🔗 Share this article The Household Unofficial Game of the Year Awards for This Year So, what did you think of the past year in your household? Did it seem all as good as one might claim on online? Packed with academic success for your offspring and elaborate themed fancy dress birthday parties for the grownups? Or was it a sea of letdowns with only sporadic entertaining flotsam? Is any of this authentic, or have we all become digitally altered synthetic personas with perfect teeth? I've assembled the family for a reflection, willing or unwilling, to discuss the crucial thing in a calendar year: which video games we played the most. Let's get started: Game Oldest Daughter Played the Most Just Dance 2024 "Can’t you pick just one?" "You can't expect my definitive list." Meanwhile, on mobile, she’s been playing Cityscapes and "attempting to locate decent healthcare." "Digitally?" "In real life." Game Middle Son Played the Most Overwatch "I don’t play games on my phone." He was offended that I suggested it. I respect that. Title Youngest Daughter Played the Most Resident Evil Biohazard Her goal is to get into theatre school, but when she stepped away from the mic, she was immersed in Resident Evil. She also elaborated in great detail about her accomplishments on The Sims, where the Shark has a successful utopia with far 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 eighty-two percent. It’s a marathon not a sprint for her. Her mobile diversion: something called Woodle, where you have to unscrew pins. Release I Laughed at My Kids for Still Playing Minecraft Whenever I see my 21-year-old son playing Minecraft, I rib him like a cross between a classic comedy bit. When he protests, I reply that I am doing this to prepare him so he can grow up and play games for grownups. It’s a very 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. 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 deck building wizard’s poker, with its ever-changing range of cards and game variations. Title I Wish I Had Played Less Marvel Snap The downside about games that endlessly add to their range is you eventually realize and understand it is all just an attempt to suck you into compulsion-based microtransactions. So affection became resentment halfway through the year and it went into the bin. Game I Wish I Had Played More Doom: The Dark Ages Stunning reinvention of a iconic franchise. Captivating atmosphere from the start. I wish I could dispatch my problems so effectively in real life. Title I Wish I Had Played More (Cerebral Edition) Blue Prince I refuse to rush this beautiful, unique 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 plan to dive into this in the late night after evening drinks. Title That Saved My Soul When I Needed It Balatro I know Balatro was the previous year's sleeper hit, but I was late to it. And it is incredible. It just gets every single thing right. Crazy Poker is a brilliant concept, but the powers behind the different special cards are so inventive it has become a game I literally would play constantly. Add in the cleverness of the card design, and this is an absolute high-water mark of gaming. I fantasize about being stuck in a small space for hours just so I have the perfect excuse but play it. Title I Got the Most Backlash For Criticising Outer Worlds 2 I endured a bit of backlash when I critiqued how a glitch in another game soured the experience for me, but that other title is still a massive gaming achievement in terms of overall polish – which I valued even more after playing 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 "missing the point". I share that verbatim, because I respect the passion, and he is obviously an astute judge of character. Title Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get Hollow Knight: Silksong Sure. Give me a bastard-hard exploration-focused thing and don’t tell me guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "explore". How delightful. I acknowledge that it has great art and is ideal if you are into the genre, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I am less interested in 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 outdated things. Biggest Gaming Controversy of 2025 Debate between questionable alliances that sparked debate, and premium pricing. Both ethically dubious and concerning. Games I Would Name My Children After, Were I I Was Ever Crazy Enough to Have More Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all be unique names bellowed from the back door 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 console gaming or phone use, but it is sore like the mines of sulphur in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs protected 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 make 2026 last until the end of days. Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036 The Witcher 4.