Alright, what did you think of this year in your home? Could it be described as all as good as people post on Facebook? Full of A-grades for the kids and riotous themed fancy dress birthday parties for the parents? Maybe it felt like a ocean of disappointment with only occasional enjoyable highlights? And was any of it genuine, or have we all become seven-fingered AI slop beings with perfect smiles?
I've assembled everyone together, ready or not, to discuss the most important thing in any given year: what titles we played the most. Let's get started:
Pikmin
"Can’t you pick just one?"
"It’s not my definitive list."
Meanwhile, on mobile, she's invested time in Cityscapes and "attempting to locate adequate healthcare."
"Virtually?"
"In the actual world."
Overwatch
"I don’t play games on my phone." He took umbrage that the question was posed. Fair enough.
Resident Evil Biohazard
Her goal is to get into drama school, but when she took a break from vocals, she was immersed in Resident Evil. She also went on in great detail about her accomplishments on The Sims, where her avatar has a blooming utopia with far better healthcare than her older sibling has in the real world.
Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time
She started the year at 60% completion and finished the year at 82%. She's in it for the long run not a sprint for her. Her phone game: something called Woodle, where you have to remove pins.
Minecraft
Any time I see my adult 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 toughen him up so he can mature and play games for mature audiences. It’s a very Scottish father/son relationship.
Eldest Daughter on Just Dance 2024
It wasn't even close for this one. She is unstoppable. Superior than I was at my peak gaming days in my prime.
Marvel Snap
No other game compared to the hours I spent on this exceptionally well-crafted deck building wizard’s poker, with its constantly evolving range of cards and game variations.
Marvel Snap
The downside about games that frequently update their range is you wake up one day and understand it is all just an attempt to suck you into compulsion-based microtransactions. So enjoyment soured halfway through the year and it got uninstalled.
Doom: The Dark Ages
Stunning reinvention of a classic franchise. Captivating atmosphere from the start. I wish I could dispatch my demons so effectively in real life.
Blue Prince
I'm unwilling to rush this beautiful, unique game and I just didn’t have the focused attention to give it what it needed earlier this year. With holiday guests over the festive period, I plan to dive into this in the late night after evening drinks.
Balatro
I acknowledge Balatro was 2024’s sleeper hit, but I was slow on the uptake. And it is exceptional. It just gets each element right. Crazy Poker is a brilliant concept, but the effects behind the different wild cards are so inventive it has become a game I could play constantly. Add in the charm of the card design, and this is an absolute peak of gaming. I fantasize about being stuck in a small space for hours just so I have an opportunity but play it.
Outer Worlds 2
I received a minor pile-on when I wrote about how a specific bug in another game damaged the experience for me, but that other title is still a massive gaming achievement in terms of production values – which I appreciated even more after slogging through Outer Worlds 2. So thank you to the individual 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 she is obviously an astute judge of character.
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Alright. Give me a brutally difficult non-linear thing and provide little guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "look around". What a joy. I acknowledge that it has great art 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 adulthood. I was around back when many games were like this, and I’ve had enough. It was fine when I was a kid, but the same could be said for many less comfortable things.
Toss-up between business deals that sparked debate, and premium pricing. Both ethically dubious and repugnant.
Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all be unique names bellowed from the garden at bedtime.
Right Thumb Joint. Seriously. I don’t know if it’s because of button mashing or phone use, but it is sore like hellfire in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs looked after back in the day.
Grand Theft Auto VI.
And it will come out in 2026, even if we have to make 2026 last until the end of days.
The Witcher 4.
A passionate gamer and strategy enthusiast with years of experience in competitive gaming and content creation.
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