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So, how was 2025 in your home? Could it be described as all as good as you pretended on online? Packed with academic success for the children and wild costume gatherings for the grownups? Or perhaps it was a ocean of frustration with only sporadic enjoyable flotsam? Is any of this genuine, or is everyone now AI-generated virtual entities with perfect teeth?

I've corralled my thoughts for a chat, ready or not, to debate the crucial thing in twelve months: which releases we played the most. Without further ado:

Game First Daughter Played the Most

Pikmin

"Why can't you pick just one?"

"This isn't my games column."

On her phone, her go-to has been Cityscapes and "attempting to locate decent healthcare."

"In the game?"

"In reality."

Title Middle Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I don’t play games on my phone." He was offended that I suggested it. Point taken.

Game Youngest 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 went on in great detail about her successes on The Sims, where her character has a blooming utopia with significantly better healthcare than her older sibling has in the real world.

Release the Partner Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

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

Title I Laughed at My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Every time I see my 21-year-old son playing Minecraft, I rib him like a cross between a relentless heckler. When he complains, I reply that I am doing this to prepare him so he can grow up and play games for grownups. It’s a very Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Impressive Gaming Family Member This Year

Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024

It wasn't even close for this one. She is unstoppable. 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 exceptionally well-crafted strategy wizard’s poker, with its regularly updated range of cards and game variations.

Game I Wish I Had Played Less

Marvel Snap

The worst thing about games that constantly evolve their range is you wake up one day and see it is all just an attempt to lure you into fear-of-missing-out driven microtransactions. So love turned to hate 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. Captivating atmosphere from the beginning. I wish I could eviscerate my demons so effectively in real life.

Game I Wish I Had Played More (Thoughtful 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 required earlier this year. With holiday guests over the festive period, I plan to dive into this in the wee small hours after evening drinks.

Title That Kept Me Sane When I Needed It

Balatro

I know Balatro was last year's sleeper hit, but I was a late adopter. And it is remarkable. It just gets every single thing right. Crazy Poker is a wonderful concept, but the powers behind the different special cards are so imaginative it has become a game I literally would play any time. Throw in the charm of the card design, and this is an definite peak 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 Flak For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I experienced a wave of criticism when I wrote about how a specific bug in another game ruined the experience for me, but that other title is still a massive gaming achievement in terms of overall polish – which I recognized even more after experiencing Outer Worlds 2. So my appreciation goes out to the individual who took the time to write in 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.

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 "figure it out". How delightful. I understand that it looks ace and is ideal if you are into the genre, 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 okay when I was a kid, but the same could be said for many outdated things.

Biggest Gaming News of 2025

Close call between corporate partnerships that raised eyebrows, and premium pricing. Both morally indefensible 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 sound good names bellowed from the garden at tea 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 endless scrolling, but it burns like hellfire in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs insured 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 make 2026 last until the cows come home.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.