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Alright, how did you experience the past year in your household? Was it all as good as one might claim on social media? Packed with academic success for the children and riotous themed fancy dress gatherings for the parents? Or perhaps it was a swamp of letdowns with only occasional fun flotsam? Is any of this authentic, or is everyone now seven-fingered virtual entities with perfect teeth?

I've assembled everyone for a reflection, willing or unwilling, to discuss the crucial thing in any given year: which video games we enjoyed the most. Let's get started:

Game First Daughter Played the Most

Horizon Zero Dawn

"Is it impossible to pick just one?"

"It’s not my personal ranking."

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

"Digitally?"

"In reality."

Title Middle Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I refuse to play games on my phone." He took umbrage that I even asked. I respect that.

Release Youngest Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

She is trying to get into theatre school, but when she wasn’t singing, she was tackling Resident Evil. She also elaborated in great detail about her successes on The Sims, where her avatar has a thriving utopia with infinitely better healthcare than her big sister has outside the game.

Title the Spouse 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 long haul not a sprint for her. Her mobile diversion: something called Woodle, where you have to extract pins.

Title I Found Amusing That 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 doing this to build character so he can be a man and play games for mature audiences. It’s a very 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 a machine. Even better 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 remarkably well-crafted deck building competitive game, with its regularly updated range of cards and game variations.

Title I Wish I Had Played Less

Marvel Snap

The worst thing about games that endlessly add to their range is you eventually realize and understand it is all just an attempt to trap you with fomo-fuelled microtransactions. So enjoyment soured halfway through the year and it went into the bin.

Title I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

Excellent reinvention of a legendary franchise. Immersive atmosphere from the beginning. I wish I could deal with my demons so effectively in real life.

Game I Wish I Had Played More (Thoughtful Edition)

Blue Prince

I'm unwilling to rush this beautiful, unique game and I just was short on the focused attention to give it what it needed earlier this year. With relatives staying over the festive period, I will be playing this in the late night after family time.

Game That Kept Me Sane When I Needed It

Balatro

I'm aware Balatro was 2024’s surprise hit, but I was late to it. And it is exceptional. It just gets absolutely everything right. The core concept is a fantastic concept, but the abilities behind the different special cards are so creative it has become a game I literally would play constantly. Combine that with the cleverness of the card design, and this is an definite high-water mark of gaming. I fantasize about being stuck in a broken-down lift for hours just so I have nothing to do but play it.

Title I Got the Most Flak For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I received 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 production values – which I appreciated even more after experiencing Outer Worlds 2. So thank you to the commenter who took the time to write in to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "missing the point". I mention that in the exact way, because I acknowledge the engagement, and she is obviously an excellent judge of character.

Title Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Alright. Give me a punishingly tough Metroidvania-esque thing and provide little guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "explore". How delightful. I acknowledge that it looks ace and is ideal if you are into challenging games, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I am less interested in in my current stage of life. I was around back when most games were like this, and I'm over it. It was okay when I was a kid, but so was many less comfortable things.

Biggest Gaming Scandal of 2025

Toss-up between corporate partnerships that sparked debate, and premium pricing. Both difficult to justify and concerning.

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

Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all be unique names called 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 console gaming or doomscrolling, but it burns like hellfire 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.