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Alright, how was this year in your family? Did it seem truly wonderful as people post on Facebook? Packed with academic success for your offspring and elaborate themed fancy dress celebrations for the parents? Maybe it felt like a swamp of disappointment with only rare fun flotsam? And was any of it authentic, or have we all become digitally altered synthetic personas with unrealistic dental work?

I've assembled everyone for a reflection, whether they wanted to or not, to reflect on the most important thing in any given year: which releases we were obsessed with the most. Without further ado:

Title First Daughter Played the Most

Horizon Zero Dawn

"Is it impossible to pick just one?"

"You can't expect my personal ranking."

Meanwhile, on mobile, she’s been playing Cityscapes and "attempting to locate reasonable healthcare."

"Virtually?"

"In reality."

Game Middle Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I don’t play games on my phone." He seemed insulted that I even asked. Point taken.

Title Third Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

She's attempting to get into acting, but when she took a break from vocals, she was tackling Resident Evil. She also went on in great detail about her achievements on The Sims, where her avatar has a successful utopia with far better healthcare than her eldest sister has in real life.

Game the Wife Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She started the year at 60% completion and finished the year at 82%. It's a long haul not a sprint for her. Her mobile diversion: something called Woodle, where you have to remove pins.

Release I Laughed at My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Any time I see my adult son playing Minecraft, I rib him like a cross between a persistent critic. When he objects, I reply that I am engaging in this to build character so he can mature and play games for mature audiences. It’s a very Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Impressive Gaming Family Member 2025

Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024

It wasn't even close for this one. She is a machine. Superior than I was at Dancing Stage MegaMix in my prime.

Game I Played the Most

Marvel Snap

It was in a league of its own to the hours I spent on this insanely well-crafted strategy wizard’s poker, with its constantly evolving range of cards and game variations.

Title 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 see it is all just an attempt to lure you into compulsion-based microtransactions. So love turned to hate halfway through the year and it got uninstalled.

Title I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

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

Game I Wish I Had Played More (Thoughtful Edition)

Blue Prince

I'm unwilling to rush this stunning, original game and I just lacked the focused attention to give it what it required earlier this year. With relatives staying 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 2024’s sleeper hit, but I was a late adopter. And it is incredible. It just gets every single thing right. Its gameplay loop is a wonderful concept, but the abilities behind the different wild cards are so imaginative it has become a game I would happily 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 elevator for hours just so I have nothing to do but play it.

Title I Got the Most Criticism For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I endured a wave of criticism when I wrote about how a specific bug in another game soured 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 playing Outer Worlds 2. So thank you to the reader who took the time to write in to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "bitter, confused resentment". I present that as written, because I acknowledge the engagement, and she is obviously an sharp judge of character.

Title Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Sure. Give me a brutally difficult non-linear thing and don’t tell me guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "figure it out". What a joy. I acknowledge that it looks ace and is flawless if you are into challenging games, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I desire less in my adulthood. I was around back when most games were like this, and I'm over it. 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 high launch costs. Both difficult to justify and concerning.

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

Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all sound good names called from the garden at bedtime.

Part of My Body That Aches Most From Gaming

Right Thumb Joint. Seriously. I don’t know if it’s because of button mashing or phone use, but it aches like the mines of sulphur 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 end of days.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.