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So, what did you think of the past year in your home? Did it seem truly wonderful as you pretended on online? Overflowing with A-grades for your offspring and elaborate dress-up birthday parties for the adults? Or perhaps it was a sea of letdowns with only rare entertaining flotsam? Is any of this actually real, or is everyone now seven-fingered AI slop beings with celebrity smiles?

I've assembled everyone for a chat, ready or not, to debate the crucial thing in a calendar year: which video games we were obsessed with the most. Without further ado:

Game Eldest Daughter Played the Most

Pikmin

"Is it impossible to pick just one?"

"It’s not my personal ranking."

On her phone, she’s been playing Cityscapes and "trying to find decent healthcare."

"Virtually?"

"In real life."

Title Second Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I refuse to play games on my phone." He was offended that the question was posed. Fair enough.

Game Third Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

She is trying to get into theatre school, but when she took a break from vocals, she was playing Resident Evil. She also elaborated in great detail about her achievements on The Sims, where the Shark has a blooming utopia with infinitely better healthcare than her eldest sister has outside the game.

Game the Wife Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She began the year at 60% completion and ended it at eighty-two percent. It’s a marathon not a sprint for her. On her phone: something called Woodle, where you have to unscrew pins.

Game I Found Amusing That My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Any time I see my adult son playing Minecraft, I give him a hard time like a cross between a classic comedy bit. When he complains, I reply that I am doing this to toughen him up so he can grow up and play games for grownups. This defines our Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Skilled Gaming Family Member of the Year

Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024

It wasn't even close for this one. She is a machine. Even better 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 remarkably well-crafted deck building 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 frequently update their range is you have a moment of clarity and understand it is all just an attempt to trap you with fear-of-missing-out driven microtransactions. So enjoyment soured halfway through the year and it got uninstalled.

Title I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

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

Title I Wish I Had Played More (Puzzle-Focused Edition)

Blue Prince

I'm unwilling to rush this stunning, original game and I just was short on the focused attention to give it what it deserved earlier this year. With relatives staying over the festive period, I aim to experience this in the wee small hours after appropriate hospitality.

Game That Was a Lifesaver When I Needed It

Balatro

I acknowledge Balatro was last year's breakout game, but I was a late adopter. And it is exceptional. It just gets each element right. Crazy Poker is a wonderful concept, but the effects behind the different special cards are so inventive it has become a game I literally would play constantly. Throw in the cleverness of the card design, and this is an definite high-water mark of gaming. I dream of being stuck in a elevator for hours just so I have an opportunity but play it.

Title I Got the Most Flak For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I endured a bit of backlash when I critiqued how a technical issue in another game damaged the experience for me, but that other title is still a colossal gaming achievement in terms of art, sound, acting – which I appreciated even more after playing 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 "missing the point". I share that verbatim, because I acknowledge the engagement, and they are obviously an astute judge of character.

Game Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Sure. Give me a punishingly tough exploration-focused thing and don’t tell me guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "figure it out". What a joy. I understand that it is beautiful and is flawless if you are into this kind of thing, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I desire less in my adulthood. I was around back when all games were like this, and my patience is gone. It was okay when I was a kid, but so was many outdated things.

Biggest Gaming News of 2025

Close call between business deals that sparked debate, and expensive game releases. Both difficult to justify and concerning.

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 doorstep at dinner time.

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 doomscrolling, but it is sore like the mines of sulphur in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs looked after 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 heat death of the universe.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.