🔗 Share this article The Diamond Family Unofficial Video Game of the Year List for The Past Year So, what did you think of the past year in your home? Did it seem all as good as you pretended on social media? Packed with A-grades for the children and wild themed fancy dress gatherings for the adults? Or was it a swamp of frustration with only occasional fun moments? Could any part be actually real, or have we all become seven-fingered AI slop beings with unrealistic teeth? I have gathered everyone together, willing or unwilling, to discuss the crucial thing in twelve months: what titles we were obsessed with the most. Without further ado: Title First Daughter Played the Most Pikmin "Why can't you pick just one?" "This isn't my definitive list." Meanwhile, on mobile, she's invested time in Cityscapes and "attempting to locate adequate healthcare." "Digitally?" "In reality." Title Second Son Played the Most Overwatch "I have no interest in games on my phone." He took umbrage that the question was posed. Fair enough. Title Youngest Daughter Played the Most Resident Evil Biohazard She's attempting to get into drama school, but when she took a break from vocals, she was playing Resident Evil. She also went on in great detail about her achievements on The Sims, where her avatar has a thriving utopia with infinitely better healthcare than her big sister has in the real world. Release the Partner Played the Most Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time She started the year at sixty percent completion and finished the year at 82%. It’s a marathon not a sprint for her. Her phone game: something called Woodle, where you have to unscrew pins. Title I Teased My Kids About My Kids for Still Playing Minecraft Whenever I see my 21-year-old son playing Minecraft, I rib him like a cross between a persistent critic. When he protests, I reply that I am doing this to build character so he can grow up and play games for mature audiences. This defines our Scottish father/son relationship. Most Skilled Gaming Family Member of the Year Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024 There was no contest for this one. She is incredible. Superior than I was at my peak gaming days in my prime. Title I Played the Most Marvel Snap It was in a league of its own to the hours I spent on this exceptionally well-crafted card game wizard’s poker, with its regularly updated 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 understand it is all just an attempt to trap you with fear-of-missing-out driven microtransactions. So affection became resentment halfway through the year and it was deleted. Title I Wish I Had Played More Doom: The Dark Ages Stunning reinvention of a legendary franchise. Immersive atmosphere from the beginning. I wish I could eviscerate my issues so effectively in real life. Title I Wish I Had Played More (Thoughtful Edition) Blue Prince I refuse to rush this beautiful, unique game and I just lacked the time or headspace to give it what it required earlier this year. With holiday guests over the festive period, I plan to dive into this in the early morning after evening drinks. Game That Saved My Soul When I Needed It Balatro I know Balatro was the previous year's sleeper hit, but I was a late adopter. And it is exceptional. It just gets each element right. The core concept is a brilliant concept, but the abilities behind the different wild cards are so inventive it has become a game I could play at any hour. Add in the cleverness of the card design, and this is an definite peak of gaming. I dream of being stuck in a small space for hours just so I have nothing to do but play it. Title I Got the Most Flak For Criticising Outer Worlds 2 I endured a bit of backlash when I mentioned how a specific bug in another game damaged the experience for me, but that other title is still a colossal gaming achievement in terms of art, sound, acting – which I appreciated even more after slogging through Outer Worlds 2. So thank you 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 verbatim, because I respect the passion, and he is obviously an excellent judge of character. Game Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get Hollow Knight: Silksong Alright. Give me a bastard-hard Metroidvania-esque thing and provide little guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "explore". What a joy. I acknowledge 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 adulthood. I was around back when all games were like this, and I'm over it. It was fine when I was a kid, but the same could be said for many outdated things. Biggest Gaming Controversy of 2025 Toss-up between questionable alliances that caused concern, and expensive game releases. Both morally indefensible and unpleasant. Games I Would Name My Children After, Were I I Was Ever Stupid Enough to Have More Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all be unique names bellowed from the back door 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 endless scrolling, but it aches like hellfire in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs insured 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 wait patiently until the cows come home. Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036 The Witcher 4.