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

So, what did you think of the past year in your household? Did it seem all as good as you pretended on online? Packed with academic success for the kids and wild costume gatherings for the grownups? Or perhaps it was a ocean of disappointment with only occasional entertaining highlights? Could any part be genuine, or have we all become AI-generated virtual entities with perfect dental work?

I have gathered everyone for a reflection, whether they wanted to or not, to reflect on the crucial thing in a calendar year: which video games we were obsessed with the most. Let's get started:

Title First Daughter Played the Most

Pikmin

"Is it impossible to pick just one?"

"It’s not my games column."

Meanwhile, on mobile, her go-to has been Cityscapes and "attempting to locate decent healthcare."

"Digitally?"

"In the actual world."

Game Second Son Played the Most

Overwatch

"I have no interest in games on my phone." He seemed insulted that I even asked. Fair enough.

Title Third Daughter Played the Most

Resident Evil Biohazard

She is trying 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 successful utopia with significantly better healthcare than her big sister has outside the game.

Title the Spouse Played the Most

Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time

She began the year at sixty percent completion and ended it at eighty-two percent. It’s a marathon not a sprint for her. Her phone game: something called Woodle, where you have to extract pins.

Title I Found Amusing That My Kids for Still Playing

Minecraft

Any time I see my adult son playing Minecraft, I give him a hard time like a cross between a persistent critic. When he complains, I reply that I am engaging in this to prepare him so he can mature and play games for grownups. It’s a very Scottish father/son relationship.

Most Skilled Gaming Family Member This Year

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.

Title I Played the Most

Marvel Snap

No other game compared 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 frequently update their range is you have a moment of clarity and realise it is all just an attempt to suck you into compulsion-based microtransactions. So enjoyment soured halfway through the year and it was deleted.

Title I Wish I Had Played More

Doom: The Dark Ages

Glorious reinvention of a classic franchise. Captivating atmosphere from the start. I wish I could eviscerate my issues so effectively in real life.

Title I Wish I Had Played More (Cerebral Edition)

Blue Prince

I decline to rush this beautiful, unique game and I just was short on the mental bandwidth to give it what it needed earlier this year. With relatives staying over the festive period, I plan to dive into this in the late night after family time.

Title That Kept Me Sane When I Needed It

Balatro

I know Balatro was the previous year's surprise hit, but I was slow on the uptake. And it is exceptional. It just gets each element right. Its gameplay loop is a wonderful concept, but the powers behind the different wild cards are so creative it has become a game I could play constantly. Add in the wittiness of the card design, and this is an definite pinnacle of gaming. I dream of being stuck in a broken-down lift for hours just so I have an opportunity but play it.

Game I Got the Most Flak For Criticising

Outer Worlds 2

I endured a wave of criticism when I critiqued 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 production values – which I appreciated even more after experiencing Outer Worlds 2. So my appreciation goes out to the reader who took the time to write in to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "missing the point". I share that as written, because I respect the passion, and she is obviously an excellent judge of character.

Game Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Fine. Give me a bastard-hard Metroidvania-esque thing and don’t tell me guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "figure it out". Great fun. I understand that it has great art and is flawless 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 most games were like this, and I’ve had enough. It was fine when I was a kid, but so was many questionable things.

Biggest Gaming Scandal of 2025

Debate between questionable alliances that sparked debate, and premium pricing. Both difficult to justify and concerning.

Games I Would Name My Children After, If I Was Ever Stupid Enough to Have More

Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all be unique names shouted 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 button mashing or doomscrolling, but it aches like the mines of sulphur in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs protected 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 cows come home.

Game I Am Looking Forward to the Most in 2036

The Witcher 4.