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Alright, how did you experience 2025 in your household? Could it be described as entirely positive as people post on social media? Full of academic success for your offspring and riotous themed fancy dress birthday parties for the parents? Or was it a ocean of disappointment with only sporadic entertaining moments? Is any of this actually real, or have we all become digitally altered AI slop beings with perfect teeth?

I have gathered my thoughts for a reflection, whether they wanted to or not, to discuss the crucial thing in any given year: which releases we played the most. Let's get started:

Release Oldest Daughter Played the Most

Pikmin

"Why can't you pick just one?"

"You can't expect my personal ranking."

Meanwhile, on mobile, she’s been playing Cityscapes and "searching for decent healthcare."

"Virtually?"

"In the actual world."

Title Middle Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I don’t play games on my phone." He seemed insulted that the question was posed. Fair enough.

Game Youngest Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

She is trying to get into acting, but when she stepped away from the mic, she was playing Resident Evil. She also elaborated in great detail about her achievements on The Sims, where the Shark has a successful utopia with infinitely better healthcare than her big sister has in the real world.

Release the Spouse Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She started the year at 60% completion and ended it 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 unscrew pins.

Title I Found Amusing That My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Any time I see my adult son playing Minecraft, I rib him like a cross between a classic comedy bit. When he complains, I reply that I am doing this to toughen him up so he can grow up and play games for mature audiences. This defines our Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Impressive Gaming Family Member 2025

Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024

It wasn't even close for this one. She is unstoppable. 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 insanely well-crafted deck building 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 frequently update their range is you eventually realize and see it is all just an attempt to trap you with fear-of-missing-out driven microtransactions. So enjoyment soured halfway through the year and it was deleted.

Game 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 eviscerate my issues so effectively in real life.

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

Blue Prince

I decline to rush this stunning, original game and I just lacked the time or headspace to give it what it required earlier this year. With relatives staying over the festive period, I will be playing this in the early morning after appropriate hospitality.

Game That Saved My Soul When I Needed It

Balatro

I know Balatro was last year's sleeper hit, but I was a late adopter. And it is remarkable. It just gets absolutely everything right. Crazy Poker is a wonderful concept, but the abilities behind the different special cards are so creative it has become a game I literally would play constantly. Add in the wittiness 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 Flak For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I endured a wave of criticism when I mentioned how a specific bug in another game ruined the experience for me, but that other title is still a gargantuan gaming achievement in terms of art, sound, acting – which I recognized even more after playing 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 "bitter, confused resentment". I share that verbatim, because I respect the passion, 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 provide little guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "look around". Great fun. I get that it is beautiful and is perfection if you are into the genre, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I desire less in my mid-fifties. I was around back when many 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 Controversy of 2025

Debate between business deals that caused concern, and high launch costs. Both difficult to justify and unpleasant.

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

Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all sound good names shouted from the back door at dinner time.

Part of My Body That Aches Most From Gaming

Right Thumb Joint. No joke. I don’t know if it’s because of button mashing or endless scrolling, but it aches like hellfire in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs protected back in the past.

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.