We’re already deep into 2026, so it’s time to check in.

What are we still genuinely excited for this year?What’s climbed the list?What’s cooled off?

This week, we’re taking stock of our most anticipated games of 2026 so far and seeing where our hype levels really sit.

Then the harder question follows: even if we’re excited… how are we actually fitting these games in?

Big releases. Limited time. Real life schedules an adult gamer. 

We also catch up on what we’ve been playing: Scott remains locked in on Days Gone, Saros hype and is once again campaigning for a new Tomodachi Life. Meanwhile, Liam has a confession to make about his current obsession with Vampire Survivors…

No Pixel Picks this week... we’re preparing the next chapter of the segment! 

In this episode:

• Most Anticipated Games of 2026 (so far)
• Saros hype check
• Days Gone Revised and Reviewed
• Tomodachi Life… Did Scott do it?
• Vampire Survivors Confessional

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Music & production by Sean Murray – barehandsdesigns.com

This is it.

After two years of weekly Pixel Picks, the list of the top 100 video games we pass on to the next generation is complete. Now every single one enters the arena.

Welcome to the Pixel Picks Top 100 Games Showdown.

No safe seeding. No protected favourites. Just chaos, debate and survival. One by one, the games face off until only one remains… crowned the greatest game of all time.

There will be shocks. There will be heartbreak. There will be controversial eliminations.

And at the end, there can only be one.

In this episode:

• Pixel Picks Top 100 Video Game Showdown
• The full 100 video games bracket
• Round-by-round debate
• Shock exits and Giant killers
• The Greatest Game of All Time Crowned

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Music & production by Sean Murray – barehandsdesigns.com

We’re going back to the drawing board.

In a previous episode, we asked how to make Xbox great again. Now, with Asha Sharma stepping into the CEO role at Xbox, we’re revisiting those takes and asking the bigger question:

Can she actually fix the brand?

We also catch up on what we’ve been playing this week, including Liam’s continued obsession with Crimson Desert, Scott's ongoing journey through the Legend of Zelda series, our early thoughts on Replaced, and Pragmata... including whether Scott might finally be tempted.

And in this week’s Pixel Picks Showdown, we crown our 100th entry with the ultimate addition:
The Best Game Everyone Should Play At Least Once in Their Life.

In this episode:

• Crimson Desert: How to approach its review now
• Scott's Zelda Playthrough continues
• Replaced impressions
• Pragmata
• Main Topic: How We'd Fix Xbox as Asha Sharma
• Pixel Picks Showdown: The One Game Everyone Should Play At Least Once

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Music & production by Sean Murray – barehandsdesigns.com

The PS5 price hike is here, and with a wave of new buyers jumping in before it hits, there's no better time to ask the question we've been sitting on for a while: has this generation actually delivered?

This week on Pixel Parents, we dig into the full PS5 generation so far. The highs, the lows, the games that justified the purchase, and the moments that left us wondering what could have been. We're also catching up on Scott's ongoing The Legend of Zelda adventure and Liam's current obsessions, Raccoin and Crimson Desert, and in the Pixel Picks Showdown, we crown the greatest Timeless Classic game ever made.

In this episode:

• Scott's The Legend of Zelda journey 

• Skull Horde Review

• Liam's continued obsessions (Raccoin and Crimson Desert)

• Main topic: PS5 So Far… has it delivered?

• Pixel Picks Showdown: Best Timeless Classic game

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Music & production by Sean Murray – ⁠barehandsdesigns.com

The Super Mario Galaxy film is here!  

So... we've gone Hollywood.

This week on Pixel Parents, we're celebrating the release of Super Mario Galaxy on the big screen by doing what any self-respecting gamer parent would do: pitching the full Nintendo Cinematic Universe. We've also got a catch-up on the biggest game releases of the month, and the Pixel Picks Showdown goes full nostalgia as we crown the greatest movie tie-in game of all time.

In this episode:

• Kena Bridge of Spirits (Switch 2)
• Raccoin
• April Game Release Radar
• Main topic: Building the NCU
• Pixel Picks Showdown: Best Movie Tie-In Game

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Music & production by Sean Murray – barehandsdesigns.com

We’re only a quarter into 2026 and already it feels like we’ve been served a banquet of enormous games.

This week we’re discussing our journey so far with Crimson Desert. Does it live up to the hype? Does it justify the scale? And most importantly… how are we actually playing it?

That leads us into this week’s main topic:

Clocking In: Big Game Bonanza TIME CRUNCH

The games are getting bigger. Longer. Meatier. More “worth your money.” But what does that mean when your gaming time is limited?

