In this final episode of 2025, Trevor and Jeff wrap up their year-long experiment: The "No New Games" Challenge. We break down whether we succeeded in clearing our backlogs or if we just stopped playing altogether.

We also dive into the chaos of Christmas morning—from the quantity vs. quality gift debate to why one dad opted for a retro handheld emulator over a PS5. Plus, we discuss the "dark side" of kids' gaming in 2025, including why Robloxfinally got banned in the household, the surprising rise of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) among teenagers, and why Chess is making a comeback.

Whether you are a dad trying to manage screen time or a gamer staring at an intimidating Steam backlog, this episode is for you.

Topics Covered:

The Christmas Haul: Why we bought retro handhelds and "dumb" smartwatches instead of current-gen consoles.

The Cookie Experiment: Why kids prefer 10 small gifts over one expensive one (Funko Pops vs. PS5).

Kids Gaming Trends: The rise of Fortnite, the fall of Roblox, and the wholesome return of D&D and Chess.

The Challenge Results: How replaying Elden Ring, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, and Hades 2 changed our gaming habits.

Gaming Fatigue: Why having "no new games" was actually a relief for our anxiety.

Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro: Raising a glass to 2025 0:45 - The Steam Christmas Sale temptation 2:30 - What did the kids get? (Retro Consoles vs. Funko Pops) 6:10 - The "Quantity vs. Quality" Gift Dilemma 10:15 - Kids Gaming Recap: The rise of D&D & Hollow Knight 14:50 - The Roblox Ban: Why it didn't work for us 18:30 - The Dads' Recap: Surviving the "No New Games" Challenge 23:00 - Trevor’s "Lost Year" of Gaming 28:45 - Looking ahead and Final Thoughts

Connect with New Dad Gaming:

Website: newdadgaming.com

Email: newdadgaming [at] gmail [dot] com

Remember: Just because you became a dad, doesn't mean it's game over.

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