This Dominik Diamond Personal Gaming of the Year Roundup for The Past Year

So, how was the past year in your home? Did it seem truly wonderful as one might claim on online? Full of academic success for your offspring and elaborate costume birthday parties for the grownups? Or was it a sea of frustration with only occasional enjoyable highlights? And was any of it genuine, or is everyone now digitally altered AI slop beings with unrealistic dental work?

I've corralled my thoughts together, willing or unwilling, to reflect on the most important thing in any given year: which releases we enjoyed the most. Let's get started:

Title Eldest Daughter Played the Most

Horizon Zero Dawn

"Why can't you pick just one?"

"You can't expect my games column."

In the mobile realm, she’s been playing Cityscapes and "searching for adequate healthcare."

"Virtually?"

"In the actual world."

Release Second Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I don’t play games on my phone." He seemed insulted that I suggested it. Fair enough.

Title Youngest Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

She's attempting to get into acting, but when she took a break from vocals, she was playing Resident Evil. She also elaborated in great detail about her successes on The Sims, where her character has a thriving utopia with significantly better healthcare than her eldest sister has in the real world.

Game the Partner Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She started the year at sixty percent completion and finished the year at eighty-two percent. It's a long haul not a sprint for her. On her phone: something called Woodle, where you have to unscrew pins.

Game I Found Amusing That My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Any time I see my 21-year-old son playing Minecraft, I set about him like a cross between a classic comedy bit. When he objects, I reply that I am engaging in this to prepare him so he can mature and play games for grownups. It's a classic 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 unstoppable. Even better than I was at my peak gaming days in my prime.

Game I Played the Most

Marvel Snap

It was in a league of its own to the hours I spent on this exceptionally well-crafted deck building digital pastime, with its ever-changing range of cards and game variations.

Game I Wish I Had Played Less

Marvel Snap

The worst thing about games that endlessly add to their range is you wake up one day and realise it is all just an attempt to suck you into fomo-fuelled 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 classic franchise. Captivating 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'm unwilling to rush this stunning, original game and I just didn’t have 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 late night after appropriate hospitality.

Title That Was a Lifesaver When I Needed It

Balatro

I acknowledge Balatro was last year's breakout game, but I was a late adopter. And it is exceptional. It just gets absolutely everything right. Crazy Poker is a wonderful concept, but the effects behind the different special cards are so inventive it has become a game I would happily play any time. Combine that with the cleverness of the card design, and this is an definite pinnacle of gaming. I wouldn't mind being stuck in a small space for hours just so I have nothing to do but play it.

Game 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 gargantuan gaming achievement in terms of overall polish – which I valued even more after experiencing Outer Worlds 2. So thank you to the individual who took the time to write in to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "bitter, confused resentment". I present that in the exact way, because I appreciate the effort, and they are obviously an excellent judge of character.

Title Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Sure. Give me a brutally difficult Metroidvania-esque thing and leave me without guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "figure it out". Great fun. I understand that it is beautiful and is ideal if you are into the genre, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I am less interested in in my mid-fifties. I was around back when many games were like this, and my patience is gone. It was acceptable when I was a kid, but the same could be said for many less comfortable things.

Biggest Gaming Scandal of 2025

Debate between corporate partnerships that sparked debate, and high launch costs. Both difficult to justify and repugnant.

Games I Would Name My Children After, Were I I Was Ever Crazy Enough to Have More

Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all sound good names bellowed from the garden at tea 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 endless scrolling, but it burns like anything in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs insured 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 wait patiently until the cows come home.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.