Well, what did you think of the past year in your household? Was it truly wonderful as one might claim on social media? Overflowing with top marks for the kids and riotous themed fancy dress birthday parties for the adults? Or was it a sea of frustration with only sporadic fun highlights? Is any of this actually real, or is everyone now seven-fingered AI slop beings with celebrity smiles?
I have gathered the family together, ready or not, to reflect on the most important thing in twelve months: what titles we enjoyed the most. So here goes:
Pikmin
"Why can't you pick just one?"
"It’s not my games column."
On her phone, she's invested time in Cityscapes and "searching for decent healthcare."
"Digitally?"
"In the actual world."
Overwatch
"I refuse to play games on my phone." He seemed insulted that I even asked. Point taken.
Resident Evil Biohazard
She's attempting to get into acting, but when she wasn’t singing, she was tackling Resident Evil. She also elaborated in great detail about her achievements on The Sims, where her avatar has a thriving utopia with significantly better healthcare than her eldest sister has in the real world.
Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time
She began the year at 60% completion and finished the year at 82%. It's a long haul not a sprint for her. On her phone: something called Woodle, where you have to unscrew pins.
Minecraft
Every time I see my adult son playing Minecraft, I rib him like a cross between a persistent critic. When he objects, I reply that I am doing this to prepare him so he can mature and play games for mature audiences. It’s a very Scottish father/son relationship.
Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024
She was the clear winner for this one. She is incredible. Even better than I was at classic rhythm games in my prime.
Marvel Snap
No other game compared to the hours I spent on this insanely well-crafted card game digital pastime, with its regularly updated range of cards and game variations.
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 lure you into fomo-fuelled microtransactions. So enjoyment soured halfway through the year and it went into the bin.
Doom: The Dark Ages
Glorious reinvention of a iconic franchise. Engrossing atmosphere from the start. I wish I could dispatch my problems so effectively in real life.
Blue Prince
I refuse to rush this beautiful, unique game and I just was short on the focused attention to give it what it deserved earlier this year. With family visits over the festive period, I aim to experience this in the early morning after evening drinks.
Balatro
I know Balatro was last year's breakout game, but I was a late adopter. And it is remarkable. It just gets each element right. Its gameplay loop is a wonderful concept, but the abilities behind the different joker cards are so creative it has become a game I literally would play constantly. Throw in the charm 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 the perfect excuse but play it.
Outer Worlds 2
I received a bit of backlash when I critiqued how a specific bug in another game soured the experience for me, but that other title is still a massive gaming achievement in terms of art, sound, acting – which I recognized even more after slogging through Outer Worlds 2. So thank you to the individual who took the time to contact me to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "missing the point". I share that as written, because I appreciate the effort, and she is obviously an astute judge of character.
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Alright. Give me a punishingly tough Metroidvania-esque thing and leave me without guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "figure it out". How delightful. I understand that it has great art and is ideal if you are into the genre, 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'm over it. It was fine when I was a kid, but so was many less comfortable things.
Close call between questionable alliances that sparked debate, and expensive game releases. Both morally indefensible and concerning.
Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all make interesting names called from the doorstep at bedtime.
Right Thumb Joint. Honestly. I don’t know if it’s because of button mashing or endless scrolling, but it burns like hellfire in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs looked after back in the past.
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.
The Witcher 4.
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