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Well, how was the past year in your family? Did it seem entirely positive as you pretended on online? Full of top marks for your offspring and riotous themed fancy dress celebrations for the grownups? Or was it a swamp of letdowns with only rare enjoyable flotsam? And was any of it actually real, or are we all AI-generated virtual entities with perfect teeth?

I've assembled my thoughts for a chat, whether they wanted to or not, to discuss the crucial thing in twelve months: what titles we were obsessed with the most. Let's get started:

Title First Daughter Played the Most

Just Dance 2024

"Can’t you pick just one?"

"You can't expect my definitive list."

Meanwhile, on mobile, she's invested time in Cityscapes and "attempting to locate reasonable healthcare."

"In the game?"

"In real life."

Release Second Son Played the Most

Overwatch

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

Release Third Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

She is trying to get into theatre school, but when she stepped away from the mic, she was tackling Resident Evil. She also went on in great detail about her accomplishments on The Sims, where the Shark has a successful utopia with far better healthcare than her eldest sister has in real life.

Title the Wife Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She started the year at sixty percent completion and ended it at 82%. It’s a marathon not a sprint for her. On her phone: something called Woodle, where you have to unscrew pins.

Game I Found Amusing That 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 objects, I reply that I am doing this to build character so he can be a man and play games for grownups. It's a classic Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Notable Gaming Family Member of the Year

Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024

There was no contest for this one. She is unstoppable. Superior than I was at classic rhythm games in my prime.

Title I Played the Most

Marvel Snap

No other game compared to the hours I spent on this remarkably well-crafted deck building wizard’s poker, with its ever-changing range of cards and game variations.

Game I Wish I Had Played Less

Marvel Snap

The catch about games that constantly evolve their range is you eventually realize and understand it is all just an attempt to trap you with fomo-fuelled 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 iconic franchise. Engrossing atmosphere from the start. I wish I could deal with my problems so effectively in real life.

Title I Wish I Had Played More (Cerebral Edition)

Blue Prince

I refuse to rush this stunning, original game and I just was short on the time or headspace to give it what it required earlier this year. With relatives staying over the festive period, I plan to dive into this in the late night after evening drinks.

Title That Saved My Soul When I Needed It

Balatro

I acknowledge Balatro was 2024’s surprise hit, but I was a late adopter. And it is incredible. It just gets each element right. Crazy Poker is a wonderful concept, but the abilities behind the different wild cards are so imaginative it has become a game I would happily play at any hour. Combine that with the wittiness of the card design, and this is an true high-water mark of gaming. I wouldn't mind being stuck in a elevator for hours just so I have nothing to do but play it.

Game I Got the Most Backlash For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I received a wave of criticism when I critiqued how a specific bug in another game damaged the experience for me, but that other title is still a massive gaming achievement in terms of art, sound, acting – which I appreciated even more after slogging through Outer Worlds 2. So thank you to the reader who took the time to write in to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "poorly reasoned". I present that verbatim, because I acknowledge the engagement, and they are obviously an excellent judge of character.

Game Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Fine. Give me a punishingly tough non-linear thing and don’t tell me guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "look around". How delightful. I get that it is beautiful and is flawless if you are into this kind of thing, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I desire less in my adulthood. I was around back when most games were like this, and I'm over it. It was acceptable when I was a kid, but so was many questionable things.

Biggest Gaming News of 2025

Close call between questionable alliances that sparked debate, and high launch costs. Both morally indefensible and unpleasant.

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

Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all make interesting names shouted from the garden 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 endless scrolling, but it is sore like anything 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 end of days.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.