Pixel Parents | A Video Game Podcast
by Pixel Parents
Welcome to the Pixel Parents Podcast! 🎮Join your ol' Scottish dads Liam and Scott every Friday for gaming news, reviews, relatable topics and plenty of laughs about the hobby we love, even when real life gets in the way.But the conversation doesn't stop there! We've got a friendly, FREE Discord community for grown-up gamers to chat, share recommendations and get involved in the show.Parent or not, everyone's welcome. No pressure, no paywalls, just good company.🎮 Join us: https://discord.gg/XpwXctfYeECome for the podcast. Stay for the company.
Episodes
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Episode 136 - Patient Gaming: Are we always chasing the next game? - Pixel Parents Podcast
Are we spending more time chasing new releases than enjoying the games we already own? This week, we discuss gaming FOMO, overflowing backlogs and the pressure to remain part of the latest gaming conversation. We look at why buying games can sometimes become more exciting than playing them, the...
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Episode 135 - Is This Our Last Console Generation? - Pixel Parents Podcast
Do PlayStation and Xbox really need another console generation? Project Helix has reportedly been projected to cost between $1,200 and $1,800 without a subsidy. Separate claims suggest memory and storage for the PS6 could cost more than $680 before you even consider the rest of the machine.…
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Episode 134 - Smut Week: Turning Up The Heat… (We’re Sorry) - Pixel Parents Podcast
Which video game character first made you feel something beyond excitement and rage? Smut Week has arrived, and we’re confessing our first gaming crushes, revisiting the characters developers clearly wanted us to fancy and discussing the game romances we took far too seriously. From Chun Li, Nina...
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Episode 133 - Gears of War is Back… Let’s Get Physical - Pixel Parents Podcast
Physical games were about more than owning a disc. Game shops, midnight launches, manuals, trade ins and lending games to friends all helped make gaming feel like a visible culture. This week, we ask what digital convenience has cost us, what today’s younger players may never experience and…
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Episode 132 - The Nine Games That Shaped Us - Pixel Parents Podcast
What are the nine games that made you the gamer you are today? Scott and Liam join the social media trend, but the grid only tells part of the story. We explain how these games shaped our tastes, friendships, families and different stages of our lives. These are not simply our nine favourite…
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Episode 131 - Great games, broken industry: Xbox layoffs and gaming’s future - Pixel Parents Podcast
Gaming has rarely been better, but the industry behind it has rarely looked more unstable. Another 268 Xbox jobs have been cut, Halo is moving to a new team within Activision, and more studios face uncertain futures. But this feels much bigger than one company making bad decisions. Scott and Liam...
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Episode 130 - Fixing PlayStation & Marvel’s Wolverine - Pixel Parents Podcast
PlayStation is still the default place to play for millions of people. But after an uneven PS5 generation, rising prices and a failed live service push, Sony appears to have lost some of its identity. We look at what PlayStation still gets right, where its confidence has gone and the changes we...
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Episode 129 - Gaming Opinions We Changed Mind About - Pixel Parents Podcast
We all have gaming opinions that aged badly. Scott has six of them. In this solo episode, he admits he was wrong about Fortnite, game difficulty, digital ownership, Nintendo, Early Access and video game remakes. He also looks at how age, parenthood and limited free time have changed what he wants...
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Episode 128 - Which Older Games Deserve One More Expansion? - Pixel Parents Podcast
Should developers stop abandoning successful single-player games after one expansion pass? The Witcher 3 is returning with Songs of the Past, giving players a reason to revisit Geralt’s world more than a decade later. This week, we ask which other finished games deserve the same treatment. Scott...
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Episode 127 - GTA VI Looks Incredible. But Can We Afford Next Gen?- Pixel Parents Podcast
Has GTA VI finally shown us what this console generation can really do? GTA VI’s extended look may be the best demonstration yet of what the current console generation can achieve. Liam reacts to Rockstar’s 27-minute presentation, including the return to more methodical Red Dead Redemption…
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Episode 126 - Where Gaming Fits When Life Gets Hard - Pixel Parents Podcast
Where does gaming fit when life gets hard? After unexpectedly being made redundant, Liam found himself questioning whether he deserved to spend time playing games. It took a return to Spider-Man 2 to remind him that enjoying something during a difficult period does not mean ignoring what has...
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Episode 125 - Fantasy Critic Predictions: 2026’s Biggest Games - Pixel Parents Podcast
We’re predicting the review scores of 2026’s biggest upcoming games. Liam and Scott lock in their scores for GTA 6, Marvel’s Wolverine, Silent Hill Townfall, Fire Emblem Fortunes Weave, Control Resonant, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 and more. Before that, we share our early impressions of Marvel...
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Episode 124 - The Games We Bought at Exactly the Wrong Time - Pixel Parents Podcast
Have you ever bought a great game at completely the wrong time? Scott bought Assassin’s Creed Valhalla alongside three other games for the PS5 launch. Liam bought Super Mario Odyssey, Wolfenstein 2 and Assassin’s Creed Origins shortly before becoming a parent. Neither plan went particularly well....
