🔗 Share this article The Dominik Diamond Personal Video Game of the Year Awards for This Year So, how was the past year in your household? Could it be described as all as good as people post on social media? Overflowing with academic success for the children and elaborate dress-up birthday parties for the grownups? Maybe it felt like a ocean of frustration with only sporadic fun highlights? Could any part be authentic, or are we all seven-fingered AI slop beings with perfect teeth? I have gathered my thoughts for a reflection, ready or not, to reflect on the crucial thing in a calendar year: which releases we enjoyed the most. Let's get started: Game Eldest Daughter Played the Most Just Dance 2024 "Why can't you pick just one?" "You can't expect my definitive list." In the mobile realm, she's invested time in Cityscapes and "trying to find reasonable healthcare." "In the game?" "In reality." Game Second Son Played the Most Overwatch "I don’t play games on my phone." He took umbrage that I suggested it. Fair enough. Release Third Daughter Played the Most Resident Evil Biohazard She's attempting to get into acting, but when she wasn’t singing, she was immersed in Resident Evil. She also went on in great detail about her achievements on The Sims, where her character has a thriving utopia with infinitely better healthcare than her big sister has outside the game. Title the Partner Played the Most Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time She began the year at 60% completion and ended it at eighty-two percent. It’s a marathon not a sprint for her. Her mobile diversion: something called Woodle, where you have to remove pins. Release I Found Amusing That My Kids for Still Playing Minecraft Every time I see my 21-year-old son playing Minecraft, I rib him like a cross between a persistent critic. When he protests, I reply that I am engaging in this to toughen him up so he can grow up and play games for grownups. It’s a very Scottish father/son relationship. Most Skilled Gaming Family Member 2025 Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024 It wasn't even close for this one. She is incredible. More impressive than I was at Dancing Stage MegaMix in my prime. Game I Played the Most Marvel Snap No other game compared to the hours I spent on this insanely well-crafted strategy digital pastime, with its regularly updated range of cards and game variations. Game I Wish I Had Played Less Marvel Snap The downside about games that endlessly add to 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 went into the bin. Game I Wish I Had Played More Doom: The Dark Ages Excellent reinvention of a classic franchise. Captivating atmosphere from the start. I wish I could eviscerate my issues so effectively in real life. Game I Wish I Had Played More (Puzzle-Focused Edition) Blue Prince I decline to rush this gorgeous, distinctive game and I just lacked the mental bandwidth 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 family time. Title That Was a Lifesaver When I Needed It Balatro I know Balatro was last year's surprise hit, but I was late to it. And it is exceptional. It just gets every single thing right. Crazy Poker is a fantastic concept, but the effects behind the different joker cards are so creative it has become a game I could play any time. Throw in the cleverness of the card design, and this is an absolute peak of gaming. I dream of being stuck in a small space for hours just so I have the perfect excuse but play it. Game I Got the Most Flak For Criticising Outer Worlds 2 I received a minor pile-on when I wrote about 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 valued even more after experiencing Outer Worlds 2. So thank you to the commenter who took the time to send a message to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "missing the point". I share that in the exact way, because I appreciate the effort, and she is obviously an astute judge of character. Game Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get Hollow Knight: Silksong Alright. Give me a punishingly tough non-linear thing and provide little guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "explore". Great fun. I acknowledge that it is beautiful and is perfection if you are into challenging games, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I am less interested in in my mid-fifties. I was around back when all 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 Toss-up between business deals that caused concern, and expensive game releases. Both ethically dubious and unpleasant. Games I Would Name My Children After, If I Was Ever Foolish Enough to Have More Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all sound good names bellowed 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 endless scrolling, but it burns like hellfire in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs looked after back in the 90s. 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 wait patiently until the heat death of the universe. Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036 The Witcher 4.