The Pocket Gamer Podcast

What is the scariest game of all time in your opinion? How would you survive starvation in a Tim Burton-esque land, and do you find a certain speedy hedgehog creepy too? We celebrate the 100th episode of the (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast with a Halloween special too - and with special guest Cristina joining in after a long while of being away! Since we're going to be recommending a bunch of creepy games you might want to try your hand in this season , I kick things off with Dr Chatelet: Faith , where you play as a doctor in the Middle Ages trying to cure the common folk's illnesses by bloodletting and amputation. The Tim Burton-esque visuals might make it seem like it's all cutesy and stuff, but it's actually got a dark and twisted nature, especially with the real historical snippets you get at the end of each chapter about what medical "technology" used to be. Cristina then follows up with the similarly-themed visual style of Don't Starve Together , where you essentially try to survive a world where everything is out to kill you - even the darkness. It's a co-op game, but Cristina has somehow been Don't-Starving-Alone all this time. Will then takes things into an even darker turn with Replaced , where you play as an AI trapped in a human body, trying to survive a dystopian world that's basically gone to the dogs. And it's all very timely too in its theme - it certainly offers plenty of existential crises for you this Halloween. And finally, Iwan wraps it all up with the creepiest thing of all - and that's the idea of games "hacking" into your phone, trying to reach you even though it's not supposed to be real. That's the stuff of nightmares, really - although Cristina offers another surprise nightmarish image for us all before the episode ends!

Do you have a favourite crossover on mobile? What do you think is the greatest or the most nonsensical collab of all time? It's all about combining what should and shouldn't be combined in this week's (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast , where we once again add a sneaky little plug for the Pocket Gamer Awards and its ongoing nominations phase. Will kicks off the discussion with Diablo Immortal and Spawn , which we all kinda feel like is pretty apt given the hell-themed shenanigans both franchises have. Then, we turn our attention to the other end of the spectrum, which is the recently concluded WWE Champions x Cowboy Bebop collab . It just doesn't feel like it makes sense no matter how you look at it, but hey - if people are having fun, then that's more than enough, I suppose! Iwan then steers the conversation to FIFA Heroes and its crossover with Kung Fu Panda, before we reveal why we're actually talking about collabs this week - and that's because there's a new category for the Pocket Gamer Awards 2027 called Best In-Game Collab. That makes us look back on the most memorable ones we've had over the years, including Vampire Survivors x Among Us , CookieRun: Kingdom x BTS , Call of Duty Mobile x The Boys , and Sword of Convallaria x The Witcher . There's also AFK Journey's crossovers with Delicious in Dungeon and Frieren . For me, my top picks to nominate would be Dead Cells x Castlevania and Last Cloudia x Star Ocean , while Iwan highlights the Balatro x Friends of Jimbo ultimate collab. We throw our wishes into the ether for a possible Dadish x Turnip Boy crossover, and Will adds the Godzilla DLC from Dave the Diver to his wishlist. And finally, Iwan wraps it all up with the strangest collabs in PUBG , so suffice it to say that there's a lot to choose from when you make your nominations this month!

Who's the best mobile game character of all time? Do you fancy first-person Doom-esque shooters, or would you rather take your dungeon-crawling chaos elsewhere? We ponder the ins and outs of iconic looks and character depths (or the lack thereof) in this week's (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast , where we also hype up the Pocket Gamer Awards and its nominations phase on the 15th. Yes, the Pocket Gamer Awards 2027 is opening nominations beginning October 15th, where you can nominate your faves provided the game was launched between 1st October '25 and 30th September '26. We've got a whole bunch of new categories this year, including Best Mobile Game Character, which may or may not be a certain spiky-haired teen with a penchant for gigantic swords. Iwan and Will suggest different franchise icons that have become household names and mobile classics through the years, including characters from Clash of Clans , Angry Birds , and an imposter-hunting space crew. This is the perfect segue for Among Us Story: On Guard , then, as the popular social deduction game is taking the multiplayer aspect out of the equation and switching things up with a single-player murder mystery-ish adventure. Whether or not that's going to work remains to be seen, but that does remind Iwan of something he was initially looking forward to as well, which is Boltgun Boom . Stephen's hands-on raised some issues on the controls for this boomer shooter sub-genre - which breaks Iwan's heart a little bit - but that just means he's now fully committed to Warhammer Survivors when it launches next month. Will then shares the most recent launch he's most excited for, which is Vampire Crawlers on mobile! That, at least, raises Iwan's spirits for a bit, before we wrap it all up with another reminder for you guys - don't forget to nominate your mobile faves for the Pocket Gamer Awards tomorrow!