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Episode 123 - The Unwritten Rules Every Gamer Follows & Halo Campaign Evolved - Pixel Parents Podcast
Episode 123 - The Unwritten Rules Every Gamer Follows & Halo Campaign Evolved - Pixel Parents Podcast How wrong are we about to be? What are the unwritten rules every gamer follows? Check behind every waterfall. Smash every box. Explore away from the objective marker. Never use your best healing...
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Episode 122 - Gaming Predictions We'll Probably Regret & Denshattack! - Pixel Parents Podcast
How wrong are we about to be? This week we're putting our reputations on the line by making bold predictions for where gaming is heading over the next five years. Will physical games survive? Will next-generation consoles become so expensive that finance plans become the norm? Which companies are...
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Episode 121 - Why Some Games Stay With Us Forever & Nex Playground Review - Pixel Parents Podcast
Some games never really leave us. Years later, we can still remember the soundtrack, the ending, a favourite character, or exactly where we were when we first played them. This week we're asking a simple question. What actually makes a game stay with us? Is it nostalgia? Music? Replayability? The...
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Episode 120 - Gaming Reset: What We'd Do Differently- Pixel Parents Podcast
Gaming feels like it's at a crossroads. This week, we react to another difficult week for the industry as Xbox announces more than 3,000 layoffs in what it calls a "reset". What does this mean for the future of gaming? Are publishers chasing impossible growth, and is the industry heading towards…
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Episode 119 - Welcoming Baby #2… Scott's Final Save Point - Pixel Parents Podcast
This week on the Pixel Parents Podcast, we're preparing for a huge life event. No, not GTA 6. Scott has become a father for the second time. Before he disappears into a haze of nappies, sleepless nights and questionable gaming decisions, we're sitting down for one final check in. In this episode:...
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Episode 118 - Backlog Era: Has Gaming Become Too Expensive? - Pixel Parents Podcast
This week on the Pixel Parents Podcast, we're asking a question that felt impossible just a few years ago… Has gaming become too expensive? Following the announcement of the Steam Machine and its eye-watering price tag, we're discussing whether gaming hardware has finally crossed a line. Are we...
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Episode 117 - Game of the Year So Far + Xbox's Darkest Week? - Pixel Parents Podcast
We're officially past the halfway point of 2026. So what is Game of the Year... so far? This week we're building our current GOTY shortlist, debating the biggest contenders, and asking which games still have a realistic chance of being in the conversation when The Game Awards roll around in...
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Episode 116 - The Game Avalanche: Too Many Games, Not Enough Time - Pixel Parents Podcast
September and October are absolutely stacked. Publishers are racing to launch before GTA 6 arrives, and the result is one of the most crowded release windows we’ve seen in years. So how do we decide what actually deserves our time? Which games are day-one priorities?Which ones can wait for a...
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Pixel REACTS - XBOX Games Showcase Reaction
This week on Pixel Reacts, we're breaking down everything announced during the Xbox Games Showcase 2026 and the Gears of War: E-Day Direct. From Gears of War and Fable to Persona 6, Spyro, Clockwork Revolution and more, Xbox delivered one of its strongest showcases in years. But the biggest…
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Pixel REACTS - Summer Game Fest Was A Mess
This week on Pixel Reacts, we're breaking down Summer Game Fest 2026. Or at least we're trying to. After more than two hours, dozens of trailers, endless announcements and a whole lot of games we struggled to care about, we came away with one big question. Has Summer Game Fest become too bloated?...
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Episode 115 - One Year of Switch 2: Was It Worth It? - Pixel Parents Podcast
The Nintendo Switch 2 is officially one year old. So… was it worth it? This week we look back at our first year with Nintendo’s latest console. What surprised us, what disappointed us, and whether it has truly earned a permanent place in our gaming lives. We break down: The standout games The...
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Pixel REACTS - PlayStation State of Play Reaction (JUNE 2026)
PlayStation came out swinging. This latest State of Play gave us our best look yet at Marvel's Wolverine, a surprise reveal for God of War: Laufey, Tomb Raider Legacy of Atlantis, Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, Until Dawn 2 and a whole lot more. In this special episode of Pixel REACTS, we break…
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Episode 114 - Summer Game Fest Predictions: Bold Calls for SGF, Xbox & PlayStation - Pixel Parents Podcast
Showcase season is here. This week, we’re making bold predictions for: Summer Game Fest, Sony’s State of Play, and Xbox Game Showcase What must show up?What surprise reveals are we calling now?And which platform holder has the most to prove? Plus, we have our impressions of LEGO Batman: Legacy of...
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Episode 113 - Vice Boys: Our GTA Past & Hopes for GTA VI - Pixel Parents Podcast
This week, we’re going to ask the big question: has the world outgrown GTA? In our main topic, Vice Boys, we take a look back at our own history with Grand Theft Auto, from sneaking sessions as kids to watching the series evolve into a cultural juggernaut. Then we look ahead. What do we actually...
