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So, how did you experience 2025 in your home? Could it be described as truly wonderful as you pretended on social media? Packed with A-grades for the children and elaborate costume celebrations for the adults? Maybe it felt like a sea of frustration with only occasional entertaining moments? Could any part be genuine, or is everyone now AI-generated virtual entities with celebrity teeth?

I've assembled my thoughts together, willing or unwilling, to discuss the crucial thing in twelve months: which releases we played the most. Let's get started:

Release Oldest Daughter Played the Most

Pikmin

"Is it impossible to pick just one?"

"This isn't my definitive list."

Meanwhile, on mobile, she’s been playing Cityscapes and "trying to find reasonable healthcare."

"Virtually?"

"In real life."

Game Middle Son Played the Most

Overwatch

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

Release Third Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

She is trying to get into drama school, but when she took a break from vocals, she was tackling Resident Evil. She also went on in great detail about her achievements on The Sims, where the Shark has a blooming utopia with significantly better healthcare than her eldest sister has in the real world.

Game the Wife 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 marathon not a sprint for her. Her phone game: something called Woodle, where you have to extract pins.

Game I Laughed at My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Any time I see my 21-year-old son playing Minecraft, I set about him like a cross between a relentless heckler. When he complains, I reply that I am doing this to prepare him so he can be a man and play games for mature audiences. This defines our Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Skilled Gaming Family Member 2025

Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024

It wasn't even close for this one. She is a machine. Even better 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 remarkably well-crafted strategy competitive game, with its constantly evolving range of cards and game variations.

Title I Wish I Had Played Less

Marvel Snap

The downside about games that frequently update their range is you wake up one day and understand it is all just an attempt to lure you into fear-of-missing-out driven microtransactions. So affection became resentment halfway through the year and it was deleted.

Title I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

Excellent reinvention of a legendary franchise. Captivating atmosphere from the off. I wish I could deal with my problems so effectively in real life.

Title I Wish I Had Played More (Cerebral Edition)

Blue Prince

I refuse to rush this stunning, original game and I just lacked the time or headspace to give it what it required earlier this year. With relatives staying over the festive period, I plan to dive into this in the wee small hours after evening drinks.

Game That Kept Me Sane When I Needed It

Balatro

I'm aware Balatro was last year's surprise hit, but I was a late adopter. And it is remarkable. It just gets absolutely everything right. The core concept is a fantastic concept, but the powers behind the different joker cards are so creative it has become a game I could play at any hour. Add in the wittiness of the card design, and this is an absolute peak of gaming. I fantasize about being stuck in a elevator for hours just so I have nothing to do but play it.

Game I Got the Most Flak For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I endured a minor pile-on when I wrote about how a glitch 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 appreciated even more after slogging through 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 as written, because I acknowledge the engagement, and she is obviously an astute judge of character.

Game Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Alright. Give me a punishingly tough Metroidvania-esque thing and provide little guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "look around". What a joy. I understand that it has great art and is perfection if you are into the genre, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I want less of in my mid-fifties. I was around back when most 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 outdated things.

Biggest Gaming News of 2025

Close call between questionable alliances that raised eyebrows, and high launch costs. Both difficult to justify and repugnant.

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

Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all make interesting names called from the doorstep 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 button mashing or endless scrolling, but it burns like hellfire 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 wait patiently until the heat death of the universe.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.