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Well, how was the past year in your home? Did it seem all as good as you pretended on social media? Overflowing with academic success for your offspring and elaborate costume celebrations for the adults? Or perhaps it was a sea of disappointment with only occasional entertaining flotsam? And was any of it genuine, or are we all seven-fingered AI slop beings with celebrity teeth?

I have gathered the family for a reflection, willing or unwilling, to debate the paramount thing in twelve months: which releases we enjoyed the most. Let's get started:

Title Eldest Daughter Played the Most

Horizon Zero Dawn

"Why can't you pick just one?"

"It’s not my games column."

On her phone, she's invested time in Cityscapes and "searching for adequate healthcare."

"In the game?"

"In real life."

Game Middle Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I have no interest in games on my phone." He seemed insulted that I even asked. Point taken.

Title Youngest 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 immersed in Resident Evil. She also went on in great detail about her accomplishments on The Sims, where her character has a successful utopia with significantly better healthcare than her big sister has outside the game.

Game the Spouse 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. On her phone: something called Woodle, where you have to unscrew pins.

Release I Found Amusing That My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Whenever I see my adult son playing Minecraft, I rib him like a cross between a relentless heckler. When he objects, 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 very 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 incredible. More impressive than I was at my peak gaming days in my prime.

Game I Played the Most

Marvel Snap

No other game compared to the hours I spent on this exceptionally well-crafted strategy wizard’s poker, with its regularly updated range of cards and game variations.

Game I Wish I Had Played Less

Marvel Snap

The catch about games that frequently update their range is you eventually realize and see it is all just an attempt to lure you into fomo-fuelled microtransactions. So love turned to hate halfway through the year and it was deleted.

Game I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

Glorious reinvention of a iconic franchise. Immersive atmosphere from the beginning. I wish I could eviscerate my problems so effectively in real life.

Game I Wish I Had Played More (Thoughtful Edition)

Blue Prince

I refuse to rush this beautiful, unique game and I just didn’t have the time or headspace to give it what it needed earlier this year. With relatives staying over the festive period, I aim to experience this in the late night after evening drinks.

Title That Kept Me Sane When I Needed It

Balatro

I know Balatro was last year's sleeper hit, but I was a late adopter. And it is incredible. It just gets every single thing right. The core concept is a fantastic concept, but the abilities behind the different special cards are so imaginative it has become a game I literally would play at any hour. Add in the charm 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 the perfect excuse but play it.

Title I Got the Most Criticism For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I received a minor pile-on when I mentioned how a glitch in another game soured the experience for me, but that other title is still a colossal gaming achievement in terms of art, sound, acting – which I appreciated even more after slogging through Outer Worlds 2. So my appreciation goes out to the individual who took the time to write in to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "bitter, confused resentment". I share that in the exact way, 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

Fine. Give me a punishingly tough Metroidvania-esque thing and leave me without guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "look around". Great fun. I get that it has great art 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 all games were like this, and I'm over it. It was fine when I was a kid, but the same could be said for many outdated things.

Biggest Gaming Scandal of 2025

Debate between questionable alliances that caused concern, 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 bellowed 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 video games or endless scrolling, but it burns like the mines of sulphur 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 end of days.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.