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Alright, how did you experience 2025 in your family? Did it seem all as good as people post on Facebook? Packed with top marks for the children and riotous dress-up birthday parties for the adults? Maybe it felt like a ocean of disappointment with only rare fun moments? And was any of it authentic, or are we all seven-fingered synthetic personas with perfect dental work?

I've corralled the family together, whether they wanted to or not, to discuss the crucial thing in twelve months: what titles we enjoyed the most. Let's get started:

Game Eldest Daughter Played the Most

Pikmin

"Is it impossible to pick just one?"

"You can't expect my games column."

On her phone, she's invested time in Cityscapes and "attempting to locate reasonable healthcare."

"Digitally?"

"In reality."

Game Middle Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I refuse to play games on my phone." He was offended that I even asked. Point taken.

Title Youngest Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

She is trying to get into acting, but when she took a break from vocals, she was immersed in Resident Evil. She also spoke at length in great detail about her achievements on The Sims, where the Shark has a blooming utopia with far better healthcare than her eldest sister has in the real world.

Release the Partner 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 unscrew pins.

Release I Teased My Kids About My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Any time I see my adult son playing Minecraft, I rib him like a cross between a classic comedy bit. When he complains, I reply that I am doing this to prepare him so he can mature and play games for grownups. This defines our Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Skilled Gaming Family Member 2025

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.

Game I Played the Most

Marvel Snap

It was in a league of its own to the hours I spent on this exceptionally well-crafted strategy competitive game, 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 have a moment of clarity and realise it is all just an attempt to suck 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. Engrossing atmosphere from the start. I wish I could eviscerate my demons so effectively in real life.

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

Blue Prince

I'm unwilling to rush this stunning, original game and I just was short on the mental bandwidth to give it what it needed earlier this year. With relatives staying over the festive period, I will be playing this in the wee small hours after family time.

Game That Kept Me Sane When I Needed It

Balatro

I acknowledge Balatro was 2024’s breakout game, but I was a late adopter. And it is exceptional. It just gets each element right. Crazy Poker is a brilliant concept, but the powers behind the different joker cards are so imaginative it has become a game I could play at any hour. Combine that with the cleverness of the card design, and this is an definite peak 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 experienced a wave of criticism when I mentioned how a technical issue in another game soured the experience for me, but that other title is still a gargantuan gaming achievement in terms of art, sound, acting – which I valued even more after slogging through Outer Worlds 2. So my appreciation goes out to the reader who took the time to send a message to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "missing the point". I mention that verbatim, because I respect the passion, 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 "look around". Great fun. I acknowledge that it is beautiful and is ideal if you are into challenging games, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I am less interested in in my mid-fifties. I was around back when most 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 News of 2025

Close call between questionable alliances 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 sound good names called from the back door 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 console gaming or doomscrolling, but it burns like anything in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs looked after 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 stretch time until the end of days.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.