What does a creepy cat and a creepy cafe have in common (hint: they're creepy), and why are we talking all things cursed in this episode?  The (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast is a two-player back-and-forth this week as Will and I discuss everything from Cinderella's crops to a speedy hedgehog in a car.

Will dives straight into Play Together's Halloween update, where said cursed farms and spectral princesses abound, and as we talk about the oddities of monsters popping up all over Kaia Island, we also ponder the mysteries of just why Cinderella might be cursing an entire town with nightmare veggies.

Speaking of cursed critters, Escape Game: Cat and Cafe is, at first glance, supposed to be a relaxing puzzler where you cosy up with a cute cat and a lovely little cafe - but honestly, with the way the visuals are presented and the mystery of this odd "escape game", it looks more like there's some form of impending doom just lurking around the corner or bubbling beneath the surface here. It's entirely free to play though, so if you're curious, you can give it a go and see for yourself (or we might just be overthinking things and it really is just a puzzler about a cafe and a cat).

Moving on to more festive news, Bleach: Brave Souls is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a cool offline event where the OG voice cast will be doing live readings next month, as well as a bunch of freebies within the RPG itself. Everyone's favourite blue hedgehog is also a testament to long-running franchises, which is how we segue into Sonic Rumble and its release window next month. 

We talk a bit about how multiplayer Sonic games have never really taken off - mainly because there's one that actually put Sonic in a car - but with any luck, this new Stumble Guys-esque adventure will be just the thing to kick off the genre. 

And finally, we end the episode with a bang by announcing that nominations for the 12th Pocket Gamer Awards are now open! You can nominate your faves across a variety of categories, so if, like me, you love Shogun Showdown's roguelike card battles, or, like Will, you fancy Super Farming Boy's quirky anti-capitalism charm, then this is your chance to flaunt your fandom.

How can walking heal your soul, and how much time does Iwan have left on this week's episode? The (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast tackles pay-to-win mechanics, stressful jobs, and free games this week.

With Iwan back from a death-defying sabbatical from the park, he kicks things off with Dragon Ball: Gekishin Squadra, which is making welcome balance tweaks to its 4v4 Team Battles to keep things spicy for its community of players. 

We then keep the "action" going with the launch of Blue Protocol: Star Resonance, which might just be the best action RPG on mobile, according to Shaun's very positive experience with it. Most notably, it's interesting how this one seems to be veering away from the typical pay-to-win gacha mechanics in favour of giving you the option to pay for cosmetics instead, which is something we might also see with upcoming projects like Ananta and Duet Night Abyss. 

On to even more exciting developments in the mobile space, Square Enix has surprise-dropped what they're calling a "New Dissidia Final Fantasy" project that's apparently going to be a Team Boss Battle Arena. Mum's the word at the moment though, but despite the developers breaking our hearts and trampling them to the ground with all of their previous mobile shutdowns, we're still pretty excited and willing to get burned yet again when the time comes.

But to help us wait it out until then, Iwan brings good tidings in the form of the Epic Games freebie of the week, which is the Double Dragon Trilogy. Interestingly enough, it also has a mobile-optimised difficulty option, which brings us to the topic of touchscreens, wonky controls, and a throwback to Iwan's review of the CRKD Atom.

Speaking of wonkiness, the spelling for 1f y0u're a gh0st ca11 me here might be all over the place simply because the calls you're answering here are similarly chaotic. The visual novel is out now if you want to stress yourself out as an Underworld call centre agent.

To de-stress before the episode ends (with a special shoutout to The Very Big Indie Pitch at Pocket Gamer Helsinki!), Will takes us through the path of Monster Walk, which is out now to help you keep up your fitness while healing the world and yourself. 

Or, you can always just fight other people with your monsters while you're out and about - that's totally fine too.

The (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast dives into the intricacies of evil clowns and monsters as keychains in this week's lively discussion.

Iwan kicks off the conversation with some exciting news on the Pokemon Go stamp rally happening outside of Japan, because while stamp rallies have always been a massive thing in the country, it hasn't exactly taken off quite yet in other regions. We ponder upon the mysteries of why it could be so, because stamp rallies are very much the way to go - it's just that fun.

On the topic of collecting cool stuff, we move on to Mongil: Star Dive - Netmarble's new creature-collecting RPG that may not have the catchiest name, but definitely has plenty of fun vibes packed into it. Closed Beta Test sign-ups are currently underway - although there's a bit of an oddity when it comes to the actual "monster collecting" aspect here (have a listen to find out exactly what that is).

Meanwhile, Will eases us into the summer with Pikmin Bloom's new summer-themed Beach Resort Event, which brings us to look back on the success of these types of AR experiences, along with the ones that didn't quite make the cut (RIP, Witcher).

Garena Free Fire's collaboration event with Squid Game leads us into a conversation on the Mandela Effect and the implications of IRL events to bring mobile games to life. Squid Game's sense of conflict then segues into Chants of Sennaar, a narrative point-and-click puzzler that's making the leap to mobile (and rightly so!). You essentially try to decipher glyphs to bring different cultures together, and it does feel perfectly fit for mobile given its touch controls and cloud save feature.

Speaking of point-and-clicks, Will shares that Broken Sword: Reforged is currently running a 30% discount for the enhanced version of the classic, so if you missed out on it during its heyday - or you simply want to experience the adventure all over again - now's your chance.

This week sees the (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast navigating the tricky terrain of childhood imagination and a-little-less-than-wholesome collabs.

I channel all my excitement on the upcoming mobile release of Is This Seat Taken?, a cosy puzzler where you match people's whims with the right seating arrangements without the pressure of a timer. Seems we're all in agreement when it comes to a general distaste for time pressure, before Iwan launches into a discussion on Apple's planned dedicated gaming app and its implications for developers and visibility.

