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So, what did you think of 2025 in your household? Could it be described as all as good as people post on social media? Packed with A-grades for your offspring and elaborate themed fancy dress birthday parties for the parents? Or was it a sea of disappointment with only sporadic fun moments? Is any of this authentic, or are we all AI-generated synthetic personas with celebrity dental work?

I have gathered the family together, ready or not, to discuss the most important thing in a calendar year: which video games we played the most. So here goes:

Release First Daughter Played the Most

Horizon Zero Dawn

"Why can't you pick just one?"

"This isn't my games column."

Meanwhile, on mobile, she's invested time in Cityscapes and "searching for adequate healthcare."

"Virtually?"

"In real life."

Release Second Son Played the Most

Overwatch

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

Release Third Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

Her goal is to get into theatre school, but when she took a break from vocals, she was tackling Resident Evil. She also elaborated in great detail about her accomplishments on The Sims, where her avatar has a successful utopia with infinitely better healthcare than her eldest sister has in the real world.

Title the Spouse Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She began the year at sixty percent completion and ended it at eighty-two percent. It’s a marathon not a sprint for her. On her phone: something called Woodle, where you have to remove pins.

Title I Teased My Kids About My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Any time I see my 21-year-old son playing Minecraft, I set about him like a cross between a persistent critic. When he complains, I reply that I am engaging in this to build character so he can grow up and play games for mature audiences. It's a classic Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Notable Gaming Family Member of the Year

Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024

It wasn't even close for this one. She is incredible. Superior than I was at classic rhythm games in my prime.

Title I Played the Most

Marvel Snap

It was in a league of its own to the hours I spent on this insanely well-crafted deck building 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 eventually realize and understand it is all just an attempt to lure you into fear-of-missing-out driven microtransactions. So enjoyment soured halfway through the year and it went into the bin.

Game I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

Stunning reinvention of a iconic franchise. Captivating atmosphere from the beginning. I wish I could eviscerate my demons so effectively in real life.

Title I Wish I Had Played More (Cerebral Edition)

Blue Prince

I'm unwilling to rush this gorgeous, distinctive game and I just lacked the focused attention to give it what it deserved earlier this year. With holiday guests over the festive period, I aim to experience this in the wee small hours after evening drinks.

Game That Saved My Soul When I Needed It

Balatro

I know Balatro was the previous year's surprise hit, but I was late to it. And it is incredible. It just gets every single thing 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 literally would play constantly. Add in the cleverness of the card design, and this is an definite peak of gaming. I wouldn't mind being stuck in a broken-down lift for hours just so I have an opportunity but play it.

Title I Got the Most Criticism For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I experienced a bit of backlash when I critiqued how a specific bug in another game damaged the experience for me, but that other title is still a massive gaming achievement in terms of production values – which I appreciated even more after playing 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 "missing the point". I present that in the exact way, because I acknowledge the engagement, and he is obviously an astute judge of character.

Title Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Sure. Give me a brutally difficult exploration-focused thing and don’t tell me guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "explore". Great fun. I understand that it has great art 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 I’ve had enough. It was okay when I was a kid, but so was many less comfortable things.

Biggest Gaming Controversy of 2025

Close call between corporate partnerships that raised eyebrows, and high launch costs. Both difficult to justify and unpleasant.

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 doorstep 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 video games or doomscrolling, but it is sore like anything in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs protected 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 stretch time until the cows come home.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.