Gaming time feels harder to come by than ever. This week we’re checking in on the hotly anticipated Mixtape, one of May’s most talked-about releases. Does it live up to the buzz?

Scott also gives his verdict on Constance after spending time with its slick tether mechanics and early platforming ideas. Then we get honest!

We expose the gaming habits quietly sabotaging our limited time. The distractions. The over-optimising. The “just one more” mindset. The habits that make finishing games harder than it needs to be.

If time is precious, why do we make it harder for ourselves?

In this episode:

• Mixtape review
• Constance review
• Saros verdict
• Main topic: Our worst gaming habits

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

This week, we take a step back from the release cycle. In 2026, what does it actually mean to cover games?

The pressure to move fast is real. Day one reactions. Early impressions. Staying in the conversation. But is faster coverage actually better coverage?

We talk about chasing the moment versus taking time with the games that matter. What works. What feels forced. And how smaller shows like ours decide where to place our energy.

Is slow, thoughtful coverage more valuable now? Or does keeping up still matter?

Plus, Scott shares his thoughts on Saros to answer the question... is the PS5 exclusive worth your time?

And we catch up on Vampire Survivors, which is still ruining lives!

Finally, we introduce Pixel Picks Replay, our monthly video game book club where we select our first monthly game from our Top 100 Video Games

In this episode:

• Fast v Slow Games Coverage
• Saros Review (so far)
• Vampire Survivors
• Pixel Picks Replay: May 2026 selection

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

Star Fox is back. We went live the second it dropped.

This is Pixel Reacts. Our raw reaction to the first reveal of Star Fox on Nintendo Switch 2, launching June 25 2026.

No script. No polish. Just real takes from Liam and Scott as it happened. The highs, the doubts, and what this comeback needs to land.

Full Pixel Parents Podcast every Friday on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.
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Email [email protected]
Join our free Patreon at patreon.com/pixelparents for bonus shows, community chat, and early access.

Subscribe, leave a 5 star review, and share it with someone who still remembers Star Fox at its best.

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

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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

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

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Write to us: [email protected]
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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

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