We then talk about what it means to have these new launches and all the latest tech in the mobile space - can the hardware keep up with the software and vice versa?

All that aside, Will then announces the release of World 18 in GrandChase, where you get your login goodies and extra bonuses just for being around, which leads to a not-so-forced-but-still-kind-of segue into Lost in Play, an adorable point-and-click adventure that's recently made the leap to Apple Arcade. This means you can explore the unlimited bounds of a child's imagination for free as long as you're subscribed to the service, much like Netflix Games and Crunchyroll Game Vault. 

As we move from childhood to adulthood, Iwan announces the launch of the Goddess of Victory: Nikke x Stellar Blade collaboration, which has been highly anticipated by the community for plenty of reasons. Then there's something new over the horizon for Plants vs Zombies as well, which recently just celebrated its 16th (oh my goodness) anniversary - an amazing feat especially on mobile.

There's a lot of talk about snappy card games and crafting from mines this week with the (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast, with me kicking things off with The King of Fighters AFK now in soft launch. 

Will gets the ball rolling with a new Carmen Sandiego update to celebrate Pride month, in which we shed light on the darkness that is VILE, who's up to no good as always. A healthy discussion on good and evil ensues, with a particular focus on evil British villains.

Then, Iwan steers the conversation to Sword of Justice that's now in global pre-registration, offering his thoughts on NetEase going on a roll with Sea of Remnants and Destiny: Rising. Topics hover over AI organic NPCs, Chinese fantasy MMORPG, and gorgeous graphics, before we move on to Sonic Blitz, which is currently blitzing away in the same vein as Marvel Snap and Pokemon TCG Pocket.

Meanwhile, Will shares the surge in Daily Active Users for Minecraft thanks to the recently released movie, with Iwan giving us a basic overview of the Minecraft modes and their monetised items. 

And finally, we round things up with the release of Crystal of Atlan, along with the implications of "magicpunk", cyberpunk, and all the other punks you can think of. Could there possibly be more punks in the cards for mobile in the future? We'll just have to wait and see.

The regular crew is back this week with the (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast, with Catherine (me) making a (triumphant?) return to join Will and Iwan for another round of mobile mayhem.

As I'm eager to be back, I get the ball rolling with Mirren: Star Legends, now debuting a new Crunchyroll Login feature to switch up the monetisation for its library of games. We talk a little bit about the different gaming catalogues for these kinds of subscription services, before I gush on and on about Shogun Showdown and my glowing 5-star review.

Will steers the wheel and brings us to the official launch of King of Crabs: Invasion on iOS, while it's still currently in pre-registration for Android users. And in a not-so-surprising reveal, we all share our deep fear of the equally deep sea, mainly because of Subnautica's imminent launch on mobile. Keep Team Pocket Gamer far away from the ocean, is the key takeaway here.

Meanwhile, on other equally stressful things, we talk about the launch of Is This Yours?, a seemingly cosy puzzler about cute animals losing their things. In reality, it's actually incredibly stressful, especially since you'll be helping these careless customers with their stuff under a timer. 

We then talk about the perils of working in customer service, before Will turns it around with the adorable launch of I, Slime. Iwan counters with the report that the launch of  Final Outpost: Definitive Edition has been pushed back, with a healthy discussion on these types of post-apocalyptic genres and the inevitable zombie outbreak.

Finally, we discuss what it truly means to play an idle game in this busy world we live in today, with Summoners War: Rush launching as a mix of AFK elements and tower defence.

We're getting used to our new format now for the Pocket Gamer Podcast (New and Improved!), with Will and Iwan doing their dynamic duo thing once more this week. 

Iwan kicks off the discussion with Tribe Nine getting cancelled after only three months - that's pretty short, and a sad casualty of the saturated mobile market. In the same vein, Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile is being pulled off the App Store and Play Store too - so Will jumps in to give his two cents about all these shutdowns happening left and right.

There is SOME good news, though. Game of Thrones: Kingsroad has officially launched, welcoming you back to the world of Westeros - this time as a scion of noble House Tyre. Netmarble has never been one to shy away from epic franchises, so here's hoping this one does the IP justice.

And speaking of big franchises, Fortnite is back on the App Store in the US - if you're unfamiliar with the big drama between Epic and Apple, Iwan goes into detail on this episode to get you up to speed.

Meanwhile, Will shares his enthusiasm on Mythwalker's new Tethering update, and the pair go on to discuss community-building especially with Pokemon Go's Road Trip 2025. Shenanigans about the implications of trucks, safaris, and gyms ensue, before Will caps off the episode on the pre-registration sign-ups for Destiny: Rising. NetEase has been pretty busy as of late, with Sea of Remnants being teased and Once Human launching on mobile, so it's bound to be a big thing.

It's a special episode of the Pocket Gamer Podcast this week as Cristina joins Will and Iwan on another deep dive into what's hot, what's not, and what's sort-of-sizzling-but-not-quite-yet in the wonderful world of mobile gaming.

This time around, with the short and sweet 30-minute format, Iwan kicks things off with Squad Busters' major overhaul. Aptly called the Hero update, this revamp now lets you rely more on your heroes rather than just your squaddies, making full use of their abilities to win. Will this fresh coat of paint work well with players? Cristina is a tad apprehensive, but I suppose we'll all just have to give it a go and see for ourselves.

Meanwhile, Will is pretty pumped about Chronomon's launch, especially since anything with a -mon attached is always appealing. It's supposedly Stardew Valley mixed in with Pokemon, as what seems to be the trend nowadays. 

It's always monster-taming combined with something else, but if it has plenty of cosy vibes, we're all for it - just like Dorfromantik, a new tile-matching puzzler that Cristina is a fan of. It's all very wholesome and is similar to Armello with a touch of Kingdomino - and we all need something to help us relax at the end of a busy day, don't we?