Are you a fan of all things low-poly, or are you into old-school cool? Have you ever dabbled in RuneScape, or are you more of a Warhammer enthusiast? You can certainly be both in this week's (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast , where Iwan recaps everything that went down during RuneFest over the weekend - plus, he and Will go all out on all things Warhammer. Iwan wastes no time in telling us all about RuneScape RuneFest and the biggest announcements that were dropped during the event, including both a 4th RuneScape game and an animated series in the works. Will offers his two cents on what kind of theme the show might take on, before we move on to speculating about the 4th RuneScape adventure and what that might mean for fans of the long-running franchise. And while the first half of the episode is all about RuneScape, the second half is basically Iwan and Will gushing about their love for Warhammer thanks to Warhammer Survivors having just revealed its official launch date. Honestly, though, even for someone like me who knows nothing about the IP, I think the teaser trailer alone should get anyone hyped for the Survivors-like . I simply love the theme they're clearly going for here - and I don't doubt it'll resonate with fans of the genre, especially since the upcoming "bullet heaven" is being developed in collaboration with poncle themselves. That said, Iwan and Will share some very interesting tidbits with me to enlighten me about this incredibly lush world, and by the time this episode ends, I can safely say my interest is definitely piqued - here's hoping yours will be too.

Are you a fan of auto-battles or would you rather go for the grind? How do you feel about romancing waifus that actually require you to make an effort? I'm super pumped for this episode of the (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast , where I gush about the week that's been getting up close and personal with some of Tencent's most talked-about games. The first big thing I kick off with is how I got hands-on with Monster Hunter Outlanders , as well as grabbed an interview with the devs during my Shenzhen trip. We also get Will pretty hyped about it, because as a fan of the franchise, he's curious to see how the team brings the massive scale of the Monster Hunter IP to mobile. Next on the list is Chasing Kaleidorider , which I have a preview in the works for too! It's a "doki doki" romance RPG where you attempt to woo femme fatales on motorbikes, and honestly, it not only looks cool but it also offers a pretty in-depth romance sim where you really need to put in a lot of effort to win the girl of your dreams. It's meant to be a wholesome affair, and on top of that, it's got Will excited for the arcade combat and Iwan intrigued by the whole concept. Speaking of wholesome, Animula Nook is Tencent's upcoming cosy life sim that's set in a miniaturised world, and while most people will probably aim to cross each item on their quest checklist as soon as possible, I ended up getting obsessed with cleaning the dust off the floor with my trusty skateboard. It's a compelling loop, really, and the adorable pets you get to meet along the way simply add to its lovely charm. Finally, Iwan wraps it all up by asking me what I thought would be the next big thing for the company, which, apart from Monster Hunter Outlanders, made me rethink Delta Force and its huge scale. Getting to watch the 2nd-anniversary esports tournament in person made me realise just how massive it is, and I don't doubt it'll only get bigger in the future.

As a fan of a franchise, would you want its sequel to be in the exact same genre, or something else entirely? Is there anything you're looking forward to the most at Tokyo Game Show this weekend? We ask a lot of whys in this week's (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast , and throw in some Belmont-related jumpscares along the way. That said, one of the mobile games that's being showcased at TGS is Wai Wai World Craft , which honestly has all three of us confused. It's a great concept, sure - but at the moment, it's looking a little lacklustre, and we're not entirely sure who it's for. It's a Roblox-esque game but with different Konami properties all in one place, which steers the conversation to random Contra-themed musings. It's not all bad, though, because another IP that Konami is showcasing is Suikoden Star Leap , and I'm extremely ecstatic for this one! It was launched in Japan for iOS and Android last month, but I don't doubt it'll also be released worldwide - it's only a matter of when. As a fan of the franchise, I love how they've chosen to go back to the IP's old-school pixel-art turn-based roots. And what's even more interesting is that the gacha system here supposedly only locks the heroes from the previous titles in the summons pool - not the ones you actually meet when you progress through the story. Meanwhile, what Will's looking forward to is Absolum , a totally awesome-looking "rogue 'em up" that's coming to mobile on November 5th. There's plenty of Streets of Rage 4 and Golden Axe vibes with this one, so it's safe to say you can expect us to be diving into this as soon as it's out.

