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Alright, what did you think of the past year in your family? Did it seem all as good as people post on online? Full of academic success for the kids and elaborate costume celebrations for the adults? Maybe it felt like a swamp of letdowns with only occasional enjoyable highlights? And was any of it genuine, or have we all become digitally altered synthetic personas with celebrity teeth?

I've assembled my thoughts together, willing or unwilling, to debate the crucial thing in a calendar year: what titles we enjoyed the most. Let's get started:

Game Oldest Daughter Played the Most

Horizon Zero Dawn

"Can’t you pick just one?"

"This isn't my personal ranking."

In the mobile realm, she's invested time in Cityscapes and "trying to find reasonable healthcare."

"Virtually?"

"In real life."

Release Second Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I have no interest in games on my phone." He took umbrage that I suggested it. Point taken.

Release Youngest Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

She's attempting to get into theatre school, but when she took a break from vocals, 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 significantly better healthcare than her older sibling has in real life.

Title the Partner Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She began the year at 60% completion and finished the year at 82%. She's in it for the long run not a sprint for her. Her phone game: something called Woodle, where you have to remove pins.

Title I Found Amusing That 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 doing this to prepare him so he can mature and play games for adults. It's a classic Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Notable 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.

Title I Played the Most

Marvel Snap

It was in a league of its own to the hours I spent on this remarkably 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 see it is all just an attempt to trap you with compulsion-based microtransactions. So affection became resentment halfway through the year and it was deleted.

Title I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

Glorious reinvention of a classic franchise. Captivating atmosphere from the beginning. I wish I could deal with my problems so effectively in real life.

Game I Wish I Had Played More (Cerebral Edition)

Blue Prince

I'm unwilling to rush this gorgeous, distinctive game and I just didn’t have the mental bandwidth to give it what it required earlier this year. With relatives staying over the festive period, I plan to dive into this in the wee small hours after family time.

Game That Kept Me Sane When I Needed It

Balatro

I acknowledge Balatro was last year's sleeper hit, but I was late to it. And it is incredible. It just gets absolutely everything right. Crazy Poker is a brilliant concept, but the effects behind the different joker cards are so inventive it has become a game I literally would play constantly. Combine that with the wittiness of the card design, and this is an true peak of gaming. I dream of being stuck in a elevator for hours just so I have the perfect excuse but play it.

Title I Got the Most Flak For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I received a wave of criticism when I critiqued how a glitch in another game soured the experience for me, but that other title is still a massive gaming achievement in terms of overall polish – which I recognized even more after playing Outer Worlds 2. So thank you to the individual who took the time to send a message to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "poorly reasoned". I share that verbatim, because I acknowledge the engagement, and she is obviously an excellent judge of character.

Title Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Fine. Give me a brutally difficult non-linear thing and leave me without guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "explore". How delightful. I understand that it is beautiful 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 many games were like this, and my patience is gone. It was okay when I was a kid, but so was many questionable things.

Biggest Gaming News of 2025

Debate between questionable alliances that caused concern, and high launch costs. Both morally indefensible and concerning.

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

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

Part of My Body That Aches Most From Gaming

Right Thumb Joint. No joke. I don’t know if it’s because of console gaming or phone use, but it aches like anything 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 make 2026 last until the heat death of the universe.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.