So, what did you think of 2025 in your household? Could it be described as truly wonderful as people post on Facebook? Full of top marks for the kids and riotous dress-up gatherings for the adults? Or was it a swamp of disappointment with only rare enjoyable flotsam? Could any part be actually real, or is everyone now seven-fingered synthetic personas with celebrity teeth?
I've corralled my thoughts for a reflection, ready or not, to discuss the paramount thing in any given year: which releases we enjoyed the most. Let's get started:
Pikmin
"Is it impossible to pick just one?"
"This isn't my games column."
In the mobile realm, she’s been playing Cityscapes and "searching for reasonable healthcare."
"Digitally?"
"In reality."
Overwatch
"I refuse to play games on my phone." He took umbrage that the question was posed. Point taken.
Resident Evil Biohazard
She's attempting to get into theatre school, but when she stepped away from the mic, she was playing Resident Evil. She also elaborated in great detail about her accomplishments on The Sims, where her character has a thriving utopia with infinitely better healthcare than her eldest sister has outside the game.
Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time
She began the year at 60% completion and finished the year at eighty-two percent. She's in it for the long run not a sprint for her. Her phone game: something called Woodle, where you have to extract pins.
Minecraft
Whenever I see my 21-year-old son playing Minecraft, I rib him like a cross between a classic comedy bit. When he complains, I reply that I am engaging in this to prepare him so he can be a man and play games for adults. It's a classic Scottish father/son relationship.
Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024
She was the clear winner for this one. She is a machine. Even better than I was at my peak gaming days in my prime.
Marvel Snap
Nothing came close to the hours I spent on this exceptionally well-crafted card game wizard’s poker, with its constantly evolving range of cards and game variations.
Marvel Snap
The worst thing about games that frequently update their range is you have a moment of clarity and understand 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.
Doom: The Dark Ages
Excellent reinvention of a classic franchise. Immersive atmosphere from the off. I wish I could dispatch my issues so effectively in real life.
Blue Prince
I'm unwilling 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 plan to dive into this in the wee small hours after family time.
Balatro
I know Balatro was last year's surprise hit, but I was slow on the uptake. And it is incredible. It just gets each element right. Its gameplay loop is a wonderful concept, but the powers behind the different special cards are so imaginative it has become a game I would happily play constantly. Combine that with the wittiness of the card design, and this is an absolute peak 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 endured a minor pile-on when I mentioned how a technical issue in another game damaged the experience for me, but that other title is still a colossal gaming achievement in terms of production values – which I valued even more after playing Outer Worlds 2. So my appreciation goes out to the reader who took the time to contact me to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "poorly reasoned". I share that verbatim, because I appreciate the effort, and they are obviously an sharp judge of character.
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Sure. Give me a brutally difficult non-linear thing and leave me without guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "figure it out". Great fun. I acknowledge that it looks ace and is flawless 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 all games were like this, and I'm over it. It was okay when I was a kid, but the same could be said for many outdated things.
Debate between business deals that caused concern, and premium pricing. Both ethically dubious and repugnant.
Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all be unique names shouted from the garden at bedtime.
Right Thumb Joint. No joke. I don’t know if it’s because of video games or endless scrolling, but it is sore like hellfire in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs insured back in the 90s.
Grand Theft Auto VI.
And it will come out in 2026, even if we have to stretch time until the end of days.
The Witcher 4.
A seasoned gaming enthusiast with over a decade of experience in lottery analysis and casino reviews.
