🔗 Share this article The Dominik Diamond Unofficial Gaming of the Year List for This Year Alright, how was this year in your family? Could it be described as truly wonderful as people post on Facebook? Full of academic success for the kids and elaborate themed fancy dress celebrations for the parents? Maybe it felt like a ocean of letdowns with only sporadic enjoyable moments? And was any of it genuine, or is everyone now AI-generated AI slop beings with perfect teeth? I've corralled my thoughts for a chat, whether they wanted to or not, to discuss the most important thing in any given year: which releases we played the most. So here goes: Game Oldest Daughter Played the Most Just Dance 2024 "Why can't you 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 real life." Game Middle 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 Her goal is to get into theatre school, but when she stepped away from the mic, she was tackling Resident Evil. She also went on in great detail about her accomplishments on The Sims, where her character has a blooming utopia with infinitely better healthcare than her older sibling has outside the game. Release the Partner Played the Most 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 mobile diversion: something called Woodle, where you have to remove pins. Title I Teased My Kids About My Kids for Still Playing Minecraft Whenever I see my 21-year-old son playing Minecraft, I set about him like a cross between a persistent critic. When he protests, I reply that I am engaging in this to build character so he can mature and play games for mature audiences. 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. Even better 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 remarkably well-crafted strategy digital pastime, 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 eventually realize and see it is all just an attempt to suck you into fear-of-missing-out driven microtransactions. So love turned to hate halfway through the year and it got uninstalled. Title I Wish I Had Played More Doom: The Dark Ages Stunning reinvention of a legendary franchise. Immersive atmosphere from the off. I wish I could dispatch my problems so effectively in real life. Title I Wish I Had Played More (Puzzle-Focused Edition) Blue Prince I decline to rush this beautiful, unique game and I just didn’t have the focused attention to give it what it required earlier this year. With family visits over the festive period, I will be playing this in the early morning after appropriate hospitality. Game That Kept Me Sane When I Needed It Balatro I know Balatro was the previous year's surprise hit, but I was slow on the uptake. And it is incredible. It just gets absolutely everything right. Crazy Poker is a fantastic concept, but the abilities behind the different wild cards are so imaginative it has become a game I could play constantly. Combine that with the cleverness of the card design, and this is an true high-water mark of gaming. I wouldn't mind being stuck in a broken-down lift for hours just so I have nothing to do but play it. Game I Got the Most Flak For Criticising Outer Worlds 2 I endured a minor pile-on when I mentioned how a specific bug in another game damaged the experience for me, but that other title is still a gargantuan gaming achievement in terms of overall polish – which I appreciated 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 sharp judge of character. Game Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get Hollow Knight: Silksong Sure. Give me a bastard-hard Metroidvania-esque thing and provide little guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "look around". What a joy. I get that it looks ace and is flawless if you are into challenging games, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I want less of in my current stage of life. I was around back when most games were like this, and my patience is gone. It was fine when I was a kid, but so was many questionable things. Biggest Gaming Controversy of 2025 Debate between questionable alliances that caused concern, and premium pricing. Both ethically dubious and repugnant. Games I Would Name My Children After, If I Was Ever Crazy Enough to Have More Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all make interesting names shouted from the back door at bedtime. Part of My Body That Aches Most From Gaming Right Thumb Joint. Seriously. I don’t know if it’s because of button mashing or doomscrolling, but it burns like the mines of sulphur in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs looked after 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 heat death of the universe. Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036 The Witcher 4.