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Well, how did you experience 2025 in your household? Was it entirely positive as people post on Facebook? Packed with A-grades for the children and wild costume birthday parties for the parents? Maybe it felt like a swamp of disappointment with only sporadic entertaining highlights? And was any of it genuine, or is everyone now seven-fingered virtual entities with celebrity teeth?

I have gathered my thoughts for a reflection, willing or unwilling, to discuss the most important thing in twelve months: what titles we enjoyed the most. So here goes:

Release First Daughter Played the Most

Horizon Zero Dawn

"Is it impossible to pick just one?"

"It’s not my personal ranking."

Meanwhile, on mobile, she's invested time in Cityscapes and "searching for decent healthcare."

"In the game?"

"In real life."

Title Second Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I refuse to play games on my phone." He was offended that the question was posed. Point taken.

Release Youngest Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

She is trying to get into acting, but when she took a break from vocals, she was playing Resident Evil. She also elaborated in great detail about her successes on The Sims, where her avatar has a blooming utopia with significantly 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 sixty percent completion and finished the year at 82%. It's a long haul not a sprint for her. Her phone game: something called Woodle, where you have to extract pins.

Release I Found Amusing That 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 objects, I reply that I am behaving this way to toughen him up so he can mature and play games for adults. This defines our Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Notable Gaming Family Member This Year

Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024

It wasn't even close for this one. She is incredible. More impressive 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 exceptionally 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 catch about games that constantly evolve their range is you have a moment of clarity and realise 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.

Title I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

Stunning reinvention of a legendary franchise. Engrossing atmosphere from the off. I wish I could dispatch my problems so effectively in real life.

Game I Wish I Had Played More (Thoughtful Edition)

Blue Prince

I decline to rush this stunning, original game and I just didn’t have the time or headspace to give it what it required earlier this year. With holiday guests over the festive period, I aim to experience this in the early morning after evening drinks.

Title That Kept Me Sane When I Needed It

Balatro

I acknowledge Balatro was last year's breakout game, but I was late to it. 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 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 absolute high-water mark of gaming. I dream of being stuck in a small space for hours just so I have an opportunity but play it.

Title I Got the Most Backlash For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I endured a wave of criticism when I wrote about how a glitch in another game ruined the experience for me, but that other title is still a gargantuan 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 send a message to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "missing the point". I present that verbatim, because I acknowledge the engagement, and he is obviously an astute judge of character.

Game Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Sure. Give me a punishingly tough exploration-focused thing and provide little guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "look around". What a joy. I understand that it is beautiful and is flawless 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 all games were like this, and my patience is gone. It was okay when I was a kid, but the same could be said for many less comfortable things.

Biggest Gaming Scandal of 2025

Debate between business deals that caused concern, and high launch costs. Both morally indefensible 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 make interesting names bellowed from the back door 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 video games or doomscrolling, but it is sore like hellfire 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.