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Well, how did you experience this year in your home? Did it seem entirely positive as people post on social media? Overflowing with academic success for the children and wild costume celebrations for the parents? Or was it a swamp of frustration with only sporadic entertaining highlights? Could any part be actually real, or have we all become seven-fingered virtual entities with perfect dental work?

I've corralled my thoughts for a reflection, whether they wanted to or not, to reflect on the paramount thing in any given year: which video games we played the most. So here goes:

Release Oldest Daughter Played the Most

Just Dance 2024

"Why can't you pick just one?"

"This isn't my definitive list."

On her phone, her go-to has been Cityscapes and "trying to find adequate healthcare."

"Virtually?"

"In real life."

Release Second Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I don’t play games on my phone." He took umbrage that I even asked. Fair enough.

Title Third Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

Her goal is to get into drama school, but when she wasn’t singing, she was tackling Resident Evil. She also elaborated in great detail about her accomplishments on The Sims, where the Shark has a thriving utopia with infinitely better healthcare than her eldest sister has in real life.

Release the Wife Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She began the year at 60% completion and ended it at eighty-two percent. She's in it for the long run not a sprint for her. Her mobile diversion: something called Woodle, where you have to remove pins.

Game I Laughed at My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Every time I see my adult son playing Minecraft, I rib him like a cross between a relentless heckler. When he objects, I reply that I am engaging in this to toughen him up so he can be a man and play games for adults. It’s a very Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Impressive Gaming Family Member 2025

Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024

It wasn't even close for this one. She is unstoppable. More impressive 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 insanely well-crafted card game digital pastime, with its ever-changing range of cards and game variations.

Game I Wish I Had Played Less

Marvel Snap

The catch about games that frequently update their range is you wake up one day and realise it is all just an attempt to suck you into fear-of-missing-out driven microtransactions. So enjoyment soured halfway through the year and it was deleted.

Title I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

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

Title I Wish I Had Played More (Thoughtful Edition)

Blue Prince

I'm unwilling to rush this gorgeous, distinctive game and I just lacked the time or headspace to give it what it needed earlier this year. With family visits over the festive period, I will be playing this in the early morning after evening drinks.

Title 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. Its gameplay loop is a fantastic concept, but the abilities behind the different wild cards are so inventive it has become a game I would happily play constantly. Add in the cleverness of the card design, and this is an definite pinnacle of gaming. I wouldn't mind being stuck in a small space for hours just so I have the perfect excuse but play it.

Game I Got the Most Backlash For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I endured a minor pile-on 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 experiencing Outer Worlds 2. So thank you to the reader who took the time to send a message to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "missing the point". I present that verbatim, because I appreciate the effort, and she is obviously an excellent judge of character.

Title Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Sure. Give me a bastard-hard Metroidvania-esque thing and provide little guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "look around". How delightful. I acknowledge that it is beautiful and is flawless if you are into challenging games, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I desire less in my current stage of life. 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 Controversy of 2025

Toss-up between business deals that caused concern, and high launch costs. Both difficult to justify 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 called 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 button mashing or phone use, but it burns like anything in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs protected 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 wait patiently until the cows come home.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.