The Household Unofficial Video Game of the Year Roundup for This Year

Alright, how did you experience the past year in your household? Could it be described as entirely positive as you pretended on social media? Overflowing with academic success for the children and riotous costume celebrations for the parents? Or was it a sea of frustration with only occasional fun flotsam? And was any of it authentic, or is everyone now AI-generated synthetic personas with celebrity smiles?

I've corralled my thoughts for a reflection, ready or not, to discuss the paramount thing in twelve months: what titles we were obsessed with the most. Let's get started:

Game Oldest Daughter Played the Most

Just Dance 2024

"Why can't you pick just one?"

"This isn't my games column."

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

"Virtually?"

"In real life."

Game Second Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I refuse to play games on my phone." He was offended that I suggested it. I respect that.

Game Youngest Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

She is trying to get into theatre school, but when she wasn’t singing, she was playing Resident Evil. She also went on in great detail about her successes on The Sims, where her avatar has a blooming utopia with far better healthcare than her big sister has outside the game.

Game the Partner Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She started the year at sixty percent completion and finished the year at eighty-two percent. It’s a marathon not a sprint for her. Her phone game: something called Woodle, where you have to unscrew pins.

Release I Teased My Kids About My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Every time I see my 21-year-old son playing Minecraft, I give him a hard time like a cross between a persistent critic. When he complains, I reply that I am behaving this way to build character so he can mature and play games for adults. This defines our Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Notable Gaming Family Member of the Year

Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024

It wasn't even close for this one. She is incredible. Superior than I was at classic rhythm games in my prime.

Title I Played the Most

Marvel Snap

No other game compared to the hours I spent on this insanely well-crafted card game wizard’s poker, with its ever-changing 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 have a moment of clarity and understand it is all just an attempt to lure you into compulsion-based microtransactions. So love turned to hate halfway through the year and it got uninstalled.

Title I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

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

Game I Wish I Had Played More (Cerebral Edition)

Blue Prince

I refuse to rush this beautiful, unique game and I just lacked 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 family time.

Game That Kept Me Sane When I Needed It

Balatro

I acknowledge Balatro was 2024’s surprise hit, but I was late to it. And it is remarkable. It just gets absolutely everything right. Crazy Poker is a brilliant concept, but the effects behind the different wild cards are so imaginative it has become a game I could play constantly. Throw in the wittiness of the card design, and this is an true pinnacle 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 Flak For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I experienced a minor pile-on when I mentioned how a specific bug 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 valued even more after playing Outer Worlds 2. So thank you to the commenter who took the time to contact me to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "missing the point". I share that verbatim, because I respect the passion, and they are obviously an astute 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 the genre, 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 so was many less comfortable things.

Biggest Gaming Controversy of 2025

Close call between corporate partnerships that raised eyebrows, and high launch costs. Both morally indefensible and repugnant.

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 shouted 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 aches like anything in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs looked after 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.