🔗 Share this article This Diamond Family Personal Video Game of the Year List for The Past Year So, how did you experience the past year in your home? Could it be described as entirely positive as people post on social media? Overflowing with A-grades for the children and elaborate themed fancy dress birthday parties for the adults? Or perhaps it was a sea of disappointment with only occasional entertaining highlights? And was any of it authentic, or is everyone now seven-fingered synthetic personas with perfect dental work? I've corralled everyone for a chat, ready or not, to reflect on the crucial thing in twelve months: which releases we played the most. Without further ado: Release Oldest Daughter Played the Most Pikmin "Can’t you pick just one?" "It’s not my personal ranking." On her phone, her go-to has been Cityscapes and "attempting to locate decent healthcare." "Digitally?" "In the actual world." Game Middle Son Played the Most Overwatch "I refuse to play games on my phone." He took umbrage that the question was posed. Fair enough. Game Youngest Daughter Played the Most Resident Evil Biohazard Her goal is to get into theatre school, but when she stepped away from the mic, she was playing Resident Evil. She also spoke at length in great detail about her successes on The Sims, where her character has a thriving utopia with infinitely better healthcare than her eldest sister has outside the game. Release the Spouse 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 long haul not a sprint for her. Her mobile diversion: something called Woodle, where you have to remove pins. Release I Teased My Kids About My Kids for Still Playing Minecraft Any time I see my 21-year-old son playing Minecraft, I rib him like a cross between a relentless heckler. When he protests, I reply that I am engaging in this to build character so he can grow up and play games for grownups. It's a classic Scottish father/son relationship. Most Skilled Gaming Family Member This Year Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024 She was the clear winner for this one. She is a machine. 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 deck building wizard’s poker, with its constantly evolving range of cards and game variations. Title I Wish I Had Played Less Marvel Snap The catch about games that endlessly add to their range is you wake up one day and see it is all just an attempt to lure you into compulsion-based microtransactions. So love turned to hate halfway through the year and it was deleted. Game I Wish I Had Played More Doom: The Dark Ages Excellent reinvention of a iconic franchise. Captivating atmosphere from the start. I wish I could dispatch my issues so effectively in real life. Title I Wish I Had Played More (Thoughtful Edition) Blue Prince I refuse to rush this gorgeous, distinctive game and I just didn’t have the focused attention to give it what it required earlier this year. With holiday guests over the festive period, I aim to experience this in the wee small hours after evening drinks. Title That Was a Lifesaver When I Needed It Balatro I know 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. The core concept is a brilliant concept, but the abilities behind the different wild cards are so creative it has become a game I literally would play constantly. Add in the charm of the card design, and this is an absolute peak of gaming. I fantasize about being stuck in a broken-down lift for hours just so I have an opportunity but play it. Title I Got the Most Flak For Criticising Outer Worlds 2 I received a bit of backlash when I mentioned 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 experiencing Outer Worlds 2. So thank you to the individual 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 Sure. Give me a punishingly tough Metroidvania-esque thing and provide little guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "explore". What a joy. I get that it is beautiful and is perfection if you are into the genre, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I am less interested in in my adulthood. I was around back when most games were like this, and I'm over it. It was okay when I was a kid, but so was many less comfortable things. Biggest Gaming Scandal of 2025 Close call between questionable alliances that raised eyebrows, and high launch costs. Both morally indefensible and unpleasant. Games I Would Name My Children After, If I Was Ever Stupid Enough to Have More Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all sound good names called from the doorstep at dinner time. Part of My Body That Aches Most From Gaming Right Thumb Joint. Seriously. I don’t know if it’s because of console gaming or phone use, but it is sore like anything in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs protected back in the past. 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 stretch time until the cows come home. Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036 The Witcher 4.