And speaking of busy bees, Iwan reports that Krafton's been busy rebranding Dark and Darker Mobile, now titled Abyss of Dungeons. What exactly brought about the name change? Tune in for all the tea - especially since Will caps off the episode with the interestingly titled In Their Shoes (coming in 2026 with slice-of-life feels). If you've always been curious about what mumblecore actually is, this might just be the day you finally find out.

Finally, there's the so-called relaunch of Dragonheir: Silent Gods - does this mean people will be more interested, or will there be a "medieval-style siege", as Iwan puts it?

It's time for episode 32 of the Pocket Gamer Podcast, and in keeping with the new super special podcast formula, Will and Iwan bring you six recent, big stories in a 30-minute digest.

Iwan kicked off the podcast by discussing the 16th anniversary of Plants vs Zombies, as well as a little bit of its history. The duo discuss everything from its journey from premium to free to play, it's card battle spin-off Plants vs Zombies Heroes and the continued failure to launch of its third iteration.

Next up is Will discussing PUBG's transition from 'realistic' toward a more Fortnite-style goofiness. With it's upcoming v3.8 update launches an Attack of Titan event which not only adds in the ability to become a titan, but also zip around the map using the patented Omni-directional mobility gear from the long-running series. 

They also discuss the upcoming Steampunk shift, which adds a Steam Train, Hot Air Balloons and a welding gun... as well as velociraptor... of course.

It's not just PUBG Mobile going through big changes, as Iwan then brings the topic of recent changes to EA Sports FC Mobile to the table. Those recent changes, in this case, are the ability to watch select MLS matches through the app, and to earn in-game rewards for doing so.

Now, I've got to tell you, watching what is a semi-obscure league to Europe might not be too interesting to a lot of the wider-world of football/soccer, but it is a really interesting way to start off something new and cool.

Next up, Will discusses recent release Gods vs Horrors, which is certainly a case of 'does what it says on the tin' with a string of deities from varying pantheons battling (via card combat) against 'ungodly' Lovecraftian nightmares.

From ancient gods to old timey assassins, the Duo next discuss the upcoming Reverse 1999 x Assassin's Creed content. It features AC#1 Protagonist Ezio Auditore back in rennaissance Italy and is a great example of how to make clever, branding-strong crossovers when it comes to games revolving around time travel.

Finally, it's time for a little nap: Will takes a moment to reflect on the most recent Pokemon Sleep event, which runs from 12th-15th of May and features a boost to Drowsee power, new sleeping styles and a whole bunch of other features.

It's time for episode 31 of the Pocket Gamer Podcast, and in keeping with the new super special podcast formula, Will and Iwan bring you six recent, big stories in a 30-minute digest.

First up, the duo discuss Iwan's first topic: Apple having to drop the 30% 'Outside AppStore links' charge, including the 'scare screens' that they've been employing to try and keep users within the Apple ecosystem. It's been a long battle, spearheaded by Epic Games, but this latest court victory feels like we're moving toward the closing stages now.

The next topic follows on from discussing Epic, with Will bringing up the return of Flappy Bird, which has recently reappeared on the freshly launched Epic Game Store. They briefly touch on the nature of Flappy Bird, as well as the topic of addiction in games.

Next up, it's all business as Iwan brings up the recently speculated deal between Blizzard and Nexon. It's supposedly specifically about Starcraft publishing and development, however, as we recently covered, there's also word of the Overwatch IP. This means there could be an Overwatch 3, mobile, on the horizon.

From games that could happen, to games that are happening, and soon. The two of them then discuss the upcoming release date of Game of Thrones Kingsroad, before discussing the recently released zombie survival game Darkest Days and the mobile ports of Indie Gems Lisa: The Painful and Lisa: The Joyful.

The Pocket Gamer team are back with a new and improved formula, bringing you six recent stories in quick succession.

1) Catherine discusses Wittle Defender, the latest game from Habby (developer of Survivor.io and Capybara Go), which is now in pre-registration.

2) Iwan discusses the latest Tribe Nine update, including the new character, new map and the importance of a defined visual style.

3) Will brings forth news of Wuthering Waves' new version (2.3.2) which comes alongside its anniversary and a very cool sounding Cyberpunk Edgerunners crossover that's on the horizon.

4) Iwan explains the upcoming Monopoly Go x Star Wars crossover, while Catherine chimes in with the missed-opportunity of its release date.

5) Will cycles back around to discuss the bonkers Call of Duty Mobile update that's in the pipes; It'll bring bounce-pads and jetpacks to the FPS.

Finally, Catherine talks on the news of the long-awaited release of Delta Force's mobile version.

The Pocket Gamer team are back with a new and improved formula, bringing you six recent stories in quick succession.

1) Iwan & Will discuss three of the most recent mobile releases; Covering everything from the fantastic port of Prince of Persia: Lost Crown - which Will recently reviewed - through to TMNT: Shredder's Revenge.

2) The duo then chat about The Star Named EOS and Where Winds Meet, the latter of which was a recommendation for Will from Catherine.

3) The discussion then shifts to the recent unbanning, and the reasons behind the initial ban, of Player Unknown Battlegrounds Mobile in Bangladesh.

4) Mo.Co's recent fortunes - namely a waning of interest as it continues along its Early Access path - are discussed, as well as the decreasing relevance of Soft Launch and Early Access for testing, and how they've now become marketing terms instead.

5) Next up is a quick check in, and discussion of the long-awaited Path of Exile Mobile, which appears to be in developmental limbo. We're sure that when it lands it's going to be one of the best hack and slash games on Android and iOS, so what's the hold up?

