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So, how did you experience the past year in your family? Was it truly wonderful as one might claim on online? Overflowing with top marks for the kids and elaborate costume birthday parties for the adults? Or was it a swamp of frustration with only sporadic fun moments? Is any of this actually real, or is everyone now seven-fingered synthetic personas with unrealistic dental work?

I've assembled my thoughts for a reflection, whether they wanted to or not, to reflect on the most important thing in a calendar year: which releases we were obsessed with the most. Without further ado:

Release Eldest Daughter Played the Most

Pikmin

"Can’t you pick just one?"

"It’s not my definitive list."

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

"Digitally?"

"In the actual world."

Release Middle Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I don’t play games on my phone." He was offended that I even asked. Point taken.

Game Third Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

She's attempting to get into acting, but when she took a break from vocals, she was immersed in Resident Evil. She also went on in great detail about her accomplishments on The Sims, where her avatar has a thriving utopia with significantly better healthcare than her older sibling has outside the game.

Title the Wife Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She began the year at sixty percent completion and ended it at 82%. She's in it for the long run not a sprint for her. On her phone: something called Woodle, where you have to unscrew pins.

Title I Teased My Kids About My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Every time I see my 21-year-old son playing Minecraft, I rib him like a cross between a classic comedy bit. When he objects, I reply that I am behaving this way to toughen him up so he can be a man and play games for mature audiences. 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 a machine. Even better 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 exceptionally well-crafted card game wizard’s poker, with its regularly updated 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 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.

Game I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

Excellent reinvention of a iconic franchise. Engrossing atmosphere from the beginning. I wish I could eviscerate my demons so effectively in real life.

Game I Wish I Had Played More (Cerebral Edition)

Blue Prince

I decline to rush this gorgeous, distinctive game and I just was short on the focused attention to give it what it required earlier this year. With holiday guests over the festive period, I will be playing this in the wee small hours after appropriate hospitality.

Game That Kept Me Sane When I Needed It

Balatro

I acknowledge Balatro was the previous year's surprise hit, but I was slow on the uptake. And it is remarkable. It just gets absolutely everything right. Its gameplay loop is a fantastic concept, but the effects behind the different wild cards are so inventive it has become a game I literally would play at any hour. Combine that with the wittiness of the card design, and this is an true peak of gaming. I fantasize about 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 experienced a bit of backlash when I critiqued how a specific bug in another game damaged the experience for me, but that other title is still a gargantuan gaming achievement in terms of overall polish – which I appreciated even more after slogging through Outer Worlds 2. So my appreciation goes out to the reader who took the time to write in to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "missing the point". I mention that as written, because I respect the passion, and he is obviously an sharp judge of character.

Game Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Sure. Give me a brutally difficult Metroidvania-esque thing and leave me without guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "look around". Great fun. I get that it is beautiful and is flawless if you are into challenging games, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I want less of in my mid-fifties. I was around back when all games were like this, and my patience is gone. It was fine when I was a kid, but so was many outdated things.

Biggest Gaming Scandal of 2025

Debate between questionable alliances that caused concern, and expensive game releases. Both difficult to justify 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 be unique names bellowed from the doorstep 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 console gaming or doomscrolling, but it burns like hellfire in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs looked after back in the 90s.

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 heat death of the universe.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.