🔗 Share this article This Household Alternative Video Game of the Year List for 2025 Well, what did you think of the past year in your household? Was it truly wonderful as one might claim on Facebook? Overflowing with A-grades for your offspring and riotous costume birthday parties for the grownups? Or perhaps it was a swamp of frustration with only rare enjoyable highlights? Could any part be genuine, or have we all become 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 video games we played the most. Let's get started: Game First Daughter Played the Most Pikmin "Why can't you pick just one?" "It’s not my definitive list." On her phone, she’s been playing Cityscapes and "attempting to locate reasonable healthcare." "Digitally?" "In reality." Title Middle Son Played the Most Overwatch "I don’t play games on my phone." He was offended that I suggested it. I respect that. Title Youngest Daughter Played the Most Resident Evil Biohazard She is trying to get into acting, but when she stepped away from the mic, she was tackling Resident Evil. She also elaborated in great detail about her successes on The Sims, where the Shark has a successful utopia with significantly better healthcare than her eldest sister has in the real world. Title the Partner Played the Most Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time She started the year at 60% completion and ended it 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 extract pins. Title I Found Amusing That 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 behaving this way to prepare him so he can grow up and play games for mature audiences. This defines our Scottish father/son relationship. Most Impressive Gaming Family Member This Year Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024 There was no contest for this one. She is incredible. Even better 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 remarkably well-crafted strategy wizard’s poker, with its constantly evolving range of cards and game variations. Game I Wish I Had Played Less Marvel Snap The catch about games that constantly evolve their range is you wake up one day and see it is all just an attempt to trap you with fear-of-missing-out driven microtransactions. So enjoyment soured halfway through the year and it got uninstalled. Title I Wish I Had Played More Doom: The Dark Ages Glorious reinvention of a iconic franchise. Engrossing atmosphere from the beginning. I wish I could eviscerate my demons so effectively in real life. Game I Wish I Had Played More (Thoughtful Edition) Blue Prince I decline to rush this stunning, original game and I just was short on the time or headspace to give it what it needed earlier this year. With relatives staying over the festive period, I will be playing this in the wee small hours after evening drinks. Title That Was a Lifesaver When I Needed It Balatro I'm aware Balatro was the previous year's sleeper hit, but I was a late adopter. And it is exceptional. It just gets every single thing right. Crazy Poker is a wonderful concept, but the effects behind the different special cards are so creative it has become a game I would happily play constantly. Add in the charm of the card design, and this is an absolute pinnacle of gaming. I dream of being stuck in a small space for hours just so I have nothing to do but play it. Game I Got the Most Backlash For Criticising Outer Worlds 2 I endured a wave of criticism 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 art, sound, acting – which I valued even more after experiencing Outer Worlds 2. So my appreciation goes out to the commenter who took the time to contact me to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "bitter, confused resentment". I mention that as written, because I acknowledge the engagement, and they are obviously an sharp judge of character. Game Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get Hollow Knight: Silksong Alright. Give me a brutally difficult Metroidvania-esque thing and don’t tell me guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "explore". What a joy. I get that it looks ace and is ideal if you are into this kind of thing, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I desire less in my current stage of life. 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 News of 2025 Debate between questionable alliances that raised eyebrows, and premium pricing. Both morally indefensible 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 back door at dinner time. Part of My Body That Aches Most From Gaming Right Thumb Joint. No joke. I don’t know if it’s because of video games or doomscrolling, but it burns like hellfire in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs looked after back in the day. 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 make 2026 last until the end of days. Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036 The Witcher 4.