How long do you think you can survive as a new ruler of your own kingdom? Would real life be easier if there were only two choices in every decision? We ponder the hilarious duality of life in this week's (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast , where it's all about Reigns and its 10th anniversary! François Alliot, creative director and co-founder of Nerial, and Senior Narrative Designer Oscar Harrington-Shaw sit down with us this week to talk about Reigns' beginnings, how they pitched it as "Game of Thrones meets Tinder", and how mobile was always the plan for the narrative Choose Your Own Adventure-like sim. It's an interesting tale of how the concept came to be, and at which point they realised that the franchise had the potential to be the massive hit it is today. They also share stories about how the mobile landscape has changed over the years in terms of premium price tags, analytics, and different monetisation models, which brings to light a lot of thoughtful points on the evolution of the series across a decade. That said, with all the different IPs that the Reigns series now has - Game of Thrones and The Witcher included - they both share their dream franchise they'd love to maybe Reigns-ify one day, as well as their personal favourites, advice for indie devs, and subtle hints on what they might be working on next!

Did you catch all the latest developments about Gamescom last week ? Is there a mobile game you're particularly excited about? Iwan's back from the event and has both me and Will properly hyped up in this week's (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast , where we tackle everything from HoYoverse hijinks to Tencent TBAs! Right after Iwan admits he wasn't able to get hands-on with "anime GTA" Ananta , he gets right to it with Silver Palace , an upcoming aRPG with thrilling hack-and-slash action. He takes us through what makes it look, feel, and play differently from others in its genre, including its very distinct theming and rockin' soundtrack. Now, I mistakenly thought it felt similar to Reverse: 1999, so Iwan happily sheds more light on it before we move on to Honkai: Nexus Anima - it's only fitting that we dive into HoYoverse's projects, as they very kindly sent Iwan to Gamescom in the first place. We go into the pros and cons of the creature-collecting auto-battling RPG, because I was also fortunate enough to get hands-on with the beta a few weeks ago ( and so did our teammate Cristina ). One of the things we did like about it is how it's able to inject its signature miHoYo humour into the creatures or the Anima, but we do feel like the gacha element might be where the power creep, well, creeps in. This then moves us on to Petit Planet , in which Iwan offers the latest developments that have been added since the last demo I played . But for me, one of the most exciting things I saw from all the Gamescom announcements was the surprise reveal of Nodusfall , which sets itself apart from other HoYoverse projects thanks to its non-anime-styled visuals alone. I feel like it's very Monster Hunter -esque, so Will offers his two cents on how it might play out if it were an MH-like game but with gacha elements. He does have reservations about the cosmetics and the grind, so it'll be interesting to see how the studio will address this in the future. Onto Tencent things, Iwan shares his thoughts on both Honor of Kings World and Honor of Kings Ace , including his interesting insights on the future of League of Legends and Riot Games. At this point, we ask him what stood out to him the most during the event, and he turns our attention to the pavilions for Morocco and Korea . What's also very lovely to see was the bigger presence of mobile this year , because as we'll always tell you, mobile is awesome, and mobile is where it's at!

Are there any games you're looking forward to being showcased at Gamescom this year? And do you think a rabbit's foot can truly bring you luck? It's all about Gamescom fever in this week's (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast , where we channel our excitement about all the cool stuff that's going to be featured - particularly the indie ones - across this multi-day gaming event. Will kicks off the conversation with Rust Mobile and its second closed beta, giving us a quick look at what the survival crafting franchise is all about and what sets it apart from others in the genre. It's definitely stood the test of time, so it'll be interesting to see how something this massive could be ported onto mobile soon. And speaking of platforms, Overserved is one of the things that caught my eye over on the Gamescom list, as it's apparently supposed to be playable across more than 12 platforms - including the Neo Geo arcade cabinet. Iwan and Will offer their sceptical takes on how this is actually going to happen, but if it does, that would, truth be told, actually be really awesome. We then move on to other Gamescom indies such as Dungeon Clawler and Goblin Sushi - the former will have you vowing vengeance on the gamblers who cut off your rabbit's foot, while the latter sets you on a quest to pay your landlord else he dies. I absolutely love these backstories - it just makes everything even more intriguing. Finally, Iwan offers his two cents on Gamescom as a whole and the games he's most excited to see there, including Please, Watch the Artwork , Honor of Kings Ace , HoYoverse titles, and Sea of Remnants . If you're curious about what it's like on the ground, stay tuned for his recap and coverage of the event next week!