Finally, the duo discuss Sonic Rumble's Season 0 which marks the most recent entry in the trend of running large-scale, in-depth live ops ahead of launch. It's a strange trend, and ties into the earlier discussion about the lesser-role of Soft Launch and Early Access.

Last week saw the Pocket Gamer Podcast keeping Will and Iwan in rotation, but I'm swapping in for our resident newshound this time around to talk zombies in card games and toxic gas in meeting rooms. 

Will launches right into the spooky season with Marvel Contest of Champions, where the Founders’ War Saga is currently underway. Joining Isophyne, Lumatrix, and Solvarch is the ultimate Eidol Imperiosa, along with Dracula and Franken-Castle just in time for Halloween.

We talk a bit about the clever pun-ness of Frank Castle's Punisher before moving on to an equally Halloween-themed event within Marvel Snap, which is bringing hordes and hordes of the undead to the fray. This ties in with the Marvel Zombies show, and in the card battler, you'll get to see Zombie Scarlet Witch and Headpool in action.

But also also also, did you know that Epic Games Store has been giving away freebies that rotate each week? Will gives us the skinny on Doodle Devil and a free Firestone reward pack, and if you pay close attention to the info on this episode, you might just discover how humans can attain ultimate knowledge from a simple fruit.

Speaking of freebies though, we dive into a closer look at a few games that are trying to break the mould when it comes to monetisation - Ananta and Duet Night Abyss. It's an interesting would-be trend that might just be the so-called "Genshin-killer" people have been buzzing about, because these two are apparently going to try to forego the tried-and-tested gacha monetisation model in favour of paid cosmetics. Whether or not that works in the long run remains to be seen, but it's interesting to see some big players trying to shift things around.

That said, what is free-to-play at the moment is Hello Kitty Merch Match, an adorable match-3 puzzler where you hoard Sanrio-themed merch to clear a board. Honestly, it can't get any better than that. It's out now, and if you're a fan of collecting stuff but you've never had enough shelf space, now's your chance for vindication.

And finally, we leave one more spooky-ish news in the form of Clash of Clans' Revenge Button, where the devs have locked themselves in a meeting room to endure punishments that the community of players have voted on while they go through a Reddit AMA. It's horrendous, it's funny, it's genius.

Iwan & Will get together for the 28th episode of The Pocket Gamer Podcast. The dynamic duo discuss everything from the new EA closed-beta, City Life Game with Friends, through to the Nintendo Switch App and Netflix Games' continued foray into games.

Catherine, Will and Iwan come together, once again, for the latest edition of our podcast.

This week the gang get together to discuss everything from the Zombie Survival Guide, the concept of feudalism and the confusing apostrophe in Demon's Souls. They also go over some of the latest mobile game releases, while also dipping into the lofty rafters of mobile gaming's past, even touching on the N-Gage (RIP).

So, if you've been wondering how many bites it would take or Iwan to bite through a human arm, Will's favourite Mario Kart game, or Catherine's opinion on video game TV adaptations, then we've got a great, bumper-length podcast for you.

It's two-player co-op this week as Iwan and Will host the twenty-sixth episode of our podcast.

As ever, there's a promise of swirling topics, spontaneous tangents and a variety of discussions. This time, they discuss everything from mobile adaptations and esports through to (Vampire Survivors)hip Bias, advertising and how tricky monetisation must be for platforming-based, skill games.

In this, the twenty-fifth episode of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Will, Iwan and Cat gather to discuss mobile gaming, and everything adjacent.

The gang discuss everything from New Releases ( Quilts & Cats of Calico, Expelled! and Be Brave, Barb) through to crime, The Denpa Men and The Weather... as well as plenty other things between.

In this, the twenty-fourth episode of ⁠⁠⁠⁠our podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the gang's all here. With Will, Iwan, Cat and Dann all gathering to discuss mobile gaming, and everything adjacent.

We discuss everything from restrictions and backlash against certain gaming trends, choice based gaming through to... well, vampires.

In this, the twenty-third episode of ⁠⁠⁠our podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠, Iwan, Will and Cat gather to discuss mobile gaming, and everything adjacent.

They discuss Will's quest for 'Reverse Rage Gaming', and subsequently the increasingly prevalent 'Anti-Cozy Game'. They also discuss the imminent rebranding of Dark and Darker Mobile, as well as missed opportunities in mobile ports and survival games, touching on Dead Rising, Miraibo Go and more.

Cheating in games, 'themed games' made by teams outside of the bubble as well as anticipated games and Balatro's recent rating change also come up.

In this, the twenty-first episode of ⁠⁠our podcast⁠⁠⁠, Iwan and Will have a special, two-player podcast while Dann & Cat are away. The dynamic duo gather to discuss all the classics: Anime, Warhammer, ttRPGs and even... even Mobile Games. (Only joking, they do talk about Mobile Games a lot.)

Their discussion ranges from collaborations and crossovers, such as the Vampire Survivors x Among Us content and Goddess of Victory: Nikke's Neon Genesis Evangelion crossover. They also discuss the recent Magic The Gathering Final Fantasy crossover and, from there, everything from healing and railroading in jRPGs and ttRPGs.

In this, the twenty-first episode of ⁠our podcast⁠⁠, Cat and Will have a special, two-player podcast while Dann & Iwan are away. The dynamic duo gather to discuss recent releases, simulation games and much more.

Their discussion ranges from new releases 'This Chicken Got Hands' and 'Serial Cleaner' through to Will's top User Acquisition and marketing tip: Goths. The two also discuss "That's Not My Neighbour", Grammarian Ltd, Symphony of the Night and much, much more.

In this, the twentieth episode of our podcast⁠, Cat, Will and Iwan gather to discuss a variety of recent news topics in the mobile gaming world (and beyond).

