🔗 Share this article

Well, what did you think of the past year in your family? Was it truly wonderful as one might claim on social media? Packed with top marks for your offspring and riotous themed fancy dress gatherings for the parents? Or was it a sea of letdowns with only sporadic enjoyable highlights? And was any of it authentic, or are we all digitally altered AI slop beings with perfect dental work?

I have gathered everyone for a reflection, willing or unwilling, to debate the most important thing in any given year: which releases we enjoyed the most. Without further ado:

Game Eldest Daughter Played the Most

Just Dance 2024

"Is it impossible to pick just one?"

"You can't expect my personal ranking."

In the mobile realm, she’s been playing Cityscapes and "trying to find decent healthcare."

"In the game?"

"In the actual world."

Release Second Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I have no interest in games on my phone." He took umbrage that the question was posed. I respect that.

Release Third Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

Her goal is to get into theatre school, but when she wasn’t singing, she was tackling Resident Evil. She also elaborated in great detail about her achievements on The Sims, where her character has a successful utopia with infinitely better healthcare than her big sister has in the real world.

Game the Partner Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She started the year at 60% completion and ended it at 82%. It's a long haul not a sprint for her. Her phone game: something called Woodle, where you have to unscrew pins.

Release I Teased My Kids About My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Every time I see my 21-year-old son playing Minecraft, I rib him like a cross between a classic comedy bit. When he protests, I reply that I am engaging in this to prepare him so he can be a man and play games for adults. It's a classic Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Impressive Gaming Family Member of the Year

Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024

There was no contest for this one. She is a machine. Superior than I was at Dancing Stage MegaMix in my prime.

Game I Played the Most

Marvel Snap

No other game compared to the hours I spent on this remarkably well-crafted deck building competitive game, with its constantly evolving range of cards and game variations.

Game I Wish I Had Played Less

Marvel Snap

The worst thing about games that constantly evolve their range is you eventually realize and realise it is all just an attempt to suck you into compulsion-based microtransactions. So affection became resentment 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. Engrossing atmosphere from the start. I wish I could dispatch my demons 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 lacked the mental bandwidth to give it what it needed earlier this year. With family visits over the festive period, I will be playing this in the early morning after evening drinks.

Game That Saved My Soul When I Needed It

Balatro

I acknowledge Balatro was last year's breakout game, but I was late to it. And it is exceptional. It just gets every single thing right. Its gameplay loop is a wonderful concept, but the powers behind the different wild cards are so creative it has become a game I literally would play constantly. Combine that with the charm of the card design, and this is an true high-water mark of gaming. I wouldn't mind being stuck in a elevator for hours just so I have the perfect excuse but play it.

Title I Got the Most Criticism For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I experienced a bit of backlash when I wrote about how a specific bug in another game soured the experience for me, but that other title is still a massive gaming achievement in terms of overall polish – which I valued even more after playing Outer Worlds 2. So thank you to the reader who took the time to send a message to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "bitter, confused resentment". I share that verbatim, because I appreciate the effort, and he is obviously an astute judge of character.

Game Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Fine. Give me a brutally difficult Metroidvania-esque thing and don’t tell me guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "explore". How delightful. I get that it is beautiful and is perfection if you are into challenging games, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I desire less in my mid-fifties. I was around back when many games were like this, and I'm over it. It was fine when I was a kid, but so was many questionable things.

Biggest Gaming News of 2025

Toss-up between corporate partnerships that caused concern, and expensive game releases. Both ethically dubious and concerning.

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

Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all sound good names called from the doorstep at tea 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 endless scrolling, but it aches like anything in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs looked after back in the past.

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 heat death of the universe.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.