So, how was 2025 to your family? Was it actually all pretty much as good as you pretended it was on Fb? Filled with A-grades for the children and riotous themed fancy gown birthday events for the grownups? Or was it a sea of disappointment with solely occasional enjoyable flotsam? And was any of it truly actual, or are all of us now seven-fingered AI slop beings with Sydney Sweeney’s enamel?
I’ve gathered my ideas (and the Diamond family) collectively, whether or not they wished to or not, to mirror on the most vital factor in any given yr: which video video games we loved the most. With out additional ado:
Recreation eldest daughter performed the most: Simply Dance 2024/Horizon Zero Daybreak/Pikmin
“Can’t you choose only one?”
“It’s not my video games column.”
On her cellphone, in the meantime, she’s been enjoying Cityscapes and “attempting to discover respectable healthcare”.
“In the recreation?”
“In actual life.”
Recreation center son performed the most: Overwatch
“I don’t play video games on my cellphone.” He was offended that I even requested him that query. I respect that.
Recreation youngest daughter performed the most: Resident Evil Biohazard
She is attempting to get into theatre faculty, however when she wasn’t singing, she was enjoying Resident Evil. She additionally went on in nice element about her achievements on The Sims, the place the Shark has a thriving utopia with infinitely higher healthcare than her large sister has in actual life.
Recreation the spouse performed the most: Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time
She began the yr at 60% completion and ended it at 82%. It’s a marathon not a dash for her. On her cellphone: one thing known as Woodle, the place you’ve gotten to unscrew pins.
Recreation I laughed at my children for nonetheless enjoying: Minecraft
Any time I see my 21-year-old son enjoying Minecraft, I set about him like a cross between Steve Martin with that man in the pub in Roxanne, and Joe Pesci with Spider in Goodfellas. When he complains, I reply that I’m doing this to toughen him up so he is usually a man and play video games for grownups. It’s a really Scottish father/son relationship.
Most spectacular gaming member of the family 2025: Eldest daughter on Simply Dance 2024
There was no contest for this one. She is a machine. Even higher than I used to be at the Treatment’s Lovecats on Dancing Stage MegaMix in my prime.
Recreation I performed the most: Marvel Snap
Nothing got here shut to the hours I spent on this insanely well-crafted deck constructing wizard’s poker, with its continually evolving vary of playing cards and recreation variations.
Recreation I want I had performed much less: Marvel Snap
The worst factor about video games that continually evolve their vary of playing cards and variations is you get up someday and realise it is all simply an try to suck you into fomo-fuelled microtransactions. So love turned to hate midway by way of the yr and it went into the bin.
Recreation I want I had performed extra: Doom: The Darkish Ages
Superb reinvention of a traditional. Immersive ambiance from the off. I want I may eviscerate my demons so successfully in actual life.
Recreation I want I had performed extra (cerebral version): Blue Prince
I refuse to rush this stunning, distinctive recreation and I simply didn’t have the time or headspace to give it what it deserved earlier this yr. My mom is staying with us over Christmas and the New 12 months, so I will probably be enjoying this in the wee small hours after I’ve prosecco’d her into oblivion.
Recreation that saved my soul after I wanted It: Balatro
I do know Balatro was 2024’s breakout recreation, however I used to be late to it. And it is outstanding. It simply will get each single factor proper. Loopy Poker is an exquisite idea, however the powers behind the completely different joker playing cards are so imaginative it has grow to be a recreation I actually would play any time of the day or night time. Throw in the wittiness of the card design, and this is an absolute high-water mark of gaming. I dream of being caught in a broken-down raise for hours simply so I’ve nothing to do however play it.
Recreation I acquired the most criticism for criticising: Outer Worlds 2
I skilled a minor pile-on after I wrote about how the Paintress boss battle bug in Clair Obscur ruined the complete recreation for me, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a gargantuan gaming achievement when it comes to artwork, sound, appearing, battle gameplay and ambition – which I appreciated much more after slogging by way of Outer Worlds 2. So thanks to the reader who took the time to e-mail me personally, by way of my web site, to say that my Outer Worlds 2 overview was “bitter, confused resentment as a result of YOU DON’T GET THE GAME OLD MAN and your son is an fool as properly sorry to inform you.” I current that in the precise manner it was written, as a result of I respect the effort, and he is clearly a superb choose of character the place my son is involved.
Recreation all people liked that I simply didn’t get: Hole Knight: Silksong
Positive. Give me a bastard-hard Metroidvania-esque factor and don’t inform me what I’m supposed to be doing, besides “discover”. Nice enjoyable. I get that it appears ace and is perfection should you are into this sort of factor, however I can’t consider a gaming expertise I need much less of in my mid-fifties. I used to be round again when all video games had been like this, and I’ve had sufficient. It was fantastic after I was a child, however so was polyester.
Greatest gaming scandal of 2025: Toss-up between EA getting in bed with Jared Kushner and the Saudis, and Outer Worlds 2 costing £70. Each morally indefensible and repugnant.
Video games I’d identify my youngsters after, if I used to be ever silly sufficient to have extra: Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all sound good bellowed from the doorstep at tea time.
A part of my physique that aches most from gaming: Proper thumb joint. Critically. I don’t know if it’s due to video video games or doomscrolling on my cellphone, nevertheless it burns like the mines of sulphur in the mornings now. I knew I ought to have gotten my thumbs insured again in the 90s.
Recreation I’m trying ahead to the most in 2026: GTA 6.
And it will come out in 2026, even when we now have to make 2026 final till the warmth demise of the universe.
Recreation I’m trying ahead to the most in 2036: The Witcher 4.
Disclaimer: This article is sourced from external platforms. OverBeta has not independently verified the information. Readers are advised to verify details before relying on them.
