing Cityscapes and "trying to find reasonable healthcare."

"Virtually?"

"In the actual world."

Release Middle Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I have no interest in games on my phone." He took umbrage that the question was posed. Point taken.

Game Third Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

She's attempting to get into theatre school, but when she took a break from vocals, she was immersed in Resident Evil. She also elaborated in great detail about her achievements on The Sims, where the Shark has a successful utopia with infinitely better healthcare than her big sister has in the real world.

Game the Wife Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She started the year at 60% 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 remove pins.

Game I Found Amusing That My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Any time I see my adult son playing Minecraft, I give him a hard time like a cross between a relentless heckler. When he objects, I reply that I am engaging in this to build character so he can grow up and play games for mature audiences. It's a classic 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. Superior than I was at my peak gaming days in my prime.

Title I Played the Most

Marvel Snap

Nothing came close to the hours I spent on this remarkably well-crafted card game wizard’s poker, with its regularly updated 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 wake up one day and see it is all just an attempt to trap you with compulsion-based microtransactions. So enjoyment soured 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. Immersive atmosphere from the beginning. I wish I could deal with my demons so effectively in real life.

Title I Wish I Had Played More (Puzzle-Focused Edition)

Blue Prince

I'm unwilling to rush this stunning, original game and I just didn’t have the focused attention to give it what it required earlier this year. With family visits over the festive period, I will be playing this in the wee small hours after evening drinks.

Game That Was a Lifesaver When I Needed It

Balatro

I'm aware Balatro was the previous year's breakout game, but I was slow on the uptake. And it is remarkable. It just gets absolutely everything right. The core concept is a wonderful concept, but the effects behind the different wild cards are so creative it has become a game I would happily play any time. Combine that with the cleverness of the card design, and this is an true peak of gaming. I dream of being stuck in a elevator for hours just so I have the perfect excuse but play it.

Game I Got the Most Backlash For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I received a minor pile-on when I mentioned how a specific bug in another game soured the experience for me, but that other title is still a massive gaming achievement in terms of production values – 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 "poorly reasoned". I share that in the exact way, 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

Sure. Give me a brutally difficult non-linear thing and don’t tell me guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "figure it out". Great fun. I get that it is beautiful and is perfection if you are into the genre, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I am less interested in in my adulthood. I was around back when all games were like this, and I’ve had enough. It was okay when I was a kid, but so was many questionable things.

Biggest Gaming Scandal of 2025

Debate between corporate partnerships that raised eyebrows, and expensive game releases. Both ethically dubious 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 be unique names shouted from the back door 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 is sore 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 end of days.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.