Pixel Parents | A Video Game Podcast

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW FOR FREE - www.patreon.con/pixelparents

Write to us: [email protected]

Follow us on BlueSky: @pixelparents.bsky.social

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

SUPPORT THE SHOW FOR FREE - www.patreon.con/pixelparents

Write to us: [email protected]
Follow us on BlueSky: @pixelparents.bsky.social
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

SUPPORT THE SHOW FOR FREE - www.patreon.con/pixelparents

Write to us: [email protected]
Follow us on BlueSky: @pixelparents.bsky.social
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

SUPPORT THE SHOW FOR FREE - www.patreon.con/pixelparents

Write to us: [email protected]Follow us on BlueSky: @pixelparents.bsky.social
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

SUPPORT THE SHOW FOR FREE - www.patreon.con/pixelparents

Write to us: [email protected]
Follow us on BlueSky: @pixelparents.bsky.social
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

SUPPORT THE SHOW FOR FREE - www.patreon.com/pixelparents

Write to us: [email protected]Follow us on BlueSky: @pixelparents.bsky.social
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

SUPPORT THE SHOW FOR FREE! www.patreon.com/pixelparents

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

We made it. 100 episodes of the Pixel Parents Podcast!!!

And this week we’re celebrating everything that’s brought us here.

We kick things off by looking back at our favourite moments, the guests who’ve joined us, and the chaotic highlights that helped shape the show. From early-day nerves to big interviews and everything in between, we’re building our Pixel Parents Hall of Fame.

Then we look forward.

This episode is also a time capsule! A record we can revisit 100 episodes from now. We set our gaming resolutions for the next era, talk hopes and dreams for the community and the show, and say thank you to everyone who’s been part of the journey so far.

PLUS: a special Patreon giveaway plug for long-time listeners.

And in this week’s Pixel Picks Showdown, we’re naming the Best Game of the Last 100 Episodes… the title that defined this podcast era.

In this episode:

• Celebrating 100 episodes
• Pixel Parents Hall of Fame
• Guest highlights & special moments
• What we’ve learned and how the show has changed
• Our Time Capsule for the next 100
• Patreon giveaway
• Pixel Picks Showdown: Best Game of the Last 100 Episodes

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

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 boss fights!

We break down where gamer guilt comes from, how it shows up for parents and busy adults, and whether it ever truly goes away. More importantly: is it worth it anyway?

How do we balance the joy, the escapism and the identity of being a gamer with the reality of limited time?

And in this week’s Pixel Picks Showdown, we’re naming the Best Time Sponge Game… the ones that happily (and unapologetically) eat your entire weekend.

In this episode:

• Nioh 3 thoughts & early chat
• Mewgenics Impressions
• Main topic: Gamer Guilt: Time vs Reality
• Pixel Picks Showdown: Best Time Sponge Game

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

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 makes certain games impossible to resist? And do we ever regret it?

And in this week’s Pixel Picks Showdown, we’re crowning the Best FOMO Game — the title that defined hype, influence, and panic-buy energy.

In this episode:

• Cairn: Gripping or Slipped?
• Too Many Games?
• Main topic: The Games We FOMO’d On
• Pixel Picks Showdown: Best FOMO Game

Write to us: [email protected]
Follow us on BlueSky: @pixelparents.bsky.social

Music & production by Sean Murray – barehandsdesigns.com