Our Household Personal Game of the Year List for 2025

Well, how was the past year in your household? Could it be described as truly wonderful as you pretended on online? Full of academic success for the kids and elaborate costume gatherings for the parents? Maybe it felt like a sea of disappointment with only rare fun highlights? And was any of it genuine, or is everyone now seven-fingered AI slop beings with unrealistic smiles?

I've assembled everyone for a reflection, willing or unwilling, to discuss the paramount thing in any given year: which video games we played the most. Without further ado:

Game First Daughter Played the Most

Just Dance 2024

"Why can't you pick just one?"

"It’s not my definitive list."

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

"Digitally?"

"In reality."

Title Second Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I have no interest in games on my phone." He seemed insulted that I even asked. Fair enough.

Title Youngest Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

Her goal is to get into theatre school, but when she took a break from vocals, she was playing Resident Evil. She also went on in great detail about her successes on The Sims, where the Shark has a blooming utopia with far better healthcare than her big sister has in real life.

Game the Partner Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She began the year at 60% completion and ended it at 82%. She's in it for the long run not a sprint for her. On her phone: something called Woodle, where you have to extract pins.

Release I Teased My Kids About My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Every time I see my adult son playing Minecraft, I set about him like a cross between a relentless heckler. When he complains, I reply that I am behaving this way to prepare him so he can be a man and play games for adults. It's a classic Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Skilled Gaming Family Member of the Year

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.

Title I Played the Most

Marvel Snap

Nothing came close to the hours I spent on this insanely well-crafted strategy wizard’s poker, with its regularly updated range of cards and game variations.

Title I Wish I Had Played Less

Marvel Snap

The worst thing about games that constantly evolve their range is you eventually realize and see it is all just an attempt to suck you into compulsion-based microtransactions. So affection became resentment halfway through the year and it got uninstalled.

Title I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

Stunning reinvention of a classic franchise. Engrossing atmosphere from the start. I wish I could eviscerate my problems so effectively in real life.

Title I Wish I Had Played More (Cerebral Edition)

Blue Prince

I decline to rush this beautiful, unique game and I just lacked the time or headspace to give it what it deserved earlier this year. With holiday guests over the festive period, I will be playing this in the late night after appropriate hospitality.

Title That Was a Lifesaver When I Needed It

Balatro

I know 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 brilliant concept, but the abilities behind the different joker cards are so inventive it has become a game I literally would play constantly. Throw in the cleverness of the card design, and this is an absolute 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.

Title I Got the Most Criticism For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I received a bit of backlash when I mentioned 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 overall polish – which I appreciated even more after slogging through Outer Worlds 2. So my appreciation goes out 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 as written, because I appreciate the effort, and she is obviously an astute judge of character.

Game Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Alright. Give me a brutally difficult non-linear thing and provide little guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "figure it out". Great fun. I understand that it has great art 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 many games were like this, and I’ve had enough. It was acceptable when I was a kid, but so was many less comfortable things.

Biggest Gaming News of 2025

Close call between business deals that raised eyebrows, and expensive game releases. Both morally indefensible 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 make interesting names called from the back door 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 phone use, but it aches 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 wait patiently until the cows come home.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.