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Alright, how did you experience the past year in your household? Was it entirely positive as you pretended on Facebook? Full of A-grades for your offspring and elaborate dress-up birthday parties for the adults? Or perhaps it was a swamp of disappointment with only occasional enjoyable highlights? Could any part be genuine, or are we all seven-fingered virtual entities with celebrity teeth?

I've corralled the family for a reflection, whether they wanted to or not, to discuss the paramount thing in any given year: what titles we enjoyed the most. So here goes:

Release First Daughter Played the Most

Horizon Zero Dawn

"Is it impossible to pick just one?"

"This isn't my definitive list."

Meanwhile, on mobile, she’s been playing Cityscapes and "trying to find adequate healthcare."

"Digitally?"

"In the actual world."

Title Middle Son Played the Most

Overwatch

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

Release Youngest Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

She's attempting to get into theatre school, but when she stepped away from the mic, she was tackling Resident Evil. She also went on in great detail about her successes on The Sims, where her character has a successful utopia with infinitely better healthcare than her older sibling has in real life.

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. It's a long haul not a sprint for her. Her phone game: something called Woodle, where you have to unscrew pins.

Release I Teased My Kids About My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Whenever I see my 21-year-old son playing Minecraft, I give him a hard time like a cross between a relentless heckler. When he protests, I reply that I am doing 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 This Year

Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024

There was no contest for this one. She is unstoppable. More impressive 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 insanely well-crafted deck building digital pastime, with its constantly evolving range of cards and game variations.

Game I Wish I Had Played Less

Marvel Snap

The catch about games that constantly evolve their range is you eventually realize and realise it is all just an attempt to suck you into fomo-fuelled microtransactions. So affection became resentment halfway through the year and it got uninstalled.

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 issues so effectively in real life.

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

Blue Prince

I'm unwilling to rush this gorgeous, distinctive game and I just lacked the time or headspace to give it what it deserved earlier this year. With holiday guests over the festive period, I will be playing this in the wee small hours after family time.

Game That Was a Lifesaver When I Needed It

Balatro

I'm aware Balatro was last year's breakout game, but I was slow on the uptake. And it is exceptional. It just gets each element right. Its gameplay loop is a fantastic concept, but the abilities behind the different wild cards are so creative it has become a game I literally would play at any hour. Add in the charm of the card design, and this is an absolute pinnacle of gaming. I fantasize about being stuck in a small space for hours just so I have the perfect excuse but play it.

Title I Got the Most Criticism For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I received a minor pile-on when I wrote about how a glitch in another game soured the experience for me, but that other title is still a colossal gaming achievement in terms of overall polish – which I appreciated even more after playing Outer Worlds 2. So thank you to the individual who took the time to contact me to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "missing the point". I present that verbatim, because I respect the passion, and she is obviously an astute judge of character.

Title Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Fine. Give me a bastard-hard Metroidvania-esque thing and provide little guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "explore". Great fun. I understand that it has great art and is flawless 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 all games were like this, and my patience is gone. It was fine when I was a kid, but the same could be said for many questionable things.

Biggest Gaming Scandal of 2025

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

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

Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all be unique names bellowed from the back door at bedtime.

Part of My Body That Aches Most From Gaming

Right Thumb Joint. Honestly. I don’t know if it’s because of button mashing or endless scrolling, but it burns like hellfire in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs protected 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 heat death of the universe.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.