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Episode 112 - Mixtape Review + The Gaming Habits We Need to Break - Pixel Parents Podcast
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...
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Episode 111 - Chasing the Moment or Taking Our Time? - Pixel Parents Podcast
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...
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Pixel Reacts - Star Fox Direct LIVE REACTIONS
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…
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Episode 110 - The Games We’re Still Excited for in 2026 - Pixel Parents Podcast
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...
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Episode 109 - The Pixel Picks Top 100 Video Games Showdown - Pixel Parents Podcast
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…
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Episode 108 – How We’d Fix Xbox as Asha Sharma - Pixel Parents Podcast
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...
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Episode 107 - PS5 So Far: Has the Generation Delivered? - Pixel Parents 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…
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Episode 106- Building the NCU: Our Dream Nintendo Cinematic Universe– Pixel Parents Podcast
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…
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Episode 105- Clocking In: Crimson Desert & The Time Crunch– Pixel Parents Podcast
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…
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Episode 104- DLSS 5 Fallout & The Gaming Hills We’ll Die On (w/ The Mimic Veil’s Alex)– Pixel Parents Podcast
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...
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Episode 103 - Pokemon Pokopia & The Big Next Gen Chat (Xbox Project Helix Edition) – Pixel Parents Podcast
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...
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Episode 102 - Too Old for Gaming? + Resident Evil Requiem – Pixel Parents Podcast
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…
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Episode 101 - Resident Hero: Steven Mair & The Future of Xbox – Pixel Parents Podcast
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....
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Episode 100 - Party Time: The Pixel Parents 100 Time Capsule – Pixel Parents Podcast
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...
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Episode 99 - Under Pressure: Nioh 3, Mewgenics and Gamer Guilt– Pixel Parents Podcast
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...
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Episode 98 - We Just FOMO’d Ourselves - Pixel Parents Podcast
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...
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Episode 97 - Highguard & Hardcore Gamers – Pixel Parents Podcast
This week we’re digging into Highguard and tackling a spicy conversation about what actually makes someone a hardcore gamer… and why it’s definitely not just the people sinking endless hours into games. Life gets busy. Priorities shift. Kids appear. Jobs explode. But the passion for gaming…
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Episode 96 - Xbox Developer Direct 26’ Reactions + Pressing Reset: Gaming and Expecting Again - Pixel Parents Podcast
This week we react to the Xbox Developer Direct and run through the biggest moments as we see more from Fable, Forza Horizon 6, Beast of Reincarnation and Kiln! PLUS - Big news this week — Scott is going to be a dad again! So we’re pressing reset and talking honestly about what it means to juggle...
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Episode 95 – Hot Takes: Most Underrated or Overrated? – Pixel Parents Podcast
This week, Alex is back for what might be our most chaotic episode yet as we play a ruthless round of Underrated or Overrated.Nothing is safe.No franchise is sacred.And yes — your favourite game might appear. Expect sparks and the kind of nonsense that only happens when two tired gamer parents...
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Episode 94 – The Big 2026 Preview Chat: Most Anticipated Games & Predictions
It’s a brand new year, which means one thing... more games than we’ll ever find time to play. This week, friend of the show and host of The Mimic's Veil, Alex, returns as our special guest! And we’re kicking off 2026 by breaking down the games we’re most excited about, from the obvious heavy...
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Episode 93 – Our New Year Gaming Resolutions + 2025 Gaming In Review – Pixel Parents Podcast
We’re kicking off the new year with a look forward and a look back. First, we set out our 2026 gaming resolutions, the promises, intentions and delusions we’ll almost definitely break by March. Backlog goals, platform habits, spending choices, and the types of games we want to play more (or less)...
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Episode 92 - Game of The Year 2025 - Pixel Parents Podcast
It’s our biggest episode of the year, the Pixel Parents Game of the Year 2025.We’re counting down our top ten favourite games of the year, celebrating the surprises, the slow burns, the instant classics, and the titles that defined our time playing games this year. No big stage. No world…
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Episode 91 - Jingle All The Play: The Pixel Parents Christmas Special 2025 - Pixel Parents Podcast
It’s Christmas at Pixel Parents HQ, and we’re going full festive this week. We’re looking back at the games we wanted for Christmas growing up, the ones we got, the ones we didn’t, and the ones that live rent-free in our memories. Inspired by Jingle All The Way, we’re also asking the big one…
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About this show
Welcome to the Pixel Parents Podcast! 🎮Join your ol' Scottish dads Liam and Scott every Friday for gaming news, reviews, relatable topics and plenty of laughs about the hobby we love, even when real life gets in the way.But the conversation doesn't stop there! We've got a friendly, FREE Discord community for grown-up gamers to chat, share recommendations and get involved in the show.Parent or not, everyone's welcome. No pressure, no paywalls, just good company.🎮 Join us: https://discord.gg/XpwXctfYeECome for the podcast. Stay for the company.
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