Discussion ranges from the new Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket's trading mechanics, and wider game economy, through to games that they'd love to see on mobile. They also touch on the point and click genre (pick up gun, click on enemy) and dungeon crawlers including Wizardry Variants Daphne and Dark & Darker Mobile.

In this, the ninteenth episode of our podcast, Cat, Will, Iwan and Dann gather to discuss a variety of recent news topics in the mobile gaming world (and beyond).

Discussion ranges from anime to Warhammer (as ever) as we discuss Utomik's closure, the new Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket release and the Epic Store Free Game Program Launch, among many, many other things.

It's all about the biggest news on Tokyo Game Show this week as the (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast dives deep into deadly sins, anime GTAs, and why mobile should be more of a focus in these kinds of events.

Will kicks things off with The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin, an upcoming open-world RPG with Closed Beta Test sign-ups now open. The Netmarble press conference also included appearances from the voice cast behind main characters Tristan and Tioreh, which all just means that the hype is very much real for this one.

Iwan keeps the ball rolling with the gameplay trailer for Ananta, which covers everything from Arkham-esque takedowns to letting you swing around like your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man across the urban jungle. There's a bit of talk about the implications of "taking inspiration" from a bunch of different stuff, but Iwan remains "tentatively interested" in this one.

That said, inspiration takes shape in the form of Aniimo as Will points out, which is filled with all kinds of creature-collecting, monster-taming, weather-manipulating goodness. Naturally, the Pokemon-Palworld battle comes to mind, which Will kindly sheds light on for anyone who isn't in the know about all the legal jargon.

With all of these dazzling new trailers comes Limit Zero Breakers too, which has teamed up with Mappa (of Jujutsu Kaisen and Chainsaw Man fame) to bring all the animated goodness of the trailer to life. Tougen Anki: Crimson Inferno joins the TGS party as well - mobile has never been bigger, honestly.

Wai Wai World Craft makes a surprise cameo in the episode too, and if you're curious about that, you'll just have to tune in to find out.

Moving on from TGS, Will talks about The Vallis Undermind update in Warframe, where a Fun Guy - er, fungi - makes a special appearance (these two always crack me up). And finally, Angry Birds is making a big comeback to mainland China thanks to a team-up among Rovio, Xiaomi and Kingsoft Shiyou. Iwan being our ever-reliable newshound - who's always privy to all the latest in the biz - gives us a background on what this might mean for the market, before Will rounds it up with an existential question about birds and snakes.

In this, the eighteenth episode of ⁠our podcast⁠, Cat, Will and Iwan get together to discuss the news of the sudden disappearance of Marvel Snap in North America.

Geopolitics aside, the team also chat about the evolution, and persistence, of genres like strategy, survival and fighting, while also touching on mobile gaming both old and new.

In this, the seventeenth episode of our podcast, Cat, Will and Iwan get together to discuss a selection of news stories as well as their thoughts on AI companions in games. News of Krafton's CPC plan - AI Friend/Companions within games - is discussed by the team, who talk on the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of humans and how it's a terribly hard thing to replace.

In addition to that they discuss a recent Penn State University research paper that targets mobile advertising, titled "Five ways ‘fake’ mobile games fail to meet advertised expectations".

In this, the sixteenth episode of our podcast, Cat, Will and Iwan get together to discuss a selection of news stories as well as their thoughts on the forming retro-revival.

Recent observed resurgence of interest in popular PS1 genres (survival horror, jRPG, etc) brings to team to speculate on the generational nature of gaming and also heavily discuss the absence of the 'polygonal'-retro style we're starting to see punch through on more traditional platforms. That as well as discussing game structures, from the open-endedness of mobile through to classic new game+ and more.

All that after a quick run through of some recent news stories, including plenty of tangents on anime, Assassin's Creed and everything in-between.

For this, the fifteenth episode of our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠long running podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠Pocketgamer.com⁠'s Cat, Will and Dann get together to discuss the games that they hope to spend the new year playing.

As the very nature of mobile games is incredibly cyclical, the conversation quickly moves from trading card games and regular faces onto a wider discussion of the industry's live-ops nature. Specifically, they dive into iterations, sequels (including Goat Simulator 2) as well as concepts like Early Access and Soft Launch no longer meaning the same as they once did.

For this, the fourteenth episode of our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠long running podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠, Pocketgamer.com's Cat, Will and Dann get together to discuss the games that they've played throughout the year, and any genres that those games have steered them towards as a result. But, not before they spend a minute dealing with technical issues!

From Clash of Clans to Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket, the team have been playing everything from strategy to CCG throughout the year, and how better to celebrate that than a grand ol' discussion? Dann manages to subconsciously steer the conversation and evangelise about Suzerain and Cassette Beasts, however the conversation also drifts to the survival genre and minigames.

For this, the thirteenth episode of our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠long running podcast⁠⁠⁠, Pocketgamer.com's Cat, Will and Dann get together to discuss the games that they're still playing at the end of the year following an amazing year of mobile games.

That means that that we spend a lot of time discussing the length and nature of mobile games in 2024 as well as missable content and how video games have become more of a lifestyle - and modern live-ops fill the hole originally carved out by early MMOs.

It's the twelfth episode, of arguably our second series, of our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠long running podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. This week brings Dann, Catherine, Iwan & Will together to discuss mobile games and more.

The team discuss how the mobile industry has, or hasn't, adapted to the vast, and fast moving, spectrum of mobile hardware on the market. They also touch on latest Hybrid-Casual hit Capybara Go and discuss RTS games on mobile - stopping off to discuss tangents ranging from D&D to LotR.

It's the eleventh episode, of arguably our second series, of our ⁠⁠⁠⁠long running podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠. This week brings Dann (Editor in Chief of Pocket Gamer Brands), Catherine (Reviews Editor), Iwan (Staff Writer) and Will (Plucky Freelancer, Panda Disliker) together to discuss mobile games and more.

