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Alright, how did you experience 2025 in your family? Did it seem all as good as one might claim on online? Full of academic success for the children and wild costume birthday parties for the grownups? Or was it a swamp of letdowns with only occasional entertaining flotsam? Could any part be authentic, or are we all seven-fingered virtual entities with perfect smiles?

I've assembled my thoughts for a chat, ready or not, to debate the crucial thing in a calendar year: which releases we enjoyed the most. Without further ado:

Game Eldest Daughter Played the Most

Horizon Zero Dawn

"Is it impossible to pick just one?"

"It’s not my games column."

On her phone, her go-to has been Cityscapes and "searching for adequate healthcare."

"Digitally?"

"In the actual world."

Release Middle Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I have no interest in games on my phone." He seemed insulted that the question was posed. I respect that.

Title Third 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 elaborated in great detail about her successes on The Sims, where the Shark has a thriving utopia with significantly better healthcare than her older sibling has outside the game.

Title the Partner Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She started the year at 60% completion and ended it at eighty-two percent. It’s a marathon not a sprint for her. Her phone game: something called Woodle, where you have to extract pins.

Title I Laughed at My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Every time I see my adult son playing Minecraft, I set about him like a cross between a classic comedy bit. When he protests, I reply that I am engaging in this to toughen him up so he can mature and play games for adults. It’s a very 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 incredible. Superior than I was at Dancing Stage MegaMix in my prime.

Title I Played the Most

Marvel Snap

Nothing came close to the hours I spent on this remarkably well-crafted deck building competitive game, 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 see it is all just an attempt to suck you into compulsion-based microtransactions. So love turned to hate halfway through the year and it got uninstalled.

Game I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

Glorious reinvention of a legendary franchise. Captivating atmosphere from the start. I wish I could dispatch my problems so effectively in real life.

Game I Wish I Had Played More (Cerebral Edition)

Blue Prince

I'm unwilling to rush this stunning, original game and I just lacked the focused attention to give it what it needed earlier this year. With relatives staying over the festive period, I will be playing this in the late night after evening drinks.

Game That Kept Me Sane When I Needed It

Balatro

I know Balatro was 2024’s breakout game, but I was late to it. And it is exceptional. It just gets each element right. The core concept is a fantastic concept, but the powers behind the different wild cards are so creative it has become a game I could play at any hour. Add in the wittiness of the card design, and this is an true peak of gaming. I fantasize about being stuck in a small space for hours just so I have an opportunity but play it.

Game I Got the Most Flak For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I experienced a bit of backlash when I wrote about how a glitch in another game ruined the experience for me, but that other title is still a colossal 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 "missing the point". I present that verbatim, because I appreciate the effort, and they are obviously an astute judge of character.

Title Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Fine. Give me a brutally difficult exploration-focused thing and leave me without guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "figure it out". Great fun. I acknowledge that it looks ace and is ideal if you are into challenging games, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I am less interested in in my adulthood. I was around back when many games were like this, and I’ve had enough. It was acceptable when I was a kid, but so was many questionable things.

Biggest Gaming Controversy of 2025

Debate between questionable alliances that sparked debate, and premium pricing. Both morally indefensible and concerning.

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

Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all make interesting names called from the back door at tea time.

Part of My Body That Aches Most From Gaming

Right Thumb Joint. Seriously. I don’t know if it’s because of console gaming or endless scrolling, but it is sore like the mines of sulphur 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 stretch time until the end of days.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.