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Well, how was the past year in your family? Was it entirely positive as one might claim on social media? Overflowing with A-grades for the children and wild dress-up celebrations for the parents? Or was it a ocean of disappointment with only rare entertaining highlights? And was any of it genuine, or have we all become seven-fingered virtual entities with perfect dental work?

I've corralled the family for a chat, willing or unwilling, to debate the paramount thing in twelve months: which video games we were obsessed with the most. Without further ado:

Game Eldest Daughter Played the Most

Pikmin

"Is it impossible to pick just one?"

"It’s not my definitive list."

In the mobile realm, her go-to has been Cityscapes and "searching for adequate healthcare."

"In the game?"

"In the actual world."

Title Second Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I don’t play games on my phone." He was offended that the question was posed. Point taken.

Game Youngest Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

She is trying to get into acting, but when she wasn’t singing, she was playing Resident Evil. She also went on in great detail about her accomplishments on The Sims, where her avatar has a successful utopia with significantly better healthcare than her big sister has in the real world.

Release the Partner Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She started the year at 60% completion and finished the year at eighty-two percent. It's a long haul not a sprint for her. On her phone: something called Woodle, where you have to remove pins.

Title I Laughed at My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Whenever I see my adult son playing Minecraft, I rib him like a cross between a classic comedy bit. When he protests, I reply that I am engaging in this to toughen him up so he can mature and play games for mature audiences. It’s a very Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Notable Gaming Family Member of the Year

Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024

She was the clear winner for this one. She is unstoppable. Even better than I was at classic rhythm games 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 deck building competitive game, with its ever-changing range of cards and game variations.

Title I Wish I Had Played Less

Marvel Snap

The worst thing about games that frequently update their range is you have a moment of clarity and see it is all just an attempt to suck you into fomo-fuelled microtransactions. So enjoyment soured halfway through the year and it went into the bin.

Game I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

Glorious reinvention of a iconic franchise. Captivating atmosphere from the beginning. I wish I could eviscerate my problems so effectively in real life.

Title I Wish I Had Played More (Cerebral Edition)

Blue Prince

I refuse to rush this gorgeous, distinctive game and I just didn’t have the mental bandwidth to give it what it deserved earlier this year. With relatives staying over the festive period, I will be playing this in the wee small hours after appropriate hospitality.

Game That Was a Lifesaver When I Needed It

Balatro

I acknowledge Balatro was last year's surprise hit, but I was late to it. And it is exceptional. It just gets each element right. Its gameplay loop is a fantastic concept, but the powers behind the different wild cards are so imaginative it has become a game I literally would play any time. Combine that with the charm of the card design, and this is an true high-water mark of gaming. I dream of being stuck in a elevator for hours just so I have the perfect excuse but play it.

Game I Got the Most Criticism For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I endured a minor pile-on when I wrote about how a technical issue 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 valued even more after playing Outer Worlds 2. So my appreciation goes out to the commenter who took the time to contact me to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "missing the point". I present that verbatim, because I appreciate the effort, and he is obviously an excellent judge of character.

Game Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Sure. Give me a punishingly tough exploration-focused thing and provide little guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "look around". What a joy. I get that it has great art and is perfection if you are into challenging games, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I want less of in my current stage of life. I was around back when many games were like this, and my patience is gone. It was acceptable when I was a kid, but so was many less comfortable things.

Biggest Gaming Controversy of 2025

Debate between questionable alliances that sparked debate, and expensive game releases. Both ethically dubious and unpleasant.

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

Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all be unique names bellowed from the garden 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 video games or doomscrolling, but it burns like anything 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 stretch time until the cows come home.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.