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Alright, what did you think of 2025 in your home? Was it all as good as one might claim on online? Packed with academic success for the kids and wild costume birthday parties for the adults? Or was it a swamp of letdowns with only sporadic fun flotsam? Could any part be actually real, or is everyone now AI-generated synthetic personas with celebrity dental work?

I have gathered everyone for a reflection, whether they wanted to or not, to discuss the most important thing in a calendar year: what titles we were obsessed with the most. So here goes:

Title First Daughter Played the Most

Horizon Zero Dawn

"Why can't you pick just one?"

"You can't expect my personal ranking."

Meanwhile, on mobile, she’s been playing Cityscapes and "searching for reasonable healthcare."

"Virtually?"

"In the actual world."

Game Second Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I refuse to play games on my phone." He seemed insulted that I even asked. Point taken.

Game Third Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

She's attempting to get into acting, but when she wasn’t singing, she was playing Resident Evil. She also spoke at length in great detail about her accomplishments 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 Partner Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She began the year at sixty percent completion and finished the year at 82%. It’s a marathon not a sprint for her. Her phone game: something called Woodle, where you have to remove pins.

Title I Teased My Kids About My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Whenever I see my 21-year-old son playing Minecraft, I give him a hard time like a cross between a persistent critic. When he complains, I reply that I am behaving this way to toughen him up so he can be a man and play games for adults. It's a classic 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 incredible. More impressive than I was at my peak gaming days in my prime.

Game I Played the Most

Marvel Snap

It was in a league of its own to the hours I spent on this insanely well-crafted deck building competitive game, with its ever-changing 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 have a moment of clarity and see it is all just an attempt to trap you with compulsion-based microtransactions. So love turned to hate halfway through the year and it was deleted.

Game I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

Glorious reinvention of a iconic franchise. Immersive atmosphere from the start. I wish I could deal with my issues so effectively in real life.

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

Blue Prince

I refuse to rush this stunning, original game and I just lacked the focused attention to give it what it deserved earlier this year. With holiday guests over the festive period, I plan to dive into this in the late night after evening drinks.

Game That Was a Lifesaver When I Needed It

Balatro

I acknowledge Balatro was the previous year's breakout game, but I was slow on the uptake. And it is incredible. It just gets each element right. Its gameplay loop 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. Add in the cleverness of the card design, and this is an true pinnacle of gaming. I fantasize about being stuck in a elevator for hours just so I have the perfect excuse but play it.

Game I Got the Most Flak For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I received a bit of backlash when I mentioned how a glitch 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 slogging through 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 "missing the point". I mention that in the exact way, because I acknowledge the engagement, and they are obviously an excellent judge of character.

Title Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Alright. Give me a brutally difficult exploration-focused thing and provide little guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "explore". How delightful. I understand that it has great art and is ideal 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 all games were like this, and I'm over it. It was acceptable when I was a kid, but the same could be said for many questionable things.

Biggest Gaming Controversy of 2025

Close call between corporate partnerships that sparked debate, and high launch costs. Both morally indefensible and concerning.

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

Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all sound good 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 endless scrolling, but it burns like the mines of sulphur in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs looked after 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.