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So, how did you experience 2025 in your household? Was it truly wonderful as people post on social media? Full of top marks for the kids and wild costume celebrations for the grownups? Or was it a ocean of letdowns with only rare fun moments? Could any part be actually real, or are we all AI-generated virtual entities with celebrity smiles?

I have gathered my thoughts for a reflection, whether they wanted to or not, to debate the most important thing in any given year: which video games we played the most. So here goes:

Title Oldest Daughter Played the Most

Just Dance 2024

"Is it impossible to pick just one?"

"This isn't my personal ranking."

On her phone, her go-to has been Cityscapes and "attempting to locate adequate healthcare."

"Digitally?"

"In real life."

Title Middle Son Played the Most

Overwatch

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

Release Third Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

Her goal is to get into drama school, but when she took a break from vocals, she was playing Resident Evil. She also spoke at length in great detail about her achievements on The Sims, where her character has a thriving utopia with infinitely better healthcare than her big sister has in real life.

Title the Wife Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She began the year at sixty percent completion and finished the year at 82%. It's a long haul not a sprint for her. Her mobile diversion: something called Woodle, where you have to unscrew pins.

Release I Teased My Kids About My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Whenever I see my adult son playing Minecraft, I rib him like a cross between a relentless heckler. When he complains, I reply that I am engaging in this to prepare him so he can mature and play games for adults. It's a classic Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Impressive Gaming Family Member 2025

Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024

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

Title I Played the Most

Marvel Snap

Nothing came close to the hours I spent on this exceptionally well-crafted deck building 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 wake up one day 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 was deleted.

Game I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

Excellent reinvention of a classic franchise. Engrossing atmosphere from the start. I wish I could deal with my demons so effectively in real life.

Game I Wish I Had Played More (Cerebral Edition)

Blue Prince

I decline to rush this beautiful, unique game and I just was short on the focused attention to give it what it required earlier this year. With relatives staying over the festive period, I will be playing this in the wee small hours after family time.

Game That Saved My Soul When I Needed It

Balatro

I'm aware Balatro was 2024’s sleeper hit, but I was slow on the uptake. And it is incredible. It just gets absolutely everything right. Crazy Poker is a brilliant concept, but the powers behind the different wild cards are so creative it has become a game I would happily play any time. Add in the wittiness of the card design, and this is an definite peak of gaming. I dream of being stuck in a elevator for hours just so I have an opportunity but play it.

Title I Got the Most Backlash For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I experienced a wave of criticism when I mentioned how a glitch in another game soured the experience for me, but that other title is still a colossal gaming achievement in terms of overall polish – which I appreciated even more after experiencing 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 share that verbatim, because I appreciate the effort, and she is obviously an sharp judge of character.

Game Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Fine. Give me a bastard-hard exploration-focused thing and leave me without guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "look around". Great fun. I acknowledge that it looks ace and is flawless if you are into the genre, 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 I’ve had enough. It was acceptable when I was a kid, but the same could be said for many questionable things.

Biggest Gaming Controversy of 2025

Close call between corporate partnerships that sparked debate, and expensive game releases. Both ethically dubious and concerning.

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

Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all make interesting names called 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 phone use, but it is sore like the mines of sulphur in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs insured 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 cows come home.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.