The Pocket Gamer Podcast

What does being cosy mean to you? Do you prefer doing things at your own pace, or would you rather have a proper goal set before you? We tackle everything from introverting to rumbling in this week's (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast, where it's a mix of things closing and things launching, as it always is in the world of mobile.Iwan kicks off the conversation with Ratchet & Clank: Ranger Rumble unfortunately shutting down, which prompts us to question how big the fandom for the franchise really is nowadays. Stephen's hands-on with the arena shooter sheds some light on its possible issues, but perhaps it's simply a case of it not being sustainable in the long run.This brings to mind the rise of Love and Deepspace despite its recent controversies, because at the end of the day, the success of any mobile endeavour is never a sure thing.That said, what might just be a hit in the making is Petit Planet, HoYoverse's foray into the cosy life sim space. What might not be so obvious at first glance is how the team has structured this as a gentler and less pressure-filled experience compared to other entries in the genre, which was something I got to see first-hand during the HoYoverse Media Tour in Seoul. Will then offers his two cents on HoYoverse's other big game in the making, Honkai Nexus Anima, mainly because it's a Pokemon-esque RPG that's got quite a lot of interesting creatures in its roster - especially since they're based on Aspects like Oblivion and even Ugliness! I also brought up how it's aiming to have a player-driven, choice-based narrative as opposed to a character-driven one, in which Iwan schools me on RPG dynamics and the concept of the quantum ogre.In any case, if you're curious about Honkai Nexus Anima's delightful oddities, you can sign up for the final closed beta that'll start this November 25th ahead of the Spring 2027 launch!

What's your favourite mobile game adaptation of all time? And have you nominated your favourites over at the Pocket Gamer Awards yet? It's all about the possible entries in this year's PGAs across a variety of categories in this episode of the (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast!Iwan and Will are all about highlighting the Pocket Gamer Awards this year, because nominations are now open and will close on November 15th. You can nominate your favourite mobile games across different categories, including Best Character, Best Game We're Still Playing, Best Community, Best Webshop, Best Game Update and Best In-Game Collab.Iwan kicks things off with the Most Anticipated Game category, in which Will suggests Warhammer Survivors while Iwan puts Silver Palace up for offer. Obviously, this category doesn't need to fall into the eligibility period of a game having launched between the 1st of October 2025 and 30th September 2026, so it's all up in the air.They do bring up a very interesting point, which is that there's currently no category for Best Sound for the PGAs! That's definitely something we ought to consider for the 14th edition next year.That brings the conversation over to the Best In-Game Collab, in which we've had some pretty odd ones over the past few months, including WWE Champions x Cowboy Bebop. There are notable ones too, like Monopoly Go! x K-pop Demon Hunters. Then there's also Best Mobile Port, which reminds Iwan of the mixed reactions for Boltgun Boom. But for Dave the Diver, Iwan and Will both agree that it's one of the greats. As for the new categories, there's Best Mobile Webshop and Best Mobile Game Character, and while Will thinks GingerBrave is a true icon, Iwan wouldn't be surprised if Valko from Love and Deepspace makes a comeback.Moving on from the awards, the PUBG live-action series is definitely something to talk about, as Will and Iwan share their thoughts on the upcoming Netflix show. This brings references to Golden Axe, Free Fire, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Street Fighter, and so much more - but at the end of the day, we can only hope this new PUBG adaptation will show us all a good time!

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!