Pixel Parents | Video Game Podcast

This week we’re chatting all things Nioh 3 , from first impressions to what we hope Team Ninja brings to the next chapter of the series. We’re also chatting Mewgenics and more! Our main topic comes straight from a listener: do we get gamer guilt? We love this hobby, but does gaming sometimes feel like it comes at the expense of… everything else? Time, chores, partners, kids, rest. The real-life bo...

This week we’re revealing the games we totally FOMO’d on — the ones we didn’t plan to buy, didn’t have time for, didn’t even  want … until the hype wave swallowed us whole. We’re naming names, owning our weaknesses, and dissecting where the influence came from: reviews, trailers, friends, social media, podcasts… or our own self-inflicted hype spirals. Why does FOMO hit gamer parents so hard? What...

This week we’re digging into Highguard and tackling a spicy conversation about what actually makes someone a hardcore gamer… and why it’s definitely not just the people sinking endless hours into games. Life gets busy. Priorities shift. Kids appear. Jobs explode. But the passion for gaming doesn’t disappear (it just shows up in different ways). So we’re asking: What defines a Hardcore gamer? And w...

This week we react to the Xbox Developer Direct and run through the biggest moments as we see more from Fable, Forza Horizon 6, Beast of Reincarnation and Kiln!  PLUS  - Big news this week — Scott is going to be a dad again ! So we’re pressing reset and talking honestly about what it means to juggle gaming when life gets busier, noisier, and a whole lot more sleepless. We break down what changes (...

This week, Alex is back for what might be our most chaotic episode yet as we play a ruthless round of Underrated or Overrated .Nothing is safe. No franchise is sacred. And yes — your favourite game might appear. Expect sparks and the kind of nonsense that only happens when two tired gamer parents decide to say what many others dare not! And in this week’s Pixel Picks Showdown , we’re naming the Be...

It’s a brand new year, which means one thing...  more games than we’ll ever find time to play . This week, friend of the show and host of The Mimic's Veil, Alex, returns as our special guest!   And we’re kicking off 2026 by breaking down the games we’re most excited about, from the obvious heavy hitters to the long shots and dream announcements. We also tackle the elephant in the room:  GTA 6...

We’re kicking off the new year with a look forward and a look back. First, we set out our 2026 gaming resolutions , the promises, intentions and delusions we’ll almost definitely break by March. Backlog goals, platform habits, spending choices, and the types of games we want to play more (or less) of next year. Then we revisit 2025 and grade the Big Three: PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo . Who deli...

It’s our biggest episode of the year, the Pixel Parents Game of the Year 2025. We’re counting down our top ten favourite games of the year, celebrating the surprises, the slow burns, the instant classics, and the titles that defined our time playing games this year. No big stage. No world premieres. Just the honest, personal picks that stuck with us. In this episode: ​The official Pixel Parents GO...

It’s Christmas at Pixel Parents HQ, and we’re going full festive this week. We’re looking back at the games we wanted for Christmas growing up, the ones we got, the ones we didn’t, and the ones that live rent-free in our memories. Inspired by Jingle All The Way , we’re also asking the big one: What would be the "Turbo Man" if it were a game? We also chat about our modern festive gaming r...

This week we’re doing what should have been done years ago: A full audit of The Game Awards’ GOTY winners. We go year-by-year through every Keighley-era champion, asking: did the right game win — or did something else deserve the crown? From undeniable classics to questionable choices, we break down each year, what else was nominated, and which games have actually stood the test of time. Also, we’...

This week, it’s time for yet another alternative Game Awards…. The Geoffies! No orchestra, no celebrity cameos, just two tired gamer dads handing out deeply unserious gongs for the best (and strangest) moments in gaming this year. We’ve got brand new categories, some new favourites, and a few that probably shouldn’t exist at all.  No tuxedos or trailers, but plenty of laughs in what is our most un...

This week we’re taking a look back at the Console Wars : the daft bits, the fanboy era, and what it’s become in the age of “play anywhere.” Who won? Who lost? Has the battle shifted to storefronts (Game Pass, PS Plus, Steam, Epic) instead of plastic boxes? We’re also reviewing CloverPit and joining in the fun, sharing our looting tales from Arc Raiders.  We’ve also got a Festive Gaming Buying Guid...

It’s a chunky one this week as we take a loving look back at 20 years of Xbox 360 , peak online play, era-defining blockbusters and ask:  what made it so damn good? We also share our predictions for The Game Awards and react to the Xbox Partner Showcase! Also, we’ve got the verdict on Dispatch and share our thoughts on Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 And in this week’s Pixel Picks Showdown , we’re crown...