Are you a fan of mobile adaptations of your favourite anime shows? How do you feel about reliving "iconic scenes" from the franchise, or about the roster of characters you want to collect? It's a shameless celebration of all things JoJo in this week's (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast , where you might just hear two different perspectives on the new RPG from fans and non-fans alike. Iwan gets right to it with the launch of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Spirit , and if you've been a regular listener to the podcast, you'll know that both Will and Iwan are massive fans of the IP. For me, as a newcomer to the franchise, I wasn't sure how to feel about the very narrative-driven approach to the RPG, but we do all agree that the visuals are fantastic and that the RPG is really well made. Iwan and Will then get into the heart of the matter about whether or not it's a good idea to introduce the series at a certain point in the arc, and Iwan airs his grievances about the roster of characters currently available . Despite our apparent complaints, the truth is that we all very much enjoy the game, to be honest! And if you're looking to get into it as well, we've got a beginner's guide and a Hall of Trials guide to help you get started. Moving on before we get too deep into JJBA, something that also caught our eye this week is the 8BitDo FlipPad , which is an interesting little peripheral that essentially turns your mobile phone into a GameBoy-esque handheld device. It leads our conversation into emulators and how well these mobile innovations may go, including a potential Nintendo-based set of old-school retro games and Iwan's previous review of the similarly built GameSir Pocket Taco . You can listen to the podcast below, through the Spotify embed, or head over to our Spotify Page. If you fancy giving us a follow, you'll actually get the new podcasts pushed to you as they're uploaded (which means you can give them a listen before we've even got the story live on the website). Plus, we've been teasing more ways of getting it to you for the past months, and now the time has finally come. You can catch us on Amazon Music or on Apple Podcasts too - because life is hard enough already, and we wouldn't want you to struggle with finding us!

How would you like an AI assistant that makes seamless purchases for you? Would you have enough self-discipline, or will your in-app purchases spiral out of control? We ponder the consequences of automated sales in this week's (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast , where we tackle everything from morbid geese to duck mafia. The big topic for this episode is mobile monetisation via AI agents , in which we shed some light on what the future might look like if AI assistants could make automatic purchases for you within games. It's all about removing barriers and making things as immersive and seamless as possible, which might not turn out so well if you're easily swayed by tempting offers. It's the hilariously perfect segue from AI into Cluck Survivor , as the premise for this Survivors-like stems from an AI data centre exploding. It does offer a charming set of visuals for the genre, which reminds Iwan of his experience playing both My Hero Academia United Survival and The Walking Dead Aftermath . There's an interesting dichotomy between the two despite being in the same genre, but the bottom line is that presentation matters more than you might think. It's why the gacha element in both CookieRun: Kingdom and CookieRun: Crumble is so memorable, after all! Will also recalls his time playing Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Survivor , before we segue into other quirkier takes on the genre, including a Loopy Ducky and some ducks in a top hat , before we wrap it all up with an innocent goose being boiled alive in Goose RPG: Honk to Survive . Oh, and we're looking forward to the aptly titled Warhammer Survivors one too, which is another take on the genre and is being developed in cooperation with poncle themselves!

