🔗 Share this article This Dominik Diamond Alternative Gaming of the Year List for The Past Year Well, how was the past year in your home? Could it be described as entirely positive as one might claim on Facebook? Packed with A-grades for the children and elaborate dress-up gatherings for the parents? Or perhaps it was a ocean of letdowns with only sporadic entertaining highlights? Could any part be actually real, or is everyone now seven-fingered AI slop beings with celebrity teeth? I've corralled the family together, willing or unwilling, to reflect on the crucial thing in a calendar year: which releases we enjoyed the most. Let's get started: Release First Daughter Played the Most Horizon Zero Dawn "Why can't you pick just one?" "This isn't my definitive list." On her phone, she’s been playing Cityscapes and "searching for adequate healthcare." "In the game?" "In the actual world." Title Second Son Played the Most Overwatch "I refuse to play games on my phone." He seemed insulted that I even asked. I respect that. Release Third Daughter Played the Most Resident Evil Biohazard She is trying to get into acting, but when she wasn’t singing, she was playing Resident Evil. She also went on in great detail about her achievements on The Sims, where her character has a thriving utopia with infinitely better healthcare than her eldest sister has in real life. Title the Partner Played the Most Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time She began the year at 60% completion and ended it at 82%. It’s a marathon 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 Every time I see my adult son playing Minecraft, I rib 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 be a man 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 It wasn't even close for this one. She is incredible. Superior than I was at Dancing Stage MegaMix in my prime. Game I Played the Most Marvel Snap Nothing came close to the hours I spent on this remarkably well-crafted deck building digital pastime, with its ever-changing range of cards and game variations. Title I Wish I Had Played Less Marvel Snap The catch about games that frequently update their range is you have a moment of clarity and see it is all just an attempt to suck you into fomo-fuelled 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 legendary franchise. Immersive atmosphere from the start. I wish I could dispatch my issues so effectively in real life. Title I Wish I Had Played More (Thoughtful Edition) Blue Prince I refuse to rush this stunning, original game and I just lacked the mental bandwidth to give it what it needed earlier this year. With family visits over the festive period, I plan to dive into this in the wee small hours after evening drinks. Title That Was a Lifesaver When I Needed It Balatro I'm aware Balatro was 2024’s sleeper hit, but I was late to it. And it is remarkable. It just gets each element right. The core concept is a wonderful concept, but the effects behind the different joker cards are so creative it has become a game I literally would play constantly. Throw in the charm of the card design, and this is an definite pinnacle of gaming. I wouldn't mind being stuck in a elevator for hours just so I have the perfect excuse but play it. Game I Got the Most Backlash For Criticising Outer Worlds 2 I endured a minor pile-on when I mentioned 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 overall polish – which I appreciated even more after playing Outer Worlds 2. So thank you to the commenter who took the time to write in to say that my Outer Worlds 2 review was "poorly reasoned". I mention that verbatim, because I appreciate the effort, and he is obviously an sharp judge of character. Title Everybody Loved That I Just Didn’t Get Hollow Knight: Silksong Alright. Give me a punishingly tough Metroidvania-esque thing and leave me without guidance on what I am supposed to be doing, except "figure it out". What a joy. I get that it has great art and is perfection 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 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 outdated things. Biggest Gaming Controversy of 2025 Close call between business deals that caused concern, and expensive game releases. Both difficult to justify and repugnant. Games I Would Name My Children After, Were I I Was Ever Foolish Enough to Have More Clair Obscur, Despelote and Bananza would all sound good names called from the doorstep at bedtime. 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 phone use, but it is sore like anything in the mornings now. I knew I should have got my thumbs protected back in the 90s. 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.