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Well, what did you think of 2025 in your family? Could it be described as all as good as one might claim on Facebook? Packed with top marks for your offspring and elaborate themed fancy dress gatherings for the grownups? Maybe it felt like a ocean of disappointment with only sporadic enjoyable highlights? Could any part be genuine, or is everyone now AI-generated synthetic personas with perfect smiles?

I have gathered my thoughts for a reflection, ready or not, to reflect on the most important thing in any given year: which releases we enjoyed the most. Without further ado:

Title Eldest Daughter Played the Most

Pikmin

"Can’t you pick just one?"

"It’s not my games column."

On her phone, her go-to has been Cityscapes and "trying to find reasonable healthcare."

"Digitally?"

"In real life."

Title Middle Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I refuse to play games on my phone." He seemed insulted that I suggested it. Fair enough.

Release Third Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

She is trying to get into theatre school, but when she wasn’t singing, she was immersed in Resident Evil. She also went on in great detail about her accomplishments on The Sims, where her character has a successful utopia with significantly better healthcare than her eldest sister has in real life.

Game the Wife Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She began the year at sixty percent completion and ended it at 82%. She's in it for the long run not a sprint for her. Her mobile diversion: something called Woodle, where you have to remove pins.

Release 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 relentless heckler. When he complains, I reply that I am engaging in this to prepare him 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 unstoppable. More impressive than I was at classic rhythm games in my prime.

Title I Played the Most

Marvel Snap

It was in a league of its own to the hours I spent on this exceptionally well-crafted card game digital pastime, with its regularly updated range of cards and game variations.

Game I Wish I Had Played Less

Marvel Snap

The downside about games that constantly evolve 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 love turned to hate halfway through the year and it went into the bin.

Game I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

Excellent reinvention of a classic franchise. Immersive atmosphere from the start. I wish I could dispatch my issues so effectively in real life.

Game I Wish I Had Played More (Cerebral Edition)

Blue Prince

I'm unwilling to rush this stunning, original game and I just was short on the time or headspace to give it what it required earlier this year. With relatives staying over the festive period, I aim to experience this in the wee small hours after family time.

Game That Saved My Soul When I Needed It

Balatro

I know Balatro was 2024’s sleeper hit, but I was slow on the uptake. And it is incredible. It just gets every single thing right. The core concept is a brilliant concept, but the powers behind the different joker 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 pinnacle of gaming. I fantasize about being stuck in a small space for hours just so I have the perfect excuse but play it.

Game I Got the Most Backlash For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I endured a minor pile-on 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 overall polish – which I recognized even more after playing 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 "poorly reasoned". I mention that as written, because I respect the passion, and she is obviously an excellent judge of character.

Game Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Fine. Give me a brutally difficult exploration-focused thing and leave me without guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "look around". What a joy. I get 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 adulthood. I was around back when all games were like this, and I'm over it. It was okay when I was a kid, but so was many outdated things.

Biggest Gaming News of 2025

Close call between questionable alliances that sparked debate, and expensive game releases. Both difficult to justify and repugnant.

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

Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all be unique names called from the doorstep at tea 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 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 wait patiently until the end of days.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.