If a game tells you to expect an ad every hour, does that make it less disruptive? How do you feel about watching ads for games you already own? We try to get our bearings upon Iwan's return in this week's (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast , where we tackle everything from promotional materials for an office supply chain to more mobile monetisation mayhem. Will jumps right into the big topic for this week, which is that Xbox has announced that it'll be testing this new ad-based system for its games streaming service. This means that you'll be streaming games with ads being shown every hour, which raises a lot of questions about how disruptive these will be during each gameplay session. Mobile has been doing this for a while now, hasn't it? This brings to mind one of the recent games I've had the pleasure of playing, which is Wish Upon A Cat . This point-and-click adventure , from the very beginning, tells you that it'll show you five ads across the entire experience, and knowing that, it actually made me feel less annoyed with ads, mainly because I was expecting them. Does that mean being aware of the ads makes them less intrusive? Iwan and Will then discuss the pros and cons of applying ads that are more relevant to the actual game's universe, as well as what exactly it means to be shown ads that add value to the player. Will it make more sense for ads to be integrated seamlessly into games? For instance, in Shelter From the Storm , could a document you're supposed to read perhaps be sponsored by an office supply chain? But that'd just be weird for something like Genshin Impact, wouldn't it? We throw a lot of random suggestions out into the ether, including having a banner at the bottom of the window (which definitely takes away from the verisimilitude, as Iwan puts it), asking people what kinds of ads they want to see, or having ads run on loading screens. There's also this interesting suggestion Will makes about having hidden codes inside the ads to reward players who've seen it, while Iwan counters that idea with having an IRL coupon you can use to get a free burger somewhere. It all boils down to how players are going to respond to this, because on mobile, this kind of ad strategy is already pretty common. What do you think about this "new thing" Xbox is trying, though? Send us a carrier pigeon and let us know!

How do you go about your regular game night? And what counts as a "mobile game" these days? This week's (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast is once again a duo discussion between Will and me, where we go from Batman to He-Man and everything in between. Will takes us right into it with the recent trend we've been seeing, which is mobile games launching on TV. It's not as bizarre as you might think, because Eterspire will soon be playable on Apple TV (although that does raise questions about how its controls are going to go). If it's going to be mirrored onto a bigger screen, how good your hand-eye coordination is will determine how well you play. But if it's using your phone as a controller, how would that work? This brings to mind one of the mobile peripherals our editor-in-chief Dann reviewed called Playtiles , which sticks an adhesive onto your phone's screen to give it a more tactile controller feel. That said, we use Netflix's Unhinged as a good example of a creative way to use your phone as part of the actual game you're playing on your TV. It's a tool you use as an actual phone to get through the game, and it's an interesting concept that we may or may not see more of in the future. In terms of couch co-op, using phones as controllers might have a Switch-esque purpose, especially with the likes of Batman: Caped Crusader - Chronicles , where you team up with your friends to help solve crimes in Gotham City. Does it still use phones as peripherals more than as actual platforms? You be the judge! Before we end, though, we wrap up with Masters of the Universe: Legends Unite , which, this time, uses a mobile game as a tie-in to a film. It's another kind of approach that's different from the previously mentioned projects - we just wish there was some way to grab an in-game code from the film after watching it on Amazon Luna. We can dream, can't we?

Have you ever tried coming back to a game you've abandoned for so long? How do you feel about end-game content and live ops in general? This week's (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast is a duo discussion between Will and me about everything from messy user interfaces to problematic power creep. As I was away last episode due to TorchCon , I kick things off with a quick recap of everything that went down in Shanghai for the weekend - the highlight of which was the Torchlight Infinite devs lining up on stage to take questions from the audience. The players wasted no time in grilling them on the RPG's issues, but they bravely took it all in stride, which is extremely admirable. Will shares his own experience playing the RPG when he reviewed it three years ago, which inevitably leads to the issue of how challenging it can be for developers to balance end-game content to keep things fresh for veteran players with newbie-friendly quests to keep barriers to entry low. We segue into cluttered menus and the difficulty of cramming UI elements into a small screen, with references to World of Warcraft, Diablo Immortal, Warframe , and Black Desert Mobile . Mobile optimisations and ports flow into the conversation, before the omnipresent problem of power creep, well, creeps in. I talk about returning to Last Cloudia again after five years and feeling lost and overwhelmed, while Will shares his experience coming back to Raid: Shadow Legends and beating the main campaign. Before we wrap up, though, we ponder the ins and outs of developers holding their own conventions for their franchises, and we end with the lovely thought of devs working passionately for these games with as much love as the players have for them too.