Support us FREE! Get bonus shows FREE! - www.patreon.com/pixelparents This week we’re joined by Patrick Klepek (Editor Remap, and Editor/founder Crossplay) for a wide-ranging chat on games media, parent-gamer life, and how we all keep the joy of play alive! We also break down State of Play Japan (what landed, what didn’t), chat the all new Steam Machine and review Winter Burrow after some quality...

Support us FREE! Get bonus shows! - www.patreon.com/pixelparents It’s been a year with the PS5 Pro . Was it a smart upgrade or pure FOMO? We break down the first year of Sony’s priciest console: what actually improved, who it suits, and whether we’d buy it today if we didn’t already own one. We’ll also ask where this leaves the PS6 conversation. Plus, we’re catching up on The Outer Worlds 2 and ho...

Join our FREE Patreon for bonus shows and support the show: www.patreon.com/pixelparents It’s our Halloween Special, and we’re naming our personal Gaming Pile of Shame … the games we still haven’t played or beaten on the backlog, which has grown monstrous and out of control! Nowhere to hide, it’s time to expose just how depraved our buying habits have been with video games in 2025! (Insert evil la...

SUPPORT US AND JOIN OUR FREE PATREON: www.patreon.com/pixelparents This week we’re getting honest about taste shifts: the game genres we’ve grown into (and the ones we’ve quietly fallen out of). From rogue-likes and tactics to racing sims and survival horror, we list the genres that finally clicked and the ones that just don’t hit like they used to… and dig into the why : time, mood, mechanics, an...

Support the show! Join our FREE Patreon for more! Visit - www.patreon.com/pixelparents This week, we catch up on what we’ve been playing including Ghost of Yotei , Baby Steps , and Hades II , then dive into our main topic: Sleeping Giants — the game devs who’ve gone quiet or still haven’t dropped the banger we’re all waiting for. Who has the big pressure on and who has the biggest opportunity to b...

This week, we’re slowing things right down. Between Ghost of Yotei , Super Mario Galaxy 2 , Hades II and Silent Hill f — we’ve been bouncing between chaos and calm. But it’s got us asking: Is it time we all embraced slow gaming? We're unpacking what “slow gaming” even means, why it might be exactly what we need, and how it could help us actually finish our backlogs without burning out. And in...

This week, we’re reacting to the Xbox Game Pass price hikes and asking the big question… Is it still the best deal in gaming? We also go deep on Hades II to share our impressions of what may already be a serious GOTY contender , as well as our thoughts on Silent Hill f as spooky season gets off to a flying start. And in this week’s main topic, we are chatting about Sequels that outshine the origin...

This week, it’s announcement overload — the PlayStation State of Play just dropped and we’re diving into every reveal, trailer, and potential wishlist addition. But with so many games dropping every month, it begs the question: Where do we even find the time? We’re taking a beat to ask: how do you actually fit all these games into adult life? And in this week’s Pixel Picks Showdown , we’re naming...

This week, we’re diving into a topic that’s been bubbling for a while: Do we still trust video game reviews? From inflated scores to rushed embargo day hot takes, we’re asking what actually makes a good review, and whether we need to rethink how we consume them. We also give our verdict on The Knightling , share our continued progress with Hollow Knight Silksong , and talk about how it feels to si...

This week we’re asking the question Hollow Knight fans have waited years to hear: Could Silksong actually be a Game of the Year contender? We dig into the latest hype, our expectations, and whether the long wait has helped or hurt. Then, in our main topic, we look ahead: What will be the next meme-hype game? And in this week’s Pixel Picks Showdown , we’re naming the Best Indie Game That Went Mains...

It’s officially silly season, and this week we’re taking a beat to ask: What really drives your next game to play? Is it FOMO? A glowing recommendation? The algorithm? Social pressure? Or just… vibes? We’ve all got limited time and more games than ever — so how do we actually make that next pick? This week’s main topic is personal, chaotic, and maybe a bit too relatable. We’re also reacting to the...

This week we’re deep-diving into the world of remakes—what makes them feel right , and when do they just feel… off? With Metal Gear Solid Delta and Gears of War Reloaded hitting shelves, we’re asking the big questions: Should a remake preserve everything that worked back then? Or are there things—story, tone, even design—that should stay in the past? We break down how modern remakes try to balance...