🔗 Share this article

Alright, how was 2025 in your home? Could it be described as truly wonderful as people post on online? Full of A-grades for the children and wild dress-up birthday parties for the adults? Or was it a swamp of disappointment with only occasional fun flotsam? And was any of it actually real, or are we all AI-generated virtual entities with celebrity teeth?

I have gathered my thoughts for a reflection, ready or not, to reflect on the crucial thing in any given year: what titles we were obsessed with the most. Let's get started:

Game First Daughter Played the Most

Pikmin

"Can’t you pick just one?"

"You can't expect my games column."

On her phone, she’s been playing Cityscapes and "trying to find adequate healthcare."

"In the game?"

"In real life."

Release Second Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I have no interest in games on my phone." He took umbrage that I even asked. Fair enough.

Title Third Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

She is trying to get into drama school, but when she wasn’t singing, she was playing Resident Evil. She also spoke at length in great detail about her achievements on The Sims, where her character has a successful utopia with far better healthcare than her big sister has in the real world.

Game the Wife Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She started the year at 60% completion and ended it at 82%. It's a long haul not a sprint for her. On her phone: something called Woodle, where you have to extract pins.

Release I Teased My Kids About My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Every time I see my 21-year-old son playing Minecraft, I give him a hard time 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 adults. This defines our Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Impressive Gaming Family Member of the Year

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.

Game I Played the Most

Marvel Snap

It was in a league of its own to the hours I spent on this insanely well-crafted card game 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 endlessly add to their range is you have a moment of clarity and understand it is all just an attempt to suck you into fear-of-missing-out driven microtransactions. So affection became resentment halfway through the year and it went into the bin.

Game I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

Excellent reinvention of a legendary franchise. Immersive atmosphere from the start. I wish I could eviscerate my problems so effectively in real life.

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

Blue Prince

I refuse to rush this gorgeous, distinctive game and I just lacked the focused attention to give it what it needed earlier this year. With holiday guests over the festive period, I plan to dive into this in the early morning after family time.

Title That Saved My Soul When I Needed It

Balatro

I acknowledge Balatro was last year's surprise hit, but I was late to it. And it is exceptional. It just gets each element right. Its gameplay loop is a wonderful concept, but the powers behind the different special cards are so creative it has become a game I could play any time. Add in the wittiness of the card design, and this is an true high-water mark of gaming. I fantasize about being stuck in a broken-down lift for hours just so I have the perfect excuse but play it.

Game I Got the Most Backlash For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I received a bit of backlash when I mentioned how a technical issue in another game soured the experience for me, but that other title is still a colossal gaming achievement in terms of production values – which I appreciated even more after slogging through Outer Worlds 2. So thank you to the reader who took the time to contact me to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "poorly reasoned". I mention that as written, because I respect the passion, and she is obviously an sharp judge of character.

Title Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Sure. Give me a brutally difficult non-linear thing and provide little guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "look around". What a joy. I get that it looks ace and is flawless if you are into this kind of thing, 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 acceptable when I was a kid, but the same could be said for many questionable things.

Biggest Gaming Controversy of 2025

Debate between business deals that raised eyebrows, and premium pricing. Both ethically dubious and concerning.

Games I Would Name My Children After, Were I I Was Ever Foolish Enough to Have More

Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all sound good names shouted from the doorstep at tea 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 phone use, but it is sore like the mines of sulphur in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs insured 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 heat death of the universe.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.