🔗 Share this article This Dominik Diamond Unofficial Gaming of the Year List for 2025 Well, what did you think of 2025 in your home? Did it seem truly wonderful as people post on Facebook? Full of academic success for the children and riotous costume celebrations for the adults? Or was it a ocean of disappointment with only rare fun moments? And was any of it actually real, or have we all become AI-generated virtual entities with unrealistic teeth? I have gathered my thoughts for a chat, ready or not, to discuss the most important thing in a calendar year: what titles we were obsessed with the most. Let's get started: Title Oldest Daughter Played the Most Just Dance 2024 "Can’t you pick just one?" "It’s not my games column." Meanwhile, on mobile, she’s been playing Cityscapes and "attempting to locate adequate healthcare." "In the game?" "In reality." Game Second Son Played the Most Overwatch "I refuse to play games on my phone." He seemed insulted that the question was posed. I respect that. Title Youngest Daughter Played the Most Resident Evil Biohazard She is trying to get into drama school, but when she took a break from vocals, she was tackling Resident Evil. She also went on in great detail about her achievements on The Sims, where her character has a successful utopia with infinitely better healthcare than her big sister has in real life. Game the Partner Played the Most Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time She began the year at 60% completion and finished the year at eighty-two percent. It’s a marathon not a sprint for her. On her phone: something called Woodle, where you have to unscrew pins. Release I Laughed at 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 doing this to build character so he can be a man and play games for grownups. It's a classic Scottish father/son relationship. Most Notable Gaming Family Member 2025 Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024 There was no contest for this one. She is incredible. More impressive than I was at classic rhythm games in my prime. Title I Played the Most Marvel Snap Nothing came close to the hours I spent on this insanely well-crafted card game competitive game, with its regularly updated range of cards and game variations. Title I Wish I Had Played Less Marvel Snap The worst thing 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 affection became resentment halfway through the year and it was deleted. Game I Wish I Had Played More Doom: The Dark Ages Stunning reinvention of a classic franchise. Immersive atmosphere from the start. I wish I could dispatch my problems so effectively in real life. Game I Wish I Had Played More (Thoughtful Edition) Blue Prince I'm unwilling to rush this stunning, original game and I just lacked the time or headspace to give it what it needed earlier this year. With holiday guests over the festive period, I plan to dive into this in the early morning after family time. Title That Was a Lifesaver When I Needed It Balatro I acknowledge Balatro was last year's breakout game, but I was a late adopter. And it is exceptional. It just gets each element right. The core concept is a brilliant concept, but the powers 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 absolute peak of gaming. I fantasize about being stuck in a small space for hours just so I have nothing to do but play it. Game I Got the Most Flak For Criticising Outer Worlds 2 I endured a bit of backlash when I mentioned how a glitch in another game damaged the experience for me, but that other title is still a colossal gaming achievement in terms of production values – which I valued even more after slogging through Outer Worlds 2. So thank you to the individual who took the time to send a message to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "missing the point". I share that as written, because I respect the passion, and he is obviously an sharp judge of character. Game Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get Hollow Knight: Silksong Fine. Give me a bastard-hard Metroidvania-esque thing and don’t tell me guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "figure it out". Great fun. I understand that it has great art and is ideal 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 fine when I was a kid, but the same could be said for many outdated things. Biggest Gaming Scandal of 2025 Toss-up between business deals that sparked debate, and premium pricing. Both morally indefensible and repugnant. Games I Would Name My Children After, If I Was Ever Stupid Enough to Have More Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all be unique names called from the back door at bedtime. Part of My Body That Aches Most From Gaming Right Thumb Joint. Seriously. I don’t know if it’s because of console gaming or phone use, but it is sore like anything in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs insured 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 stretch time until the end of days. Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036 The Witcher 4.