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Well, what did you think of this year in your family? Was it entirely positive as people post on online? Packed with A-grades for your offspring and wild themed fancy dress celebrations for the adults? Maybe it felt like a sea of disappointment with only occasional entertaining highlights? And was any of it genuine, or have we all become AI-generated synthetic personas with unrealistic smiles?

I have gathered the family for a chat, whether they wanted to or not, to discuss the most important thing in twelve months: which video games we were obsessed with the most. So here goes:

Release First Daughter Played the Most

Pikmin

"Can’t you pick just one?"

"It’s not my games column."

On her phone, she's invested time in Cityscapes and "attempting to locate decent healthcare."

"Virtually?"

"In the actual world."

Release Second Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I don’t play games on my phone." He seemed insulted that I even asked. I respect that.

Title Third Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

She's attempting to get into acting, but when she took a break from vocals, she was tackling Resident Evil. She also went on in great detail about her accomplishments on The Sims, where her avatar has a successful utopia with far better healthcare than her eldest sister has in the real world.

Title the Partner 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 marathon not a sprint for her. Her phone game: something called Woodle, where you have to remove pins.

Release 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 protests, I reply that I am engaging in this to toughen him up so he can grow up and play games for grownups. This defines our Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Notable Gaming Family Member This Year

Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024

There was no contest for this one. She is incredible. Superior 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 remarkably well-crafted strategy competitive game, 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 wake up one day and see it is all just an attempt to trap you with fomo-fuelled microtransactions. So love turned to hate halfway through the year and it was deleted.

Game I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

Glorious reinvention of a iconic franchise. Captivating atmosphere from the beginning. I wish I could eviscerate my problems so effectively in real life.

Title I Wish I Had Played More (Thoughtful Edition)

Blue Prince

I'm unwilling to rush this gorgeous, distinctive game and I just lacked the mental bandwidth to give it what it needed earlier this year. With family visits over the festive period, I aim to experience this in the wee small hours after family time.

Title That Was a Lifesaver When I Needed It

Balatro

I'm aware Balatro was 2024’s surprise hit, but I was late to it. And it is remarkable. It just gets each element right. The core concept is a brilliant concept, but the powers behind the different joker cards are so inventive it has become a game I would happily play at any hour. Combine that with the cleverness of the card design, and this is an true pinnacle of gaming. I dream of being stuck in a small space for hours just so I have an opportunity but play it.

Title I Got the Most Backlash For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I experienced a wave of criticism when I critiqued 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 valued even more after experiencing Outer Worlds 2. So thank you to the reader who took the time to send a message to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "poorly reasoned". I present that in the exact way, because I appreciate the effort, and he 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 provide little guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "figure it out". How delightful. I get that it is beautiful and is ideal if you are into challenging games, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I am less interested in in my mid-fifties. I was around back when most games were like this, and I’ve had enough. It was acceptable when I was a kid, but the same could be said for many questionable things.

Biggest Gaming Scandal of 2025

Toss-up between business deals that raised eyebrows, and high launch costs. Both difficult to justify and repugnant.

Games I Would Name My Children After, If I Was Ever Foolish Enough to Have More

Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all sound good names called from the garden at tea time.

Part of My Body That Aches Most From Gaming

Right Thumb Joint. Seriously. I don’t know if it’s because of console gaming or doomscrolling, but it is sore like anything in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs protected 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 cows come home.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.