🔗 Share this article Our Diamond Family Personal Game of the Year List for 2025 Well, what did you think of the past year in your family? Could it be described as entirely positive as people post on social media? Overflowing with A-grades for your offspring and wild dress-up celebrations for the adults? Maybe it felt like a swamp of frustration with only rare enjoyable moments? And was any of it actually real, or have we all become AI-generated virtual entities with celebrity teeth? I've corralled the family for a reflection, willing or unwilling, to discuss the crucial thing in any given year: which releases we enjoyed the most. Without further ado: Release Eldest Daughter Played the Most Horizon Zero Dawn "Can’t you pick just one?" "You can't expect my definitive list." Meanwhile, on mobile, her go-to has been Cityscapes and "searching for adequate healthcare." "In the game?" "In reality." Title Second Son Played the Most Overwatch "I have no interest in games on my phone." He took umbrage that I suggested it. I respect that. Game 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 immersed in Resident Evil. She also went on in great detail about her successes on The Sims, where the Shark has a blooming utopia with significantly better healthcare than her older sibling has in real life. Game 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. It's a long haul not a sprint for her. On her phone: something called Woodle, where you have to extract pins. Game 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 classic comedy bit. When he complains, I reply that I am doing this to build character so he can grow up and play games for mature audiences. It’s a very Scottish father/son relationship. Most Impressive Gaming Family Member of the Year Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024 There was no contest for this one. She is a machine. Even better than I was at Dancing Stage MegaMix in my prime. Game I Played the Most Marvel Snap Nothing came close to the hours I spent on this remarkably well-crafted strategy 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 suck you into fomo-fuelled microtransactions. So enjoyment soured 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. Immersive atmosphere from the off. I wish I could deal with my demons so effectively in real life. Title I Wish I Had Played More (Cerebral Edition) Blue Prince I'm unwilling to rush this beautiful, unique game and I just was short on the time or headspace to give it what it required earlier this year. With family visits over the festive period, I plan to dive into this in the wee small hours after evening drinks. Title That Was a Lifesaver When I Needed It Balatro I'm aware Balatro was last year's surprise hit, but I was a late adopter. And it is remarkable. It just gets every single thing right. Its gameplay loop is a wonderful concept, but the effects behind the different wild cards are so imaginative it has become a game I would happily play constantly. Throw in the cleverness of the card design, and this is an absolute pinnacle of gaming. I wouldn't mind being stuck in a broken-down lift for hours just so I have the perfect excuse but play it. Game I Got the Most Criticism For Criticising Outer Worlds 2 I experienced a minor pile-on when I critiqued how a technical issue in another game soured the experience for me, but that other title is still a massive gaming achievement in terms of production values – which I appreciated even more after playing Outer Worlds 2. So my appreciation goes out to the individual who took the time to write in to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "poorly reasoned". I share that verbatim, because I acknowledge the engagement, and they are obviously an excellent judge of character. Game Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get Hollow Knight: Silksong Alright. Give me a punishingly tough exploration-focused thing and don’t tell me guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "explore". What a joy. I understand that it is beautiful and is flawless if you are into this kind of thing, 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 okay when I was a kid, but the same could be said for many questionable things. Biggest Gaming Controversy of 2025 Toss-up between corporate partnerships that sparked debate, and high launch costs. Both morally indefensible and unpleasant. Games I Would Name My Children After, Were I I Was Ever Stupid Enough to Have More Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all make interesting names bellowed from the doorstep at dinner time. Part of My Body That Aches Most From Gaming Right Thumb Joint. Honestly. I don’t know if it’s because of video games or endless scrolling, but it is sore like hellfire in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs protected 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 cows come home. Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036 The Witcher 4.