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So, how did you experience the past year in your household? Did it seem truly wonderful as people post on social media? Overflowing with A-grades for the children and elaborate themed fancy dress birthday parties for the adults? Or perhaps it was a ocean of disappointment with only sporadic fun flotsam? Could any part be genuine, or are we all digitally altered virtual entities with celebrity smiles?

I've assembled everyone together, willing or unwilling, to debate the paramount thing in any given year: what titles we were obsessed with the most. Without further ado:

Title Eldest Daughter Played the Most

Pikmin

"Why can't you pick just one?"

"You can't expect my personal ranking."

On her phone, she’s been playing Cityscapes and "trying to find reasonable healthcare."

"In the game?"

"In real life."

Title Middle Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I refuse to play games on my phone." He seemed insulted that I even asked. Fair enough.

Title Youngest Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

She's attempting to get into drama school, but when she took a break from vocals, she was tackling Resident Evil. She also went on in great detail about her accomplishments on The Sims, where her avatar has a thriving utopia with significantly better healthcare than her eldest sister has in the real world.

Release the Partner Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

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

Title I Teased My Kids About My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Whenever I see my adult son playing Minecraft, I set about him like a cross between a persistent critic. When he protests, I reply that I am engaging in this to toughen him up so he can grow up and play games for mature audiences. It’s a very Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Skilled Gaming Family Member This Year

Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024

It wasn't even close for this one. She is a machine. Even better than I was at classic rhythm games in my prime.

Game I Played the Most

Marvel Snap

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

Game I Wish I Had Played Less

Marvel Snap

The worst thing about games that frequently update their range is you wake up one day and understand it is all just an attempt to suck you into fomo-fuelled microtransactions. So enjoyment soured halfway through the year and it got uninstalled.

Game I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

Glorious reinvention of a classic franchise. Engrossing atmosphere from the start. I wish I could dispatch my demons so effectively in real life.

Game I Wish I Had Played More (Cerebral Edition)

Blue Prince

I refuse to rush this beautiful, unique game and I just was short on the time or headspace 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 appropriate hospitality.

Title That Saved My Soul When I Needed It

Balatro

I know Balatro was 2024’s breakout game, but I was a late adopter. And it is exceptional. It just gets absolutely everything right. Crazy Poker is a fantastic concept, but the powers behind the different joker cards are so creative it has become a game I could play constantly. Throw in the cleverness of the card design, and this is an absolute pinnacle of gaming. I dream of being stuck in a broken-down lift for hours just so I have an opportunity but play it.

Game I Got the Most Criticism For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I endured a bit of backlash when I mentioned how a technical issue 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 reader who took the time to contact me to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "bitter, confused resentment". I present that in the exact way, because I acknowledge the engagement, and they are obviously an sharp judge of character.

Title Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Alright. Give me a punishingly tough Metroidvania-esque thing and leave me without guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "figure it out". 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’ve had enough. It was okay when I was a kid, but the same could be said for many questionable things.

Biggest Gaming News of 2025

Toss-up between business deals that caused concern, and premium pricing. Both ethically dubious and unpleasant.

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

Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all be unique names called from the doorstep at bedtime.

Part of My Body That Aches Most From Gaming

Right Thumb Joint. Seriously. I don’t know if it’s because of console gaming or endless scrolling, but it aches like hellfire in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs insured 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 wait patiently until the end of days.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.