This Household Unofficial Video Game of the Year Awards for This Year
Well, what did you think of this year in your family? Could it be described as all as good as people post on social media? Packed with A-grades for the children and elaborate costume celebrations for the adults? Or was it a sea of frustration with only rare enjoyable flotsam? Is any of this genuine, or are we all AI-generated synthetic personas with perfect dental work?
I've corralled everyone together, ready or not, to discuss the paramount thing in any given year: what titles we enjoyed the most. Without further ado:
Title Eldest Daughter Played the Most
Just Dance 2024
"Is it impossible to pick just one?"
"This isn't my personal ranking."
Meanwhile, on mobile, her go-to has been Cityscapes and "trying to find adequate healthcare."
"Virtually?"
"In reality."
Title Middle Son Played the Most
Overwatch
"I have no interest in games on my phone." He was offended that the question was posed. Fair enough.
Release Youngest Daughter Played the Most
Resident Evil Biohazard
Her goal is to get into acting, but when she wasn’t singing, she was tackling Resident Evil. She also spoke at length in great detail about her successes on The Sims, where the Shark has a successful utopia with infinitely better healthcare than her eldest sister has in the real world.
Title the Spouse Played the Most
Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time
She began the year at 60% completion and ended it at 82%. It's a long haul not a sprint for her. On her phone: something called Woodle, where you have to remove pins.
Title I Found Amusing That My Kids for Still Playing
Minecraft
Whenever I see my adult son playing Minecraft, I set about him like a cross between a classic comedy bit. When he complains, I reply that I am behaving this way to toughen him up so he can be a man and play games for adults. This defines our Scottish father/son relationship.
Most Skilled Gaming Family Member This Year
Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024
There was no contest 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
No other game compared to the hours I spent on this remarkably well-crafted deck building digital pastime, with its constantly evolving range of cards and game variations.
Title I Wish I Had Played Less
Marvel Snap
The downside about games that frequently update their range is you wake up one day and see it is all just an attempt to suck you into fomo-fuelled microtransactions. So enjoyment soured halfway through the year and it went into the bin.
Game I Wish I Had Played More
Doom: The Dark Ages
Glorious reinvention of a classic franchise. Captivating atmosphere from the beginning. I wish I could eviscerate my issues so effectively in real life.
Game I Wish I Had Played More (Thoughtful Edition)
Blue Prince
I decline to rush this stunning, original game and I just was short on the time or headspace to give it what it deserved earlier this year. With relatives staying over the festive period, I aim to experience this in the late night after appropriate hospitality.
Game That Was a Lifesaver When I Needed It
Balatro
I acknowledge Balatro was the previous year's surprise hit, but I was slow on the uptake. And it is incredible. It just gets absolutely everything right. Crazy Poker is a wonderful concept, but the effects behind the different joker cards are so creative it has become a game I could play any time. Throw in the wittiness of the card design, and this is an absolute high-water mark of gaming. I dream of being stuck in a elevator for hours just so I have an opportunity but play it.
Game I Got the Most Flak For Criticising
Outer Worlds 2
I endured a bit of backlash when I wrote about 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 art, sound, acting – which I recognized even more after experiencing 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 "poorly reasoned". I present that as written, because I respect the passion, and they are obviously an sharp judge of character.
Game Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Fine. Give me a punishingly tough Metroidvania-esque thing and don’t tell me guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "look around". Great fun. I acknowledge that it looks ace and is perfection 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 most games were like this, and my patience is gone. It was okay when I was a kid, but the same could be said for many questionable things.
Biggest Gaming Scandal of 2025
Toss-up between corporate partnerships that raised eyebrows, 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 sound good names shouted 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 phone use, but it is sore like the mines of sulphur in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs insured 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 make 2026 last until the end of days.
Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036
The Witcher 4.