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Alright, what did you think of the past year in your family? Could it be described as all as good as people post on online? Packed with top marks for your offspring and elaborate themed fancy dress gatherings for the parents? Maybe it felt like a swamp of frustration with only rare fun highlights? And was any of it genuine, or are we all seven-fingered AI slop beings with celebrity teeth?

I've corralled my thoughts for a reflection, whether they wanted to or not, to discuss the most important thing in any given year: which releases we played the most. Without further ado:

Game Oldest Daughter Played the Most

Pikmin

"Can’t you pick just one?"

"You can't expect my personal ranking."

Meanwhile, on mobile, she's invested time in Cityscapes and "attempting to locate decent healthcare."

"In the game?"

"In the actual world."

Game Second Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I don’t play games on my phone." He took umbrage that the question was posed. I respect that.

Title 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 playing Resident Evil. She also went on in great detail about her achievements on The Sims, where her character has a blooming utopia with infinitely better healthcare than her older sibling has outside the game.

Title the Spouse Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She began the year at 60% completion and ended it at eighty-two percent. It's a long haul not a sprint for her. Her mobile diversion: something called Woodle, where you have to unscrew pins.

Release I Found Amusing That My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Whenever I see my adult son playing Minecraft, I set about him like a cross between a classic comedy bit. When he complains, I reply that I am behaving this way to build character so he can be a man and play games for grownups. This defines our Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Impressive Gaming Family Member of the Year

Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024

She was the clear winner for this one. She is a machine. Superior 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 strategy wizard’s poker, with its constantly evolving range of cards and game variations.

Title I Wish I Had Played Less

Marvel Snap

The downside about games that endlessly add to their range is you have a moment of clarity and realise it is all just an attempt to suck you into 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 iconic franchise. Captivating atmosphere from the beginning. I wish I could deal with my issues so effectively in real life.

Title I Wish I Had Played More (Thoughtful Edition)

Blue Prince

I decline to rush this gorgeous, distinctive game and I just didn’t have 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.

Title That Kept Me Sane When I Needed It

Balatro

I know Balatro was the previous year's breakout game, but I was a late adopter. And it is remarkable. It just gets absolutely everything right. The core concept is a wonderful concept, but the powers behind the different joker cards are so inventive it has become a game I could play at any hour. Add in the cleverness of the card design, and this is an absolute pinnacle of gaming. I dream of being stuck in a broken-down lift for hours just so I have nothing to do but play it.

Title I Got the Most Backlash For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I experienced 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 art, sound, acting – which I appreciated even more after slogging through Outer Worlds 2. So thank you to the commenter who took the time to write in 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.

Game Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Sure. Give me a bastard-hard exploration-focused thing and provide little guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "explore". What a joy. I understand that it looks ace and is perfection if you are into challenging games, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I desire less in my mid-fifties. 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 outdated things.

Biggest Gaming News of 2025

Toss-up between business deals that sparked debate, and premium pricing. Both difficult to justify and repugnant.

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 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 the mines of sulphur 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 wait patiently until the end of days.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.