Have you been a recent victim of one of your favourite mobile games shutting down and leaving you in the dust? How do you feel about a possible Nintendo peripheral you can attach to your phone GameBoy-style (patent pending)? Iwan and Will launch into an in-depth conversation about all things Nintendo in this week's (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast , where they go from pondering an Apple Arcade-esque subscription service to throwing out a product proposal into the ether. Will wastes no time diving into the heart of the matter with Mario Kart Tour shutting down in September , which means a lot of fans will soon have to look for other ways to feed their fandom before then. This leads Iwan to bring up his recent op-ed on Square Enix's own recent shutdowns on mobile, as he goes into the ins and outs of the studio's JRPGs and mobile ports through the years. Will then sheds some light on Nintendo's strengths when it comes to retro adventures, and explains just how the e-shop and the company's online subscription work. It's all incredibly detailed, so if you've always been curious about the inner workings of the subscription, Will and Iwan both have you covered. Inevitably, the discussion flows into how Japanese companies work, Xbox layoffs , Iwan's coverage of 2024's Tokyo Game Show , and a shoutout to his review of the GameSir Pocket Taco . All this talk gives birth to a novel idea about a new Nintendo peripheral, which they probably should patent while they can? Suffice it to say, it's a fun little back-and-forth between the two, proving they don't really need me around! But if you're curious about where I've been, our coverage of TorchCon 2026 and Torchlight: Infinite's Afterlight season should give you an idea!

There's really no right way to come out of controversies unscathed, but have you been keeping up with the recent Love and Deepspace issue, and how do you feel about the community backlash? We dive into a healthy back-and–forth on all things mobile in this week's (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast , where, despite the serious nature of the topic, we still steer the discussion towards lighter and brighter things as the episode ends. Now, if you're not exactly in the know about everything that's been going on in Love and Deepspace , we do talk about it in great detail this week, so just giving this episode a listen should tell you everything you need to know. It's obviously got a few more sensitive issues in there too, and we'd love to know what you personally think. Here's something to ponder, for instance: do we need some way for the female lead to reject any unwanted advances, perhaps? Can you think of other "solutions" to this problem? Have you played any other otome games, though? How about Tears of Themis , HoYoverse's romance detective sim that I personally love? In any case, we somehow manage to shed light on how to install an Eject button on a spaceship before we move on to the golden era of Flash games , and before the episode ends, Bloons TD 6 gets a special mention since it went on sale on Google Play last week for a very, very low price.

Is there really such a thing as the Persona 5 collab curse? And do you prefer turn-based combat or real-time action? We dive into a healthy back-and–forth on all things mobile in this week's (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast , where we ponder the mysteries of Boomers playing mobile games and Homelander possibly professing his love for candy. The big discussion for today is the apparent return of turn-based strategy as a trend in mobile games, where Songs of Conquest features prominently in the topic. We also shed light on overgamification and overstimulation and whether or not turn-based strategy can actually be incredibly relaxing. This reminds me of just how much I've been enjoying Grabby Crab recently, a premium puzzler where you can take your time and strategise the best movements to clear each stage. Will and I chat a little bit about developer Tepes Ovidiu and his previous works, Is This Yours? and Almost Out of Mana , before Iwan segues into the new Call of Duty Mobile crossover with Persona 5. Now, apparently, there's this supposed curse that's been going on where games tend to shut down shortly after doing a collab with Persona 5 - is this a real thing, or does the franchise just have incredibly terrible luck? We'll find out soon enough, I suppose, if COD Mobile will indeed be the next casualty. Although, it's not likely that it'll go down any time soon, especially since it's also done a crossover with the popular TV show The Boys. Our very own Iwan got to sit down with Erin Moriarty (Starlight) , and if you're curious about how it all went down, you can check out his interview to get all the deets. In any case, did you know, by the way, that Google Play actually holds big discounts on premium games from time to time? I definitely didn't, so I've probably been living under a rock all this time (although, to be fair, Iwan does mention that both Google Play and the App Store have a knack for failing to advertise their sales as much as Steam does).

