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Alright, how was this year in your family? Was it all as good as you pretended on social media? Overflowing with A-grades for the kids and elaborate dress-up gatherings for the adults? Or perhaps it was a swamp of letdowns with only rare enjoyable flotsam? And was any of it genuine, or are we all digitally altered synthetic personas with unrealistic smiles?

I've assembled the family for a reflection, ready or not, to reflect on the most important thing in any given year: which video games we played the most. Let's get started:

Title Oldest Daughter Played the Most

Pikmin

"Why can't you pick just one?"

"You can't expect my personal ranking."

On her phone, she's invested time in Cityscapes and "trying to find reasonable healthcare."

"Digitally?"

"In reality."

Game Second Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I don’t play games on my phone." He was offended that the question was posed. Point taken.

Game Third Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

She's attempting to get into drama school, but when she wasn’t singing, she was tackling Resident Evil. She also spoke at length in great detail about her successes on The Sims, where the Shark has a blooming utopia with far better healthcare than her older sibling has in real life.

Release the Spouse Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She began the year at 60% completion and finished the year at eighty-two percent. She's in it for the long run not a sprint for her. On her phone: something called Woodle, where you have to extract pins.

Game I Found Amusing That My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Every time I see my adult son playing Minecraft, I set about him like a cross between a persistent critic. When he objects, I reply that I am behaving this way to toughen him up so he can mature and play games for mature audiences. It's a classic Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Impressive Gaming Family Member This Year

Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024

There was no contest for this one. She is incredible. Even better 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 insanely well-crafted card game digital pastime, with its regularly updated range of cards and game variations.

Title I Wish I Had Played Less

Marvel Snap

The worst thing about games that frequently update their range is you have a moment of clarity and see it is all just an attempt to suck you into compulsion-based microtransactions. So enjoyment soured halfway through the year and it got uninstalled.

Game I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

Stunning reinvention of a legendary franchise. Captivating atmosphere from the start. I wish I could deal with my demons so effectively in real life.

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

Blue Prince

I'm unwilling to rush this beautiful, unique game and I just didn’t have the mental bandwidth to give it what it needed earlier this year. With family visits over the festive period, I aim to experience this in the early morning after evening drinks.

Title That Was a Lifesaver When I Needed It

Balatro

I acknowledge Balatro was 2024’s breakout game, but I was a late adopter. And it is incredible. It just gets absolutely everything right. The core concept is a brilliant concept, but the effects behind the different special cards are so inventive it has become a game I literally would play any time. Combine that with the cleverness of the card design, and this is an definite pinnacle of gaming. I dream of being stuck in a broken-down lift for hours just so I have nothing to do but play it.

Title I Got the Most Flak For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I received a wave of criticism when I critiqued how a technical issue in another game damaged 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 experiencing Outer Worlds 2. So thank you to the commenter who took the time to contact me to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "bitter, confused resentment". I share that in the exact way, because I respect the passion, and she is obviously an astute judge of character.

Game Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Sure. Give me a brutally difficult non-linear thing and don’t tell me guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "explore". What a joy. I get that it has great art and is flawless if you are into challenging games, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I desire less in my adulthood. I was around back when most games were like this, and I'm over it. It was fine when I was a kid, but so was many less comfortable things.

Biggest Gaming News of 2025

Close call between questionable alliances that raised eyebrows, and expensive game releases. Both difficult to justify and concerning.

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

Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all be unique names called from the back door 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 button mashing or doomscrolling, but it aches 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 make 2026 last until the heat death of the universe.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.