This Household Unofficial Video Game of the Year List for The Past Year
Well, how did you experience the past year in your home? Could it be described as all as good as one might claim on social media? Packed with academic success for the children and riotous dress-up celebrations for the adults? Maybe it felt like a ocean of disappointment with only occasional entertaining moments? And was any of it authentic, or are we all digitally altered AI slop beings with perfect dental work?
I've corralled everyone for a chat, willing or unwilling, to discuss the crucial thing in any given year: which releases we enjoyed the most. So here goes:
Game Eldest Daughter Played the Most
Just Dance 2024
"Why can't you pick just one?"
"This isn't my personal ranking."
On her phone, she's invested time in Cityscapes and "trying to find adequate healthcare."
"In the game?"
"In the actual world."
Release Second Son Played the Most
Overwatch
"I don’t play games on my phone." He was offended that I even asked. Point taken.
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 immersed in Resident Evil. She also went on in great detail about her successes on The Sims, where her character has a blooming utopia with significantly better healthcare than her older sibling has in the real world.
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 82%. She's in it for the long run not a sprint for her. Her phone game: something called Woodle, where you have to extract pins.
Title I Teased My Kids About 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 behaving this way to toughen him up so he can grow up and play games for adults. It's a classic Scottish father/son relationship.
Most Impressive Gaming Family Member of the Year
Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024
She was the clear winner for this one. She is a machine. 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 remarkably well-crafted strategy competitive game, with its regularly updated range of cards and game variations.
Title I Wish I Had Played Less
Marvel Snap
The catch about games that constantly evolve their range is you have a moment of clarity and realise it is all just an attempt to lure you into fear-of-missing-out driven microtransactions. So affection became resentment halfway through the year and it went into the bin.
Title I Wish I Had Played More
Doom: The Dark Ages
Excellent reinvention of a classic franchise. Immersive atmosphere from the start. I wish I could deal with 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 mental bandwidth to give it what it needed earlier this year. With holiday guests over the festive period, I will be playing this in the wee small hours after evening drinks.
Title That Kept Me Sane When I Needed It
Balatro
I'm aware Balatro was last year's sleeper hit, but I was late to it. And it is exceptional. It just gets absolutely everything right. The core concept is a wonderful concept, but the abilities behind the different joker cards are so creative it has become a game I literally would play constantly. Throw in the cleverness of the card design, and this is an true peak of gaming. I fantasize about being stuck in a broken-down lift for hours just so I have nothing to do but play it.
Title I Got the Most Criticism For Criticising
Outer Worlds 2
I experienced a bit of backlash when I critiqued how a specific bug in another game soured the experience for me, but that other title is still a gargantuan gaming achievement in terms of production values – which I recognized even more after slogging through Outer Worlds 2. So thank you to the individual who took the time to write in to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "bitter, confused resentment". I present that in the exact way, because I respect the passion, and she is obviously an excellent judge of character.
Game Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Sure. Give me a brutally difficult exploration-focused thing and provide little guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "explore". What a joy. I understand that it has great art and is flawless if you are into this kind of thing, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I desire less in my adulthood. I was around back when most games were like this, and I'm over it. It was fine when I was a kid, but the same could be said for many less comfortable things.
Biggest Gaming News of 2025
Close call between corporate partnerships that raised eyebrows, and expensive game releases. Both difficult to justify and repugnant.
Games I Would Name My Children After, Were I I Was Ever Stupid Enough to Have More
Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all be unique names bellowed from the garden at bedtime.
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 endless scrolling, but it aches like hellfire in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs looked after back in the past.
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 end of days.
Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036
The Witcher 4.
