So, how was the past year in your household? Was it entirely positive as you pretended on Facebook? Full of top marks for the kids and riotous costume birthday parties for the grownups? Maybe it felt like a swamp of letdowns with only rare fun moments? And was any of it actually real, or have we all become AI-generated AI slop beings with unrealistic teeth?
I've corralled my thoughts together, whether they wanted to or not, to reflect on the paramount thing in any given year: what titles we enjoyed the most. Without further ado:
Release Eldest Daughter Played the Most
Just Dance 2024
"Can’t you pick just one?"
"This isn't my definitive list."
Meanwhile, on mobile, she’s been playing Cityscapes and "searching for adequate healthcare."
"In the game?"
"In real life."
Release Second Son Played the Most
Overwatch
"I refuse to play 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 tackling Resident Evil. She also spoke at length in great detail about her achievements on The Sims, where her avatar has a thriving utopia with significantly better healthcare than her eldest sister has in real life.
Title the Wife Played the Most
Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time
She started the year at 60% completion and finished the year at eighty-two percent. It’s a marathon not a sprint for her. Her mobile diversion: something called Woodle, where you have to extract pins.
Game I Teased My Kids About My Kids for Still Playing
Minecraft
Whenever I see my adult son playing Minecraft, I give him a hard time like a cross between a classic comedy bit. When he complains, I reply that I am doing 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 of the Year
Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024
It wasn't even close for this one. She is incredible. Superior than I was at Dancing Stage MegaMix in my prime.
Game I Played the Most
Marvel Snap
Nothing came close to the hours I spent on this remarkably well-crafted deck building wizard’s poker, with its constantly evolving range of cards and game variations.
Title I Wish I Had Played Less
Marvel Snap
The downside about games that frequently update their range is you eventually realize and realise it is all just an attempt to lure you into fomo-fuelled microtransactions. So affection became resentment 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. Engrossing atmosphere from the beginning. I wish I could dispatch my problems so effectively in real life.
Game I Wish I Had Played More (Cerebral Edition)
Blue Prince
I decline to rush this beautiful, unique game and I just was short on the time or headspace 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 evening drinks.
Game That Was a Lifesaver When I Needed It
Balatro
I acknowledge Balatro was last year's breakout game, but I was a late adopter. And it is exceptional. It just gets each element right. The core concept is a brilliant concept, but the abilities behind the different special cards are so creative it has become a game I literally would play at any hour. Add in the wittiness of the card design, and this is an absolute pinnacle of gaming. I dream of being stuck in a small space for hours just so I have the perfect excuse but play it.
Title I Got the Most Criticism 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 colossal gaming achievement in terms of overall polish – which I appreciated even more after slogging through Outer Worlds 2. So thank you to the individual who took the time to contact me to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "poorly reasoned". I share 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
Alright. Give me a bastard-hard Metroidvania-esque thing and leave me without guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "explore". What a joy. I get that it has great art and is flawless if you are into the genre, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I want less of 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 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 unpleasant.
Games I Would Name My Children After, Were I I Was Ever Foolish 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. Seriously. I don’t know if it’s because of video games or endless scrolling, but it burns like the mines of sulphur in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs looked after back in the day.
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 cows come home.
Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036
The Witcher 4.
