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Alright, how was this year in your family? Was it truly wonderful as you pretended on online? Overflowing with academic success for your offspring and elaborate themed fancy dress birthday parties for the grownups? Or perhaps it was a swamp of letdowns with only sporadic enjoyable highlights? And was any of it actually real, or have we all become digitally altered synthetic personas with unrealistic dental work?

I've corralled everyone for a chat, willing or unwilling, to debate the crucial thing in twelve months: which releases we were obsessed with the most. So here goes:

Game Eldest Daughter Played the Most

Just Dance 2024

"Is it impossible to pick just one?"

"It’s not my definitive list."

Meanwhile, on mobile, her go-to has been Cityscapes and "attempting to locate reasonable healthcare."

"Digitally?"

"In the actual world."

Game Second Son Played the Most

Overwatch

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

Title Third Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

Her goal is to get into theatre school, but when she stepped away from the mic, she was playing Resident Evil. She also spoke at length in great detail about her achievements on The Sims, where her avatar has a blooming utopia with significantly better healthcare than her big sister has in real life.

Title the Spouse Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She started the year at 60% 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.

Game I Found Amusing That My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Whenever I see my adult son playing Minecraft, I give him a hard time like a cross between a persistent critic. When he objects, I reply that I am behaving this way to prepare him so he can grow up and play games for grownups. It’s a very Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Impressive Gaming Family Member 2025

Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024

There was no contest for this one. She is unstoppable. Superior than I was at my peak gaming days in my prime.

Game I Played the Most

Marvel Snap

Nothing came close to the hours I spent on this insanely well-crafted strategy wizard’s poker, with its regularly updated range of cards and game variations.

Title I Wish I Had Played Less

Marvel Snap

The downside about games that constantly evolve their range is you have a moment of clarity and see it is all just an attempt to suck you into fomo-fuelled microtransactions. So enjoyment soured 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 deal with my demons so effectively in real life.

Title I Wish I Had Played More (Cerebral Edition)

Blue Prince

I decline to rush this beautiful, unique game and I just was short on the focused attention to give it what it needed earlier this year. With family visits over the festive period, I aim to experience this in the late night after family time.

Title That Kept Me Sane When I Needed It

Balatro

I acknowledge Balatro was the previous year's sleeper hit, but I was late to it. And it is remarkable. It just gets each element right. The core concept is a wonderful concept, but the effects behind the different special cards are so imaginative 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 dream of being stuck in a small space for hours just so I have the perfect excuse but play it.

Title I Got the Most Flak For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I experienced a wave of criticism when I critiqued how a specific bug in another game ruined the experience for me, but that other title is still a gargantuan gaming achievement in terms of art, sound, acting – which I appreciated even more after experiencing Outer Worlds 2. So my appreciation goes out to the individual who took the time to contact me to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "missing the point". I share that in the exact way, because I appreciate the effort, and they are obviously an sharp judge of character.

Title Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Sure. Give me a bastard-hard exploration-focused 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 this kind of thing, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I want less of in my adulthood. I was around back when many games were like this, and I'm over it. It was okay when I was a kid, but so was many outdated things.

Biggest Gaming Scandal of 2025

Toss-up between corporate partnerships that raised eyebrows, and premium pricing. Both morally indefensible and repugnant.

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

Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all make interesting names called from the garden 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 console gaming or endless scrolling, but it burns like hellfire in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs insured back in the past.

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.