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Well, how did you experience 2025 in your household? Was it all as good as people post on Facebook? Packed with A-grades for the children and elaborate dress-up celebrations for the grownups? Maybe it felt like a ocean of disappointment with only rare enjoyable flotsam? And was any of it genuine, or is everyone now digitally altered synthetic personas with unrealistic dental work?

I've assembled the family together, whether they wanted to or not, to discuss the crucial thing in any given year: what titles we played the most. Without further ado:

Title First Daughter Played the Most

Pikmin

"Why can't you pick just one?"

"This isn't my personal ranking."

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

"In the game?"

"In the actual world."

Title Middle Son Played the Most

Overwatch

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

Game Youngest Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

She's attempting to get into drama school, but when she took a break from vocals, she was immersed in Resident Evil. She also spoke at length in great detail about her achievements on The Sims, where the Shark has a thriving utopia with infinitely better healthcare than her older sibling has in the real world.

Title the Wife Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She began 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 remove pins.

Game I Teased My Kids About My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Any time I see my 21-year-old son playing Minecraft, I set about him like a cross between a persistent critic. When he objects, I reply that I am engaging in this to build character so he can mature and play games for grownups. This defines our Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Impressive Gaming Family Member of the Year

Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024

She was the clear winner for this one. She is incredible. More impressive than I was at my peak gaming days in my prime.

Game I Played the Most

Marvel Snap

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

Game I Wish I Had Played Less

Marvel Snap

The downside about games that frequently update their range is you have a moment of clarity and understand it is all just an attempt to trap you with compulsion-based microtransactions. So love turned to hate halfway through the year and it got uninstalled.

Title I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

Stunning reinvention of a classic franchise. Immersive atmosphere from the beginning. I wish I could eviscerate my problems so effectively in real life.

Title I Wish I Had Played More (Cerebral 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 deserved earlier this year. With relatives staying over the festive period, I plan to dive into this in the late night after evening drinks.

Title That Was a Lifesaver When I Needed It

Balatro

I acknowledge Balatro was the previous year's surprise hit, but I was a late adopter. And it is exceptional. It just gets every single thing right. The core concept is a fantastic concept, but the powers behind the different joker cards are so imaginative it has become a game I literally would play constantly. Throw in the charm of the card design, and this is an definite high-water mark of gaming. I wouldn't mind being stuck in a broken-down lift for hours just so I have nothing to do but play it.

Game I Got the Most Flak For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I endured a bit of backlash when I wrote about 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 overall polish – which I recognized even more after playing Outer Worlds 2. So my appreciation goes out to the commenter who took the time to contact me to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "bitter, confused resentment". I present that verbatim, because I respect the passion, and she is obviously an astute judge of character.

Title Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Sure. Give me a bastard-hard non-linear thing and don’t tell me guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "explore". How delightful. I get that it has great art and is flawless if you are into this kind of thing, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I desire less in my current stage of life. I was around back when many games were like this, and I’ve had enough. It was fine when I was a kid, but so was many questionable things.

Biggest Gaming Scandal of 2025

Toss-up between business deals that raised eyebrows, and expensive game releases. Both morally indefensible and unpleasant.

Games I Would Name My Children After, If 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. Honestly. I don’t know if it’s because of video games or phone use, but it burns like the mines of sulphur in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs insured 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 stretch time until the cows come home.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.