The team discuss games aging out of the ever-moving goalposts of operating systems, the fantastic Pocket Gamer Connects events series, Debt Collectors and much much more. Heck, we even discuss some mobile games in there too, all while having an extended conversation about 'soulslike' and 'adventure' design along the way.

Note: We do suffer a couple of technical issues here, but most of it has been minimised by editing.

It's the tenth episode, of arguably our second series, of our ⁠⁠⁠long running podcast⁠⁠⁠ this week with a skeleton staff of Dann and Iwan chatting about mobile games and more.

What is mobile first design? If you ask certain big publishers then they have a very different answer than the likes of Capcom - who regularly outsource their mobile works. Mobile, for many publishers means casual or hybrid casual, while for others its a lesser, but more complex platform.

Capcom's partnership with TiMi Studios might actually be placing them in a great position - as the first member of the old guard that treats mobile like a mature platform.

The ninth episode, of arguably our second series, of our ⁠⁠long running podcast⁠⁠ returns this week with Dann, Will, Catherine and Iwan gathering to discuss mobile games and more.

This episode kicks off with the team discussing Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket, The Pokemon Company's latest phenomenon. We discuss the juice and the feel of the game before seguing into discussing the concept of collecting and assembling in both physical and digital games.

We stop off at a whole bunch of different topics along the way, ranging from Video Game Urban Legends, the AR dream and Jimmy Space before discussing artificial scarcity, update-exclusive content and beyond.

This week sees the (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast gearing up for the spooky season and pondering the meaning of life when it comes to voice casts and cabbages.

After Will proves that he's doing just fine, Iwan launches into a discussion on the latest updates on the new Angry Birds 3 movie cast, while we ponder the intricacies of voice acting and what it means to be a nice guy in Hollywood.

Meanwhile, I lament the tortured fate of the legendary Cabbage Merchant in Avatar Legends: Realms Collide, while Will questions Aang's involvement in it all by recounting the fate of the aforementioned veggie vendor.

Then, Will eases us into the spooky season with Torchlight: Infinite's upcoming The Overrealm update, along with all of the clockwork bosses and biomechanical threats you'll have to face when it kicks off on October 10th.

Iwan then steers the discussion to Apple bringing full-screen gaming to Safari in an upcoming update, which brings us to the question, "What does mobile gaming mean nowadays?" It's an exciting world we live in, most definitely - and it's also going to open up plenty of opportunities for our weekly Off the AppStore feature.

With all this talk of new things on the horizon, we move on to the official launch of Seven Knights Re:BIRTH, which reimagines the popular franchise into a more accessible idle form, much like MU: Pocket Knights.

And finally, we round it all off with Dragonheir: Silent Gods celebrating its 2nd anniversary after its recent relaunch, and in true gamer fashion, we reflect on horse-themed characters and their like just a tad before the episode ends.

The eighth episode, of arguably our second series, of our long running podcast returns this week with Will, Catherine and Iwan steering the ship while Dann is away.

This week starts off with the team discussing what makes a good horror game, and if (non-ported) horror games on mobile are even a viable thing. The conversation quickly darts around between Dead Cells, DLC and Dave the Diver, alongside a whole mass of other things that don't start with the letter D.

The seventh episode, of arguably our second series, of our long running podcast returns this week with Will, Catherine and Iwan holding the fort while Dann is away.

This week starts off with the team discussing the games that they played over the last week, however quickly deviates into a discussion about universal measurement alternatives for product shots, paywalls, and some of the coolest games that have released recently.

The chat is wide and long-reaching, touching on one of the evergreen topics of mobile controllers and the porting and optimised touchscreen discussions that often comes with it.

It wouldn't be complete without a random occurance of guess the game (Danganronpa), and they also somehow manage to squeeze a mention of the N-Gage in there too.

Then, then it somehow descends into Warhammer chatter. Every episode is a rollercoaster!

The sixth episode, of arguably our second series, of our ⁠⁠long running podcast⁠⁠⁠ returns this week with Will, Catherine, Cristina and Dann kicking off the show.

This week starts off with us discussing Mob Control, which Will was delighted to discover had actual representative advertising - for the most case. There's a little confusion about Last War before a tangent that extends through some of the more fantastical and phenomenal ads of recent memory.

As is to be expected we stop off at many other topics ranging from the perfect advert, how we'd try to convey mechanics in advertising, and - of course - food analogies.

The fifth episode, of arguably our second series, of our ⁠long running podcast⁠⁠ returns this week with Will, Catherine, Cristina and Dann kicking off the show.

This week started off with us discussing upcoming Game of All Time Infinity Nikki and from there going on a whirlwind tour through 'dress up games' where you get your powers from equipment, and beyond.

As is to be expected we stop off at many other topics ranging from collectable items in games, the rose-tinted glasses of 'realistic graphics' and much much more.

The fourth episode, of arguably our second series, of our ⁠long running podcast⁠ returns this week with Will, Catherine and Dann kicking off the show.

This week we discussed a variety of topics, all branching off of the rumours-come-true-during-the-recording-of-the-podcast that Nintendo and The Pokemon Company filed a lawsuit against Palworld (Pocket Gamer Biz).

We subsequently discuss our experiences with Palworld and other Pokémon-adjacent properties, as well as transformative works and the evolutions of genres and sub-genres.

That means we discuss recent cult classics like Tem Tem, Cassette Beasts, Vampire Survivor and much, much more.

The third episode, of arguably our second series, of our long running podcast returns this week with Will, Catherine and Dann kicking off the show to be later joined by Mihail and Iwan.

