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So, what did you think of this year in your family? Did it seem all as good as people post on Facebook? Packed with academic success for the children and elaborate themed fancy dress celebrations for the grownups? Maybe it felt like a swamp of letdowns with only occasional entertaining moments? And was any of it authentic, or are we all AI-generated virtual entities with celebrity dental work?

I've assembled everyone for a chat, whether they wanted to or not, to discuss the crucial thing in any given year: which releases we enjoyed the most. Let's get started:

Release First Daughter Played the Most

Horizon Zero Dawn

"Can’t you pick just one?"

"This isn't my definitive list."

In the mobile realm, she’s been playing Cityscapes and "searching for reasonable healthcare."

"Virtually?"

"In real life."

Game Second Son Played the Most

Overwatch

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

Game Youngest Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

Her goal is to get into acting, but when she wasn’t singing, she was immersed in Resident Evil. She also went on 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 outside the game.

Game the Partner Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She started the year at sixty percent 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 extract pins.

Title I Laughed at My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Every time I see my adult son playing Minecraft, I set about him like a cross between a classic comedy bit. When he complains, I reply that I am behaving this way to build character so he can be a man and play games for grownups. It's a classic Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Impressive Gaming Family Member of the Year

Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024

It wasn't even close for this one. She is unstoppable. More impressive than I was at my peak gaming days in my prime.

Title I Played the Most

Marvel Snap

Nothing came close to the hours I spent on this remarkably well-crafted strategy digital pastime, with its constantly evolving range of cards and game variations.

Game I Wish I Had Played Less

Marvel Snap

The downside about games that endlessly add to their range is you have a moment of clarity and understand it is all just an attempt to trap you with compulsion-based microtransactions. So enjoyment soured halfway through the year and it was deleted.

Game I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

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

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

Blue Prince

I decline to rush this beautiful, unique game and I just didn’t have the mental bandwidth to give it what it deserved earlier this year. With family visits over the festive period, I will be playing this in the late night after appropriate hospitality.

Game That Saved My Soul When I Needed It

Balatro

I'm aware Balatro was the previous year's breakout game, but I was late to it. And it is exceptional. It just gets each element right. Its gameplay loop is a brilliant concept, but the powers behind the different joker cards are so inventive it has become a game I would happily play any time. Throw in the cleverness of the card design, and this is an absolute peak of gaming. I wouldn't mind being stuck in a elevator for hours just so I have an opportunity but play it.

Title I Got the Most Criticism For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I received a minor pile-on when I critiqued how a glitch 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 appreciated even more after experiencing Outer Worlds 2. So thank you to the reader who took the time to contact me to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "missing the point". I share that as written, because I respect the passion, and they are obviously an excellent judge of character.

Title Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Fine. Give me a bastard-hard exploration-focused thing and provide little guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "figure it out". How delightful. I get that it has great art and is perfection if you are into this kind of thing, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I want less of in my current stage of life. I was around back when many games were like this, and my patience is gone. It was fine when I was a kid, but so was many questionable things.

Biggest Gaming Controversy of 2025

Debate between questionable alliances that raised eyebrows, and premium pricing. 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 be unique names called from the doorstep at dinner time.

Part of My Body That Aches Most From Gaming

Right Thumb Joint. Honestly. I don’t know if it’s because of button mashing or doomscrolling, but it burns like anything 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 stretch time until the cows come home.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.