🔗 Share this article Our Diamond Family Unofficial Gaming of the Year List for 2025 Well, how was 2025 in your household? Could it be described as entirely positive as people post on online? Packed with academic success for the children and elaborate costume birthday parties for the parents? Maybe it felt like a sea of letdowns with only occasional enjoyable moments? Could any part be actually real, or is everyone now AI-generated synthetic personas with celebrity dental work? I've assembled the family for a chat, ready or not, to discuss the most important thing in twelve months: which releases we enjoyed the most. Without further ado: Game First Daughter Played the Most Pikmin "Is it impossible to pick just one?" "This isn't my definitive list." Meanwhile, on mobile, she’s been playing Cityscapes and "searching for reasonable healthcare." "In the game?" "In reality." Release 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. Release Youngest Daughter Played the Most Resident Evil Biohazard She is trying to get into drama school, but when she wasn’t singing, she was tackling Resident Evil. She also went on in great detail about her accomplishments on The Sims, where her avatar has a thriving utopia with infinitely better healthcare than her big sister has outside the game. Release the Wife Played the Most Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time She started the year at 60% completion and finished the year at 82%. It’s a marathon not a sprint for her. Her phone game: something called Woodle, where you have to remove pins. Release I Laughed at My Kids for Still Playing Minecraft Whenever I see my 21-year-old son playing Minecraft, I set about him like a cross between a relentless heckler. When he protests, I reply that I am doing this to build character so he can be a man and play games for mature audiences. It’s a very Scottish father/son relationship. Most Notable Gaming Family Member 2025 Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024 It wasn't even close for this one. She is unstoppable. Superior than I was at classic rhythm games in my prime. Title I Played the Most Marvel Snap No other game compared to the hours I spent on this remarkably well-crafted strategy wizard’s poker, with its ever-changing range of cards and game variations. Game I Wish I Had Played Less Marvel Snap The worst thing about games that frequently update their range is you eventually realize and understand it is all just an attempt to lure you into compulsion-based microtransactions. So love turned to hate halfway through the year and it got uninstalled. Game I Wish I Had Played More Doom: The Dark Ages Excellent 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'm unwilling to rush this stunning, original game and I just lacked the time or headspace to give it what it required earlier this year. With family visits over the festive period, I will be playing this in the wee small hours after family time. Game That Was a Lifesaver When I Needed It Balatro I'm aware Balatro was last year's sleeper hit, but I was a late adopter. And it is remarkable. It just gets each element right. Crazy Poker is a brilliant concept, but the effects behind the different wild cards are so imaginative it has become a game I literally would play any time. Combine that with the wittiness of the card design, and this is an definite high-water mark of gaming. I fantasize about being stuck in a elevator for hours just so I have nothing to do but play it. Title I Got the Most Criticism For Criticising Outer Worlds 2 I received a wave of criticism when I mentioned how a specific bug 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 experiencing Outer Worlds 2. So my appreciation goes out to the commenter who took the time to contact me to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "missing the point". I present that in the exact way, because I appreciate the effort, and she is obviously an astute judge of character. Title Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get Hollow Knight: Silksong Fine. Give me a brutally difficult Metroidvania-esque thing and leave me without guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "figure it out". What a joy. I get that it has great art and is ideal if you are into the genre, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I desire less in my current stage of life. I was around back when most games were like this, and I’ve had enough. It was acceptable when I was a kid, but the same could be said for many less comfortable things. Biggest Gaming News of 2025 Close call between questionable alliances that sparked debate, 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 shouted from the garden 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 button mashing or endless scrolling, but it burns like the mines of sulphur 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 make 2026 last until the heat death of the universe. Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036 The Witcher 4.