🔗 Share this article The Diamond Family Unofficial Game of the Year Roundup for 2025 Alright, how was the past year in your household? Could it be described as all as good as one might claim on online? Full of top marks for the kids and elaborate themed fancy dress gatherings for the parents? Maybe it felt like a sea of letdowns with only rare entertaining flotsam? Is any of this genuine, or is everyone now digitally altered AI slop beings with perfect dental work? I've assembled the family for a reflection, ready or not, to discuss the paramount thing in twelve months: which video games we played the most. Let's get started: Game Oldest Daughter Played the Most Just Dance 2024 "Is it impossible to pick just one?" "This isn't my games column." Meanwhile, on mobile, her go-to has been Cityscapes and "attempting to locate adequate healthcare." "Digitally?" "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. Release Third Daughter Played the Most Resident Evil Biohazard She's attempting to get into theatre school, but when she stepped away from the mic, she was immersed in Resident Evil. She also spoke at length in great detail about her accomplishments on The Sims, where her character has a blooming utopia with significantly better healthcare than her eldest sister has outside the game. Game the Partner Played the Most Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time She started 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. Title I Teased My Kids About My Kids for Still Playing Minecraft Every time I see my adult son playing Minecraft, I rib him like a cross between a classic comedy bit. When he objects, I reply that I am doing this to toughen him up so he can grow up and play games for mature audiences. It’s a very 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 unstoppable. Superior than I was at Dancing Stage MegaMix in my prime. Title I Played the Most Marvel Snap No other game compared to the hours I spent on this remarkably well-crafted card game wizard’s poker, with its constantly evolving range of cards and game variations. Game I Wish I Had Played Less Marvel Snap The catch about games that endlessly add to their range is you have a moment of clarity and realise it is all just an attempt to trap you with fear-of-missing-out driven microtransactions. So affection became resentment halfway through the year and it went into the bin. Game I Wish I Had Played More Doom: The Dark Ages Stunning reinvention of a legendary franchise. Engrossing atmosphere from the off. I wish I could deal with my issues so effectively in real life. Title I Wish I Had Played More (Cerebral Edition) Blue Prince I'm unwilling to rush this stunning, original game and I just didn’t have the time or headspace to give it what it deserved earlier this year. With family visits over the festive period, I will be playing this in the early morning after evening drinks. Game That Kept Me Sane When I Needed It Balatro I'm aware Balatro was the previous year's breakout game, but I was slow on the uptake. And it is incredible. It just gets every single thing right. Its gameplay loop is a brilliant concept, but the powers behind the different wild cards are so inventive it has become a game I could play at any hour. Combine that with the wittiness of the card design, and this is an definite high-water mark of gaming. I wouldn't mind being stuck in a broken-down lift for hours just so I have the perfect excuse but play it. Game I Got the Most Backlash For Criticising Outer Worlds 2 I experienced a bit of backlash when I critiqued how a technical issue in another game ruined the experience for me, but that other title is still a gargantuan gaming achievement in terms of production values – which I valued even more after playing Outer Worlds 2. So thank you to the reader who took the time to send a message to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "bitter, confused resentment". I share that in the exact way, because I appreciate the effort, and they are obviously an excellent judge of character. Game Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get Hollow Knight: Silksong Alright. Give me a punishingly tough exploration-focused thing and don’t tell me guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "look around". Great fun. I acknowledge that it is beautiful and is perfection if you are into this kind of thing, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I am less interested in in my mid-fifties. I was around back when many games were like this, and my patience is gone. It was fine when I was a kid, but the same could be said for many less comfortable things. Biggest Gaming Scandal of 2025 Debate between questionable alliances that caused concern, and high launch costs. Both ethically dubious and concerning. Games I Would Name My Children After, If I Was Ever Stupid Enough to Have More Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all make interesting names shouted from the doorstep 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 console gaming or doomscrolling, but it burns like hellfire in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs protected 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 make 2026 last until the end of days. Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036 The Witcher 4.