Do massive hour counts inspire us… or overwhelm us? Are we savouring them properly — or taking anxious one-bite chunks before jumping ship? Does adult life sabotage big releases by default?

And in this week’s Pixel Picks Showdown, we’re naming the Best Game That Pushed Gaming Forward. The titles that genuinely changed the industry!

In this episode:

• Crimson Desert impressions
• Fortnite: Is it cooked?
• Main topic: Clocking In: Big Game Bonanza Time Crunch
• Pixel Picks: Best Game That Pushed Gaming Forward

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Music & production by Sean Murray – barehandsdesigns.com

Alex from The Mimic’s Veil returns as we unpack the fallout from the DLSS 5 reveal and what it could mean for the future. Are we doomed to slop or is there hope?

Then things get spicy.

In our main topic, we’re planting flags and naming the gaming hills we’re willing to die on. No hedging. No soft takes. Just core beliefs about this hobby that we’re not backing down from!

And in this week’s Pixel Picks Showdown, we crown the Best Game That Split the Fanbase, the titles that divided players right down the middle.

In this episode:

• DLSS 5 fallout and reaction
• Gaming Hills We’ll Die On
• Pixel Picks Showdown: Best Game That Split the Fanbase

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Music & production by Sean Murray – barehandsdesigns.com

This week we’re covering a LOT of ground.

We kick things off with our impressions of Pokémon Pokopia, why we’ve found ourselves back in that world, how it has become an obsession and what it says about how we approach gaming in 2026.

We’re also reviewing Collector’s Cove and Greedfall: The Dying World, breaking down what’s landing and what isn’t.

Then it’s time for The Big Next-Gen Chat (again)…

With Xbox blinking first in the next-gen race with Project Helix, and rumours that PlayStation is pushing ahead with the PS6 despite hardware shortages, we’re asking:

Is it too soon? Who is this really for? Are consoles becoming luxury products for only the hardest of hardcore? And is the industry pushing forward simply because it can?

In this episode:

• Pokémon Pokopia impressions
• Collector’s Cove 
• Greedfall: The Dying World 
• The Big Next Gen Chat (Xbox Project Helix edition)
• PS6 rumours & pricing debate

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Music & production by Sean Murray – barehandsdesigns.com

This week we’re asking a big one: are we too old for gaming?

As we get older, priorities shift, time shrinks and the industry keeps evolving. Do we ever feel like certain games aren’t “for us” anymore? Or does gaming simply grow with us?

We’re breaking down what ageing in this hobby actually feels like… and whether the idea of “ageing out” is complete nonsense.

We’re also giving our full review of Resident Evil Requiem after launch. Does it live up to the name?

Plus, we chat about how we’re approaching Pokémon these days, our Steam Next Fest picks and whether we’re worried about Bungie with Marathon releasing.

And in this week’s Pixel Picks Showdown, we’re naming the Game That Aged Like Fine Wine. The titles that somehow feel even better now than they did at launch.

In this episode:

• Pokemon Fire Red and Leaf Green
• Resident Evil Requiem Review
• Steam Next Fest Picks
• Highguard closes: Should We Worry For Bungie and Marathon?
• Main Topic: Are We Too Old For Gaming?
• Pixel Picks Showdown: Best Game That Aged Like Fine Wine

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Music & production by Sean Murray – barehandsdesigns.com

It’s a special week on the Pixel Parents Podcast as we welcome Steven Mair, the Gamer In Residence at Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity.

In honour of today’s Resident Evil Requiem release, we’re flipping the script with a celebration of real-world positivity this is our Resident Hero episode. Steven joins us to talk about Games for the Weans, the power of play in tough moments, and how gaming can make a genuine difference in kids’ lives.

We’re also digging into the future of Xbox after the departures of Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond. What happens next? Who carries the brand forward? And what does a post-Spencer era even mean for Xbox fans?

Scott also reviews Demon Tides, and Liam talks Steam Next Fest with Akatori and more!

And in this week’s Pixel Picks Showdown, we’re naming the Best Game of the Phil Spencer Era — the title that defined Xbox during one of its most important chapters.

In this episode:

• Resident Hero: Steven Mair interview
• Demon Tides Review
• Steam Next Fest Early Picks
• The future of Xbox without Spencer & Bond
• Pixel Picks Showdown: Best Game of the Phil Spencer era

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Write to us: [email protected]Follow us on BlueSky: @pixelparents.bsky.social
Music & production by Sean Murray – barehandsdesigns.com