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Alright, what did you think of this year in your home? Was it all as good as people post on online? Overflowing with A-grades for your offspring and elaborate themed fancy dress birthday parties for the parents? Or was it a sea of letdowns with only occasional fun flotsam? And was any of it authentic, or are we all seven-fingered AI slop beings with unrealistic smiles?

I've corralled the family for a reflection, ready or not, to reflect on the paramount thing in a calendar year: what titles we enjoyed the most. Without further ado:

Title Eldest Daughter Played the Most

Horizon Zero Dawn

"Can’t you pick just one?"

"This isn't my definitive list."

Meanwhile, on mobile, she's invested time in Cityscapes and "attempting to locate decent healthcare."

"Digitally?"

"In the actual world."

Game Middle Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I don’t play games on my phone." He was offended that I even asked. Fair enough.

Title Youngest Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

Her goal is to get into acting, but when she wasn’t singing, she was immersed in Resident Evil. She also elaborated in great detail about her successes on The Sims, where the Shark has a blooming utopia with significantly better healthcare than her older sibling has outside the game.

Game the Spouse Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She started the year at sixty percent completion and finished the year at eighty-two percent. She's in it for the long run not a sprint for her. Her mobile diversion: something called Woodle, where you have to extract pins.

Game I Found Amusing That My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Whenever I see my adult son playing Minecraft, I rib him like a cross between a classic comedy bit. When he objects, I reply that I am engaging in this to build character so he can grow up and play games for adults. This defines our Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Notable Gaming Family Member This Year

Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024

It wasn't even close for this one. She is unstoppable. More impressive than I was at classic rhythm games in my prime.

Game I Played the Most

Marvel Snap

Nothing came close to the hours I spent on this insanely well-crafted card game competitive game, with its constantly evolving range of cards and game variations.

Title I Wish I Had Played Less

Marvel Snap

The worst thing about games that frequently update their range is you have a moment of clarity 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.

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 dispatch my issues so effectively in real life.

Title I Wish I Had Played More (Thoughtful Edition)

Blue Prince

I decline to rush this gorgeous, distinctive game and I just lacked the focused attention to give it what it deserved earlier this year. With family visits over the festive period, I plan to dive into this in the early morning after family time.

Title That Kept Me Sane When I Needed It

Balatro

I know Balatro was last year's breakout game, but I was late to it. And it is incredible. It just gets absolutely everything right. Crazy Poker is a brilliant concept, but the abilities behind the different joker cards are so imaginative it has become a game I could play any time. Combine that with the wittiness of the card design, and this is an true high-water mark of gaming. I fantasize about being stuck in a small space for hours just so I have an opportunity but play it.

Game I Got the Most Criticism For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I experienced a wave of criticism when I mentioned how a glitch in another game ruined the experience for me, but that other title is still a colossal gaming achievement in terms of production values – which I recognized 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 "bitter, confused resentment". I present that in the exact way, because I appreciate the effort, and he is obviously an excellent judge of character.

Title Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Sure. Give me a punishingly tough Metroidvania-esque thing and leave me without guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "figure it out". How delightful. I get that it is beautiful and is flawless 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 most 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 Controversy of 2025

Debate between corporate partnerships that raised eyebrows, and expensive game releases. Both ethically dubious and concerning.

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

Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all make interesting names shouted from the garden at bedtime.

Part of My Body That Aches Most From Gaming

Right Thumb Joint. No joke. I don’t know if it’s because of console gaming or phone use, but it is sore like anything in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs looked after 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.