🔗 Share this article This Diamond Family Alternative Game of the Year List for 2025 Alright, how did you experience this year in your home? Was it entirely positive as you pretended on Facebook? Packed with top marks for the kids and wild costume gatherings for the parents? Or was it a sea of letdowns with only rare entertaining moments? And was any of it actually real, or is everyone now seven-fingered synthetic personas with unrealistic teeth? I have gathered everyone for a reflection, ready or not, to reflect on the crucial thing in a calendar year: which video games we played the most. So here goes: Title Eldest Daughter Played the Most Just Dance 2024 "Is it impossible to pick just one?" "It’s not my personal ranking." On her phone, she’s been playing Cityscapes and "trying to find decent healthcare." "In the game?" "In the actual world." Game Second Son Played the Most Overwatch "I have no interest in games on my phone." He took umbrage that I suggested it. I respect that. Game Youngest Daughter Played the Most Resident Evil Biohazard She's attempting to get into drama school, but when she wasn’t singing, she was playing Resident Evil. She also went on 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 in real life. Title the Spouse Played the Most Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time She began the year at 60% completion and finished the year at 82%. She's in it for the long run not a sprint for her. On her phone: something called Woodle, where you have to extract pins. Title I Laughed at My Kids for Still Playing Minecraft Every time I see my adult son playing Minecraft, I set about him like a cross between a persistent critic. When he protests, I reply that I am doing this to prepare him so he can grow up and play games for grownups. This defines our 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 a machine. Superior than I was at my peak gaming days in my prime. Game I Played the Most Marvel Snap No other game compared to the hours I spent on this exceptionally well-crafted strategy competitive game, with its ever-changing range of cards and game variations. Title I Wish I Had Played Less Marvel Snap The worst thing about games that constantly evolve their range is you have a moment of clarity and understand it is all just an attempt to suck you into fear-of-missing-out driven microtransactions. So enjoyment soured halfway through the year and it was deleted. Game I Wish I Had Played More Doom: The Dark Ages Glorious reinvention of a iconic franchise. Captivating atmosphere from the start. I wish I could deal with my problems so effectively in real life. Game I Wish I Had Played More (Thoughtful Edition) Blue Prince I refuse to rush this stunning, original game and I just was short on the mental bandwidth 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 evening drinks. Game That Kept Me Sane When I Needed It Balatro I know Balatro was 2024’s breakout game, but I was slow on the uptake. And it is remarkable. It just gets each element right. The core concept is a fantastic concept, but the abilities 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 true high-water mark of gaming. I fantasize about being stuck in a elevator for hours just so I have nothing to do but play it. Title I Got the Most Flak For Criticising Outer Worlds 2 I received 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 massive gaming achievement in terms of overall polish – which I valued even more after experiencing Outer Worlds 2. So my appreciation goes out to the individual who took the time to send a message to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "missing the point". I present that in the exact way, because I respect the passion, 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 non-linear thing and provide little guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "figure it out". What a joy. I acknowledge that it has great art and is flawless 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 most games were like this, and my patience is gone. It was okay when I was a kid, but so was many questionable things. Biggest Gaming Controversy of 2025 Close call between business deals that caused concern, and premium pricing. Both difficult to justify and repugnant. Games I Would Name My Children After, Were I I Was Ever Foolish Enough to Have More Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all sound good names shouted from the doorstep at tea time. Part of My Body That Aches Most From Gaming Right Thumb Joint. Honestly. I don’t know if it’s because of button mashing or endless scrolling, but it aches 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 stretch time until the heat death of the universe. Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036 The Witcher 4.