This week we discussed a variety of topics, all branching off of the recent news (France24) of the BEUX umbrella consumer rights group filing a complaint with the European Commission regarding their concerns over the prevalance of microtransactions in games played by 11-14 year olds.

We discuss degrading demos, desire-led microtransactions and the fact that we should, perhaps, not be surprised that children don't understand the value of money from a young age. We also manage to shoehorn Delicious in Dungeon, King of Dragon Pass and a few dungeon-diver recommendations into the chatter.

Join Dann, Catherine, Cristina, Iwan and Will from the award-winning pocketgamer.com team as they discuss some of the latest mobile gaming news and anything else that comes to mind.

This week they kick of with a discussion on the return of F.I.S.T. by Steve Jackson (not that one, the other one), before moving onto weird weaponry and wrapping up with a chat about emotive games.

The Pocket Gamer Podcast Returns!

Join Dann, Catherine, Cristina, Mihail and Will from the award-winning pocketgamer.com team as they discuss some of the latest mobile gaming news and anything else that comes to mind.

This week they discuss:

- Alien: Isolation Android getting a new Try-Before-You-Buy update

- Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp closing down

And much, much more.

From flesh-eating viruses to friends in a pickle, the (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast offers a slice of the latest news this week with the three of us doing our usual thing (and by that, I mean veering slightly off-course but managing to head back on track at the last second before everything derails).

After a bit of ado about moustachioed men, Iwan kicks off the episode with a new trailer that's dropped for Resident Evil Survival Unit, then proceeds to gloat about being the franchise's Number One Fan.

From zombies and surviving hordes of the undead, we move on to sunnier and more wholesome things with Dunkadillo, the upcoming platformer from our podcast favourite, Dadish developer Thomas K. Young. You'll roll and dunk your way through dangers to save your friend Pickle, and we are all for it.

Meanwhile, Will segues into StoneAge: Pet World and its regional launch, so if you happen to be based in Thailand, Hong Kong, Macau, and Canada, you can start your pet-brawling adventure today. Iwan then segues into March of Empires coming to the world of tabletop via Kickstarter, before we move on to sweet summers with Shin Chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation, which is out now courtesy of Crunchyroll Game Vault.

It's got us reminiscing about warm summers and cosiness all around, which is why this episode is a tad shorter than usual, as we often go on tangents that perhaps, one day, we can share with you all on b-rolls and all that jazz.

Who are the Illiterati, and where exactly is Iwan from? The (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast answers all that and more, as we dive into trading, timers, and triggers for this episode.

Will eases us into the episode with the upcoming launch of Eco Power Towns, where you try to be as energy-efficient as possible in the least possible moves. More importantly, this is - as Will puts it - a game that believes in you, so it's supposedly as chill as it'll ever be.

After Iwan inadvertently proves that he zoned out on us for a bit there, he makes up for it by rolling the dice and letting me segue into Cats & Soup: Fluffy Town, where cats in baseball costumes are here to brighten up your day because they can and they will. 

Iwan remains indignant because Will doesn't seem to know what goes on in the mean streets of Fluffy Town (where Iwan is from, apparently - you heard it here first), before we move on to Pokémon TCG Pocket's Wisdom of Sea and Sky expansion, which, while offering a major game changer, is going through a bit of an artwork issue that's…very curious, to say the least.

Meanwhile, the evil Illiterati are making a mess of things in Criss Cross Castle, which is a lovely word puzzler where, to be honest, the name of the antagonists alone should be enough to compel you to play it right now.

We move on from honing vocabulary to boosting productivity with My Little Pomodoro, a cosy gamified experience where you get to set a timer to keep yourself efficient with your tasks across plenty of lo-fi vibes. 

And finally, we end the episode with Iwan's news on Farlight 84's relaunch, with a final shoutout to Fate Trigger, an anime-style shooter that Will's had the pleasure of previewing ahead of its upcoming launch.

What is a car if it doesn't have wheels? The (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast tackles life's most meaningful questions this week, with plenty of focus on all things retro.

I'm pretty pumped with Yu Yu Hakusho: Slugfest's launch, especially since it's officially licensed and brings back a ton of 90s nostalgia for the popular anime. Will of course rains my parade for a little bit before Iwan carries the conversation to the GamerCard, a gift card-sized little gadget that's actually a console. It's a nifty little thing that comes with a suite of arcade-style classics and a relatively affordable price tag, which is always a fun thing to have around.

Meanwhile, Will follows it up with the iOS launch of The Biggleboss Incident, a new point-and-click puzzler where everything isn't quite what it seems. If it feels like it's all fine, it's probably NOT fine, and this workplace comedy offers a satirical look at your average corporate culture if that's something that strikes your fancy.

And since we're apparently all about old-school cool in this episode, we move on to Metal Slug Tactics that's out now courtesy of Crunchyroll Game Vault, after which, Iwan invites us all to join the hype(n) with the announcement of Enhypen World: Eternal Moment that's currently in development.

Before the episode ends, Iwan sneaks in another shoutout to the Fantastic Four as Marvel Contest of Champions is teaming up with Marvel's first family in a new themed collab. We then leave you with an existential question about wheels and cars - it's all about the most important things in life here, folks.

It's another two-player edition of the (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast as Will and Iwan ponder the mysteries of deep underwater worlds and even deeper Cookie lore.

Iwan kicks things off with the mobile launch of Subnautica, which is exciting even though most of us have a crippling fear of the deep blue sea. The dynamic duo talk truths about mobile controllers for a bit, before Will moves on with the launch of Blazblue Entropy Effect, which will also be collaborating with Dead Cells. Over-the-top animations are always cool, after all, so it makes sense that we're a tad hyped about this one.

