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Well, what did you think of this year in your family? Was it entirely positive as one might claim on online? Overflowing with academic success for the children and wild themed fancy dress birthday parties for the grownups? Maybe it felt like a sea of letdowns with only sporadic entertaining flotsam? And was any of it genuine, or is everyone now AI-generated synthetic personas with unrealistic smiles?

I've corralled the family together, whether they wanted to or not, to reflect on the most important thing in any given year: which video games we played the most. Without further ado:

Game First Daughter Played the Most

Just Dance 2024

"Is it impossible to pick just one?"

"This isn't my definitive list."

On her phone, she's invested time in Cityscapes and "searching for decent healthcare."

"Digitally?"

"In the actual world."

Release Second Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I refuse to play games on my phone." He was offended that I suggested it. Fair enough.

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 elaborated in great detail about her accomplishments on The Sims, where her avatar has a thriving utopia with far better healthcare than her big sister has outside the game.

Release the Spouse Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She began the year at sixty percent 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 unscrew pins.

Release I Found Amusing That My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Whenever I see my adult son playing Minecraft, I give him a hard time like a cross between a classic comedy bit. When he objects, 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 Skilled Gaming Family Member 2025

Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024

It wasn't even close for this one. She is incredible. More impressive 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 strategy digital pastime, with its regularly updated 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 lure you into compulsion-based microtransactions. So affection became resentment halfway through the year and it got uninstalled.

Title I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

Glorious reinvention of a classic franchise. Engrossing 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 didn’t have the time or headspace to give it what it needed earlier this year. With family visits over the festive period, I aim to experience 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 exceptional. It just gets every single thing right. Its gameplay loop is a fantastic concept, but the abilities behind the different wild cards are so imaginative it has become a game I could play at any hour. Add in the wittiness of the card design, and this is an definite peak of gaming. I fantasize about being stuck in a small space for hours just so I have an opportunity but play it.

Title I Got the Most Backlash For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I endured a bit of backlash when I wrote about how a specific bug in another game soured the experience for me, but that other title is still a colossal gaming achievement in terms of art, sound, acting – which I recognized 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 acknowledge the engagement, and he is obviously an astute judge of character.

Title Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Alright. Give me a punishingly tough 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 the genre, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I want less of in my adulthood. I was around back when most games were like this, and my patience is gone. It was okay when I was a kid, but so was many less comfortable things.

Biggest Gaming News of 2025

Close call between questionable alliances that caused concern, and expensive game releases. Both difficult to justify 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 shouted from the garden at tea time.

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 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 wait patiently until the cows come home.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.