This Household Unofficial Gaming of the Year Roundup for The Past Year

Well, how did you experience this year in your household? Was it truly wonderful as you pretended on online? Packed with academic success for the children and wild dress-up birthday parties for the parents? Or perhaps it was a ocean of letdowns with only occasional enjoyable flotsam? And was any of it authentic, or have we all become AI-generated AI slop beings with celebrity dental work?

I've corralled everyone together, willing or unwilling, to discuss the most important thing in any given year: which video games we were obsessed with the most. So here goes:

Release Eldest Daughter Played the Most

Horizon Zero Dawn

"Why can't you pick just one?"

"It’s not my definitive list."

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

"Virtually?"

"In reality."

Release Second Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I have no interest in games on my phone." He took umbrage that I suggested it. Point taken.

Release Youngest Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

Her goal is to get into theatre school, but when she took a break from vocals, she was playing Resident Evil. She also spoke at length in great detail about her achievements on The Sims, where her avatar has a thriving utopia with far better healthcare than her older sibling has in real life.

Title the Spouse Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She started the year at 60% completion and ended it at eighty-two percent. It's a long haul not a sprint for her. Her phone game: 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 give him a hard time like a cross between a classic comedy bit. When he protests, I reply that I am behaving this way to toughen him up so he can be a man and play games for mature audiences. It’s a very Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Skilled Gaming Family Member of the Year

Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024

She was the clear winner for this one. She is a machine. Superior than I was at Dancing Stage MegaMix in my prime.

Title I Played the Most

Marvel Snap

Nothing came close to the hours I spent on this remarkably well-crafted card game digital pastime, with its ever-changing range of cards and game variations.

Game I Wish I Had Played Less

Marvel Snap

The catch about games that frequently update their range is you have a moment of clarity and realise it is all just an attempt to lure you into fear-of-missing-out driven microtransactions. So love turned to hate halfway through the year and it went into the bin.

Title I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

Stunning reinvention of a iconic franchise. Engrossing atmosphere from the start. 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 gorgeous, distinctive game and I just lacked the time or headspace to give it what it needed earlier this year. With holiday guests over the festive period, I will be playing this in the late night after evening drinks.

Title That Saved My Soul When I Needed It

Balatro

I'm aware Balatro was the previous year's breakout game, but I was late to it. And it is incredible. It just gets absolutely everything right. The core concept is a wonderful concept, but the effects behind the different special cards are so creative it has become a game I would happily play constantly. Combine that with the cleverness of the card design, and this is an true peak of gaming. I wouldn't mind being stuck in a small space for hours just so I have the perfect excuse but play it.

Title I Got the Most Backlash For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I received a wave of criticism when I mentioned how a specific bug in another game soured the experience for me, but that other title is still a colossal gaming achievement in terms of overall polish – which I recognized even more after experiencing Outer Worlds 2. So my appreciation goes out to the reader who took the time to send a message to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "missing the point". I share 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 brutally difficult Metroidvania-esque thing and provide little guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "figure it out". How delightful. I understand that it is beautiful and is flawless if you are into challenging games, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I want less of in my current stage of life. I was around back when many games were like this, and I'm over it. It was okay when I was a kid, but the same could be said for many questionable things.

Biggest Gaming News of 2025

Toss-up between business deals that caused concern, and high launch costs. 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 called from the doorstep 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 video games or doomscrolling, but it is sore like the mines of sulphur in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs protected back in the day.

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.