So many Computer Games to choose from and so little time!
At the beginning of this year, I promised myself that I would beat, not complete, 50 games. A high target, as I have since realised, but it was a goal I genuinely wanted to commit to and one that would challenge me. My wife was mid-way through her pregnancy, and I felt this might be the best opportunity I would have in a long while to finally work through some games that had been sitting untouched for years.
Towards the end of 2024, I was watching a YouTube channel where the creator talked about keeping a simple game log. Just a list of every game they had beaten each year. No percentages, no trophies, just finished games. I remember thinking how simple the idea was and wondering why I had never done it before.
So I decided that in 2025, I would finally start doing exactly that.
Wonder-ful.
I began my gaming journey this year with Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and what a way to start. A truly wonderful Super Mario game that perfectly captured the magic of 2D side-scrolling from the Super Mario World era on the Super Nintendo.
The game oozes charm. From the imaginative level design to the sheer creativity packed into every world, it felt like Nintendo reminding us why Mario has endured for so long. The Wonder Flowers, new enemy ideas and badge system added fresh twists without ever feeling overwhelming. It was joyful, colourful and endlessly inventive.
I had an absolute blast from start to finish, and it set the tone perfectly for the rest of the year.
I am not going to go through every single game I played, but there are a few highlights that really stood out.
Wild, Wild West.
I still feel guilty for not beating this game back in October 2018. A true masterpiece, and I do not use that word lightly, Red Dead Redemption 2 had been sitting unfinished for far too long.
Before diving into it, I made a point of finally beating the original Red Dead Redemption. I bought that game back in 2010 and somehow never reached the ending. This time, I made sure to see it through before moving on.
In April this year, I finally beat Red Dead Redemption 2 and wow. From start to finish, it was the most immersive and cinematic Wild West experience I have ever played. The world felt alive in a way few games manage to achieve, and the pacing gave the story the space it needed to really sink in.
There were so many memorable missions, but the one that stood out most was the Chapter 3 assault on Braithwaite Manor. The slow build-up, the tension between the families and then the explosive payoff was incredible. From that point onwards, you really start to feel the inevitable downfall of the Van der Linde gang, and watching Dutch slowly unravel was both fascinating and tragic.
Here’s hoping we see another Red Dead Redemption someday, although I am sure Grand Theft Auto VI will keep me busy when it hopefully arrives in 2026.
The Persian Prince is truly back.
Another standout this year was Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, which, in my opinion, is one of the best Prince of Persia games ever made.
Taking the series into a 2D Metroidvania-style experience was a bold move, but it paid off. The world design was clever and interconnected, encouraging exploration without ever feeling frustrating. Movement felt incredibly smooth, and the combat struck a great balance between challenge and satisfaction.
The boss battles were tough but fair, and each new ability meaningfully changed how you navigated the world. It constantly pushed me forward with that classic “just one more upgrade” feeling, something every great Metroidvania nails.
Metroidvania
It would not feel right to talk about this year without mentioning Metroid Dread and Metroid Prime, two incredible Metroid games that I had somehow never beaten before.
Metroid Dread was an absolute standout. Fast, fluid and relentlessly intense, it constantly pushed me to improve. The boss battles were no joke either. The fight against Experiment No. Z-57 was brutal and demanded near-perfect execution, but nothing quite compared to the final showdown with Raven Beak. That battle tested everything I had learned throughout the game, from movement to timing and reactions, and beating it felt genuinely earned. It was tough, frustrating at times, but incredibly rewarding.
Then there is Metroid Prime. This is a game I have wanted to play properly for years. As a teenager, I found it genuinely intimidating. The atmosphere, the isolation and the tension all got to me, and I never had the courage to push through it. Coming back to it now as an adult felt like finally conquering an old fear.
Taking my time with it this year has been an amazing experience. The world-building, environmental storytelling and sense of loneliness are unlike anything else. I am still playing through it, but it has already been an incredible journey, and I am hoping to finally see the credits roll by the end of 2025.
Revisiting these Metroid games reminded me why the genre resonates so deeply with me. They reward patience, resilience and a willingness to learn, and when everything finally clicks, the payoff is immense.
Why now is the best time to go back to your older catalogue of games.
If this year has taught me anything, it is that your backlog is not a burden. It is an opportunity.
Older games do not suddenly become worse just because something newer exists. In fact, many of them age beautifully, especially when revisited with a different mindset. Playing without chasing 100% completion or trophies made the experience far more enjoyable and far less stressful.
With limited free time, especially as life changes and responsibilities grow, finishing games, truly finishing them, feels more rewarding than endlessly hopping between new releases.
So if you woke up this Christmas morning and your backlog somehow grew even larger, do not worry. You are not alone. Maybe now is the perfect time to stop looking forward and start looking back instead.
There are some incredible games waiting to be finished.
My original target of 50 games turned out to be far too high, but I still managed to beat 20 games this year. For someone who buys games, leaves them in their wrapping and then never gets around to playing them for years, that feels like a genuine achievement. That is especially true given that I also became a first time parent this year.
Looking ahead to 2026, I am setting a more realistic goal of 25 games and hoping to continue expanding my gaming journey at a pace that actually fits around life.