This Household Alternative Gaming of the Year List for The Past Year
Alright, what did you think of 2025 in your family? Was it entirely positive as you pretended on Facebook? Full of A-grades for the kids and riotous costume gatherings for the grownups? Or perhaps it was a ocean of frustration with only rare fun highlights? Could any part be genuine, or are we all seven-fingered synthetic personas with celebrity teeth?
I've corralled everyone for a chat, ready or not, to reflect on the most important thing in twelve months: what titles we enjoyed the most. Let's get started:
Release First Daughter Played the Most
Just Dance 2024
"Can’t you pick just one?"
"This isn't my games column."
In the mobile realm, she's invested time in Cityscapes and "attempting to locate reasonable healthcare."
"Virtually?"
"In reality."
Title Middle Son Played the Most
Overwatch
"I refuse to play games on my phone." He took umbrage that I even asked. I respect that.
Release Third Daughter Played the Most
Resident Evil Biohazard
She is trying to get into drama school, but when she stepped away from the mic, she was immersed in Resident Evil. She also elaborated in great detail about her achievements on The Sims, where the Shark has a blooming utopia with infinitely better healthcare than her older sibling has in the real world.
Release 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. She's in it for the long run not a sprint for her. On her phone: something called Woodle, where you have to extract pins.
Game I Laughed at My Kids for Still Playing
Minecraft
Every time I see my adult son playing Minecraft, I set about him like a cross between a classic comedy bit. When he objects, I reply that I am doing this to prepare him so he can be a man and play games for mature audiences. It's a classic Scottish father/son relationship.
Most Skilled Gaming Family Member of the Year
Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024
It wasn't even close for this one. She is a machine. More impressive than I was at Dancing Stage MegaMix in my prime.
Title I Played the Most
Marvel Snap
Nothing came close to the hours I spent on this exceptionally well-crafted card game 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 constantly evolve their range is you wake up one day and see it is all just an attempt to suck you into fomo-fuelled microtransactions. So love turned to hate halfway through the year and it was deleted.
Title I Wish I Had Played More
Doom: The Dark Ages
Excellent reinvention of a classic franchise. Captivating atmosphere from the off. I wish I could deal with my demons so effectively in real life.
Game I Wish I Had Played More (Cerebral Edition)
Blue Prince
I'm unwilling to rush this gorgeous, distinctive game and I just didn’t have the time or headspace to give it what it needed earlier this year. With relatives staying over the festive period, I plan to dive into this in the wee small hours after appropriate hospitality.
Title That Saved My Soul When I Needed It
Balatro
I acknowledge Balatro was 2024’s sleeper hit, but I was slow on the uptake. And it is remarkable. It just gets each element right. Crazy Poker is a wonderful concept, but the powers behind the different special cards are so inventive it has become a game I literally would play at any hour. Throw in the wittiness of the card design, and this is an absolute 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 Flak For Criticising
Outer Worlds 2
I received a bit of backlash when I mentioned how a technical issue in another game damaged the experience for me, but that other title is still a massive gaming achievement in terms of production values – which I valued even more after slogging through Outer Worlds 2. So my appreciation goes out to the individual who took the time to send a message to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "missing the point". I mention that verbatim, because I acknowledge the engagement, 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 Metroidvania-esque thing and provide little guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "explore". Great fun. I understand that it looks ace and is perfection if you are into challenging games, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I desire less in my mid-fifties. I was around back when all games were like this, and I'm over it. It was okay when I was a kid, but the same could be said for many less comfortable things.
Biggest Gaming News of 2025
Debate between business deals that raised eyebrows, and high launch costs. Both difficult to justify and concerning.
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 garden at tea 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 doomscrolling, but it burns like the mines of sulphur in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs looked after 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 stretch time until the heat death of the universe.
Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036
The Witcher 4.