And speaking of getting properly hyped up, Iwan channels all his energy and enthusiasm into the Fantastic Four's appearance within Marvel Snap, with the Mad Thinker and Mole Man joining the fray too to mess things around. Marvel's First Family is doing a collab with Monopoly Go as well, because everyone deserves their very own Fantasti-Car, I believe.

Will then redirects the enthusiasm to the wonderful world of K-pop with Solo Leveling: Arise, which has teamed up with K-pop girl group i-dle for an explosive all-new music video titled ARISE. 

All this leads to catchy collabs and the appeal of K-pop, before Iwan rounds it all up with Garena Free Fire getting an upcoming anime adaptation (or, as the episode puts it, the vindication of anime). There's definitely plenty of other adaptations in the works at the moment, so truly, there's never been a better time to be a gamer.

Before the episode ends, though, Iwan and Will gush about the lore of Cookie Run: Kingdom (and rightly so), and if you haven't been keeping up-to-date with all its Cookies, you should head on over to our treasure trove of CRK guides on the site right now.

Oh and as a bonus, Will wraps it up with the Monster Hunter Now Summer Hunt 2025 event to help you keep cool this season!

What do sleeping Pokemon and backstabbing would-be conquerors have in common? Why, they're both hot topics in this week's (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast, of course!

Iwan channels all his pent-up energy into Zenless Zone Zero's Operation Yum event in London, where local food chain Butchies will be cooking up a storm in serving the aptly called ZZZing Burger combo to fans in the area. More importantly, there will be limited-edition merch, and who are we kidding? Everyone loves those, and anyone who tells you any different is lying to themselves.

Will then segues into the AR magic of Waltz of the Wizard, where the main appeal is to talk to a skull named Skully while you go about your wizarding world, wielding wickedly wizarding whims. You can even chuck him out the window just because, and while you might wonder why you'd want to do such a thing, I think it's safe to assume everyone's going to be doing that the first chance they get.

Surprisingly, this brings us to a conversation about collecting monsters while you're sleeping in Pokemon Sleep, which is now celebrating two years of service. And with Snorlax front and centre, it's no surprise it's still going strong.

Speaking of animals - albeit in a less-than-wholesome way - Way of the Hunter: Wild America is now offering a try-before-you-buy model for the hunting sim as is the trend as of late, while Will takes us into Crash Course Builder that's out now on Android, with an iOS release coming soon. After much ado about gaining "traction", we move on to Road to Empress and its upcoming release, which makes us reminisce about the 90s and FMV games in all their glory.

What happened over the weekend in LA, and is this truly the Iwan and Friends show? The (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast focuses on Arknights: Endfield and all the hype surrounding it, with a few bits of immersive candies and pig squeals thrown in for good measure.

After a bit of a kerfuffle about fake tax records, Iwan dives right into the heart of the matter, which is Arknights: Endfield's beta 2.0. Iwan gives us a very detailed look at all the bells and whistles at the event, especially with everything the upcoming RPG has to offer.

There are a lot of interesting tidbits surrounding the mechanics and how they all relate to Arknights, so if you're curious, you can have a look at Iwan's preview, or find out more about what goes on behind the scenes in his interview with producer Light Zhong (it's a really insightful one!).

And because immersion and interactivity are the name of the game these days, we move on to quirkier news as Candy Crush creates music that you can apparently actually taste - we're not even kidding. Will gives us the lowdown on these odd but certainly interesting musical twists, and while we do get into a bit of back-and-forth on whether or not this is actually a good idea, the hype is definitely real for this one, as the lollipops were instantly sold out online.

Speaking of immersion, Clash Royale, on the other hand, is offering you the chance to immortalise yourself forever as the new hog squeal sound effect in the game, so if you're interested, there's still time to make a name for yourself on the official website.

Before we end, we announce the official launch of Sword of Justice, where AI-powered NPCs actually remember how you interact with them - this means you'll likely have a much more immersive experience as you go along, because it seems we're all about immersion today. And finally, Totally Fishing now has an official TestFlight build you can give a go for all your wacky fishing needs.

Do you really need a Pal during the apocalypse (yes, you do), who is The Sassy JRPG Hater, and have we just irrevocably angered FF7 fans with our discussion on Healing Materia? The (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast offers both fast news and chaotic insights in this week's episode with the three of us back in.

Will very dramatically takes us into the 12th annual Pocket Gamer Awards nominations, which are now open until mid-November. This means if you fancy seeing your fave picks up there, let your voice (or vote) be heard by filling in the nomination form! 

Then, you can dabble in a little bit of eldritch horror in Asphalt Legends Unite, where Iwan gives us the details on the popular racer's Cthulhu crossover event. And to continue with all the leftover Halloween spooks, Bendy and the Ink Machine is the Epic Games Store freebie of the week, so you can go ahead and creep yourself out with horrific mascots and cursed, abandoned lairs.

Iwan and Will talk a bit about the circumstances surrounding the Epic Games Store's free games program, before we segue into the equally horrific world of Once Human collaborating with the not-so-horrific world of Palworld. While the crossover might seem odd at first glance, it actually does make sense given the nature of the gameplay, so if you're curious about how your Pals can help you survive the apocalypse, now's your chance.

Then, we move on to the sad news of Squad Busters unfortunately getting shuttered next year, which definitely comes as a surprise given it's been fully launched and not in soft-launch as opposed to other games Supercell previously shut down. Iwan gives us the lowdown on the comings and goings in the biz behind the scenes for a bit before Will launches into an inspirational speech complete with motivational music on how he believes in Supercell - and perhaps we all should too.

And finally, we cap off the episode with Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis' crossover with Final Fantasy XIII, in which we might've angered some FF7 fans by pondering the intricacies of Healing Materia and Aerith's popularity in the midst of it all (but not before we meet Iwan's alter-ego, The Sassy JRPG Hater).