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Alright, how was the past year in your family? Was it entirely positive as one might claim on Facebook? Overflowing with top marks for the kids and wild themed fancy dress celebrations for the adults? Or perhaps it was a swamp of disappointment with only rare enjoyable flotsam? And was any of it authentic, or have we all become digitally altered virtual entities with celebrity smiles?

I have gathered my thoughts for a chat, whether they wanted to or not, to reflect on the paramount thing in twelve months: which video games we were obsessed with the most. Without further ado:

Game First Daughter Played the Most

Just Dance 2024

"Why can't you pick just one?"

"This isn't my definitive list."

Meanwhile, on mobile, she's invested time in Cityscapes and "searching for adequate healthcare."

"Virtually?"

"In the actual world."

Game Second Son Played the Most

Overwatch

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

Title Youngest Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

Her goal is to get into acting, but when she took a break from vocals, she was playing Resident Evil. She also spoke at length in great detail about her successes on The Sims, where the Shark has a successful utopia with significantly better healthcare than her eldest sister has outside the game.

Release the Spouse Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

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

Release I Teased My Kids About My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Any time I see my 21-year-old son playing Minecraft, I rib him like a cross between a relentless heckler. When he complains, I reply that I am doing this to prepare him so he can be a man and play games for grownups. It's a classic Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Skilled Gaming Family Member This Year

Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024

It wasn't even close for this one. She is incredible. Even better than I was at my peak gaming days in my prime.

Game I Played the Most

Marvel Snap

Nothing came close to the hours I spent on this insanely well-crafted deck building digital pastime, with its constantly evolving range of cards and game variations.

Game I Wish I Had Played Less

Marvel Snap

The downside about games that endlessly add to their range is you eventually realize and understand it is all just an attempt to lure you into fear-of-missing-out driven microtransactions. So enjoyment soured halfway through the year and it was deleted.

Game 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 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 gorgeous, distinctive game and I just didn’t have the time or headspace to give it what it deserved earlier this year. With relatives staying 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 know Balatro was the previous year's sleeper hit, but I was slow on the uptake. And it is remarkable. It just gets every single thing right. The core concept is a fantastic concept, but the effects behind the different joker cards are so inventive it has become a game I could play at any hour. Add in the charm of the card design, and this is an absolute high-water mark of gaming. I fantasize about being stuck in a elevator for hours just so I have nothing to do but play it.

Game I Got the Most Flak For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I experienced a minor pile-on when I mentioned how a glitch in another game damaged 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 my appreciation goes out to the reader who took the time to contact me to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "poorly reasoned". I share that in the exact way, because I acknowledge the engagement, and she is obviously an astute judge of character.

Title Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Fine. Give me a punishingly tough non-linear thing and provide little guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "figure it out". What a joy. I understand that it has great art and is ideal 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 I’ve had enough. It was fine when I was a kid, but the same could be said for many questionable things.

Biggest Gaming Scandal of 2025

Toss-up between questionable alliances that sparked debate, and high launch costs. Both ethically dubious and unpleasant.

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 shouted from the back door at dinner time.

Part of My Body That Aches Most From Gaming

Right Thumb Joint. Seriously. 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 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 stretch time until the heat death of the universe.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.