How do you feel about real-world collabs? How about anime game adaptations - yay or nay? We dive into a healthy back-and–forth on all things mobile in this week's (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast , where we chat about everything from unsolved murder cases to respecting your BFF's favourite Supercell game. Iwan gets right to it with the soft launch of Hill Climb Racing 3 , which you can read all about in his first impressions piece. Suffice it to say that both he and Will find it refreshing to have something so lovably reminiscent of Flash games, and with the discussion on competitive gaming comes all the number-crunching too. This is how they segue into Vietnam, which is reported to be second in ranking when it comes to downloads in the world of mobile. It's inevitable that they shed some light on the nature of possible bot farms as well, but if it's all truly organic, then that's definitely a good indication of how and where the market is going. As for upcoming projects to watch out for, a new Chainsaw Man mobile game is coming out, and while details are a little hush-hush at the moment, the teaser trailer should at least give you an idea of how it'll go. Iwan and Will then ponder the mysteries of anime adaptations on mobile, ranging from Kaiju No. 8 to One Punch Man . Speaking of mysteries, C ase Solved: The London Files is coming to iOS and Android too this summer, so if you fancy some pointing and clicking with a side of cosy paper cutout-esque visuals, this is one to add to your radar. A bit of waffling about being hit on the head with a bag of fish and chips somehow leads to Brawl Stars' collaboration with Adidas , and whether or not that connects with you, depending on your age, will determine just how this crossover will go. Don't pick a fight with your besties over your kicks, though - that's just not cool!

What's your stance on the AI rabbit hole in games? We dive into a healthy back-and–forth on all things mobile in this week's (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast , where we chat about Netflix, 90s kids, and making sushi. Iwan starts off all the excitement with the announcement of Dave the Diver coming to mobile, which spirals into discussions on cooking games and recipe accuracy IRL (plus shoutouts to Tales of the Neon Sea and Burrito Bison ). There's also a lot of real-world stuff going on in Orange Pop! , which is intriguing enough given TV's Kenan and Kel are behind the match-3 puzzler. Will talks about the legacy of these two 90s icons, including the charitable cause the game is connected to once it's officially launched. There are a lot of cheeky references in there too, especially when it comes to Kel's favourite drink (IYKYK). It's nice to see the seemingly wholesome energy here as opposed to just making a mobile game for marketing purposes. Is it possible the dynamic duo might want to appear in a future podcast episode to talk about Orange Pop? This is an open invitation if so! In any case, we dive back into the catalogue of games on Netflix with Tomb of the Mask , reminding us that there's hope yet for the streaming platform and its growing library (Budget John Marston makes a comeback to the podcast too, whether we like it or not). Iwan caps it all off by opening a can of worms, so to speak, as he goes into detail about the use of AI in Neural Dawn . Have a look at the trailer and let us know what you think - we'd love to know! You can listen to the podcast below, through the Spotify embed, or head over to our Spotify Page. If you fancy giving us a follow, you'll actually get the new podcasts pushed to you as they're uploaded (which means you can give them a listen before we've even got the story live on the website). Plus, we've been teasing more ways of getting it to you for the past months, and now the time has finally come. You can catch us on Amazon Music or on Apple Podcasts too - because life is hard enough already, and we wouldn't want you to struggle with finding us!

Did you catch all the summer games reveals over the weekend? We dive into a healthy back-and–forth on all things mobile in this week's (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast , where we're buzzing about all the new stuff that's dropped in the wonderful world of gaming. I get the ball rolling with the announcement for Hidden Folks 2 , which will be landing on mobile sometime in 2027. That might seem like it's still a long way to go, but I think it's definitely worth the wait given its lovely hand-drawn aesthetics and its mouth-based sound effects. This brings us to a discussion on hidden objects, pixel hunting, and blending in too well with the background, but before Iwan goes on a rant about that, he gets distracted by the latest round of updates for Vampire Survivors. It's now being renamed as Vampire Survivors - First Survivaton , which goes hand-in-hand with the upcoming string of new developments that poncle will be launching around the brand. It's got Will and Iwan pretty pumped about its future on the platform, which is just one of the things that we feel works really well on mobile. This reminds Will of Gigabash Mobile , a kaiju-based fighting game that's also been announced to arrive on mobile. We do ponder what it means to make more mobile-optimised ports, which leads us to Where Winds Meet , and Netease's upcoming third-person action-adventure, Blood Message . There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to adapting stuff to the mobile platform and catering to mobile trends, which is why Will raises the important issue of whether or not it's healthy for games to push more limited-time events as opposed to more "traditional" DLC expansions. This will always be a point of argument for a lot of people - but what do you think, though? Do you prefer your constant stream of monthly updates and limited-time perks, or would you rather just do the one-and-done thing of buying an expansion pack and going at your own pace?