Our Dominik Diamond Unofficial Gaming of the Year List for This Year
Alright, how did you experience this year in your family? Could it be described as all as good as you pretended on social media? Full of A-grades for your offspring and wild costume celebrations for the parents? Maybe it felt like a swamp of frustration with only sporadic fun flotsam? And was any of it genuine, or is everyone now digitally altered AI slop beings with unrealistic smiles?
I've corralled my thoughts for a chat, ready or not, to reflect on the crucial thing in twelve months: what titles we were obsessed with the most. Let's get started:
Title Eldest Daughter Played the Most
Horizon Zero Dawn
"Why can't you pick just one?"
"It’s not my definitive list."
On her phone, her go-to has been Cityscapes and "searching for decent healthcare."
"Digitally?"
"In real life."
Title Second Son Played the Most
Overwatch
"I refuse to play games on my phone." He took umbrage that I suggested it. Fair enough.
Title Third Daughter Played the Most
Resident Evil Biohazard
She is trying to get into acting, but when she wasn’t singing, she was immersed in Resident Evil. She also elaborated in great detail about her successes on The Sims, where her character has a thriving utopia with far 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 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 remove pins.
Title I Laughed at My Kids for Still Playing
Minecraft
Whenever I see my adult son playing Minecraft, I give him a hard time like a cross between a relentless heckler. When he complains, I reply that I am engaging in this to prepare him so he can mature and play games for adults. This defines our Scottish father/son relationship.
Most Impressive Gaming Family Member of the Year
Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024
She was the clear winner for this one. She is unstoppable. More impressive than I was at Dancing Stage MegaMix in my prime.
Title I Played the Most
Marvel Snap
Nothing came close to the hours I spent on this remarkably well-crafted strategy wizard’s poker, with its regularly updated range of cards and game variations.
Title I Wish I Had Played Less
Marvel Snap
The downside about games that constantly evolve their range is you eventually realize and realise it is all just an attempt to trap you with compulsion-based microtransactions. So enjoyment soured halfway through the year and it was deleted.
Game I Wish I Had Played More
Doom: The Dark Ages
Excellent reinvention of a iconic franchise. Captivating atmosphere from the beginning. I wish I could dispatch my demons so effectively in real life.
Game I Wish I Had Played More (Cerebral Edition)
Blue Prince
I'm unwilling to rush this gorgeous, distinctive game and I just didn’t have the focused attention to give it what it deserved earlier this year. With relatives staying over the festive period, I plan to dive into this in the early morning after family time.
Title That Was a Lifesaver When I Needed It
Balatro
I'm aware Balatro was last year's breakout game, but I was a late adopter. And it is exceptional. It just gets each element right. Its gameplay loop is a wonderful concept, but the effects behind the different special cards are so creative it has become a game I could play constantly. Combine that with the charm of the card design, and this is an absolute high-water mark of gaming. I wouldn't mind being stuck in a elevator for hours just so I have nothing to do but play it.
Game I Got the Most Criticism For Criticising
Outer Worlds 2
I received a minor pile-on when I critiqued how a glitch in another game damaged the experience for me, but that other title is still a colossal gaming achievement in terms of overall polish – which I appreciated even more after playing 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 "missing the point". I share that verbatim, because I acknowledge the engagement, and she is obviously an sharp judge of character.
Game Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Fine. Give me a brutally difficult exploration-focused thing and don’t tell me guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "look around". Great fun. I get that it is beautiful and is ideal if you are into this kind of thing, but I cannot think of a gaming experience I want less of in my mid-fifties. I was around back when most games were like this, and I'm over it. It was acceptable when I was a kid, but the same could be said for many questionable things.
Biggest Gaming Scandal of 2025
Toss-up between questionable alliances that raised eyebrows, and expensive game releases. Both difficult to justify and concerning.
Games I Would Name My Children After, Were I I Was Ever Stupid Enough to Have More
Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all sound good names bellowed from the back door at dinner time.
Part of My Body That Aches Most From Gaming
Right Thumb Joint. Honestly. I don’t know if it’s because of video games or doomscrolling, but it aches like the mines of sulphur 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 stretch time until the end of days.
Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036
The Witcher 4.
