The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou
Episodes
#62 - Elena Lobova: Mobile Game Publishing in 2026 and What Publishers Really Want
24 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Learn how mobile game publishing really works in 2026, from user acquisition costs to what publishers actually look for when funding games.Today, I...
#61 Anastasia Zaiceva: Why Clarity Breaks Down In Game Studios And How It Hurts Production
10 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What does a game studio brand really mean beyond a logo or color palette?Today, I'm joined by Anastasia Zaiceva, Chief Communications Officer at Z...
#60 – Harry Phokou: Building a $10K/Month Business in 90 days and Escaping Career Drift
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I join Jonny Rose to share how I built Hivemind into a leading go-to-market marketing agency for the games industry and why in-person...
#59 - Johannes Mang: How Rovio Revived Angry Birds 2 After 10 Years
19 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
How do you revive and regrow a 10-year-old mobile game in one of the toughest markets in gaming?Today, I'm joined by Johnny Mang, General Manager ...
#58 – Charlotte Hook: Why the Games Industry Is Playing It Safe (Ex-Team17 Executive)
10 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The games industry is changing fast and not everyone is keeping up.Today, I sit down with Charlotte Cook (former Team17, Sega, Skybound, angel investo...
#57 – Robbie Ferguson: Why Good Games Fail (Data from 690+ Launches)
03 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Why do 90% of games fail, even when the game itself is good?Today, I sit down with Robbie Ferguson, Co-Founder at Immutable, to break down the real da...
#56 – Ionut Codreanu: Building Game Studios That Actually Ship
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Building great teams is harder than building great products.Today, I sit down with Ionuț Codreanu, Head of Studio at Funcom and veteran of titles lik...
#54 – Frode Krisner: Why Game Discovery Is Broken (And What Actually Works in 2026)
15 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
How do you actually get your game discovered in 2026, without killing creativity?In this episode, I sit down with Frode Krisner, Founder and Co-CEO at...
#54 – Dino Patti: Why Game Publishing Is Failing Indie Developers
06 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The traditional game publisher model is breaking, and indie developers are feeling it first.Today, I'm joined by Dino Patti, co-founder of Playdea...
#53 – Felix Oechsler: What Happens When a Game Succeeds and the Studio Isn’t Ready
30 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What really happens when your game suddenly explodes to hundreds of thousands of players?Today, I sit down with Felix Oechsler, CTO and Managing Direc...
#52 - Edward Newby-Robson: 20-Year AAA Marketer Breaks Down Game Branding 101
23 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What actually is a game brand, and why do so many studios still get marketing wrong?Today, I sit down with Edd Newby-Robson, a senior games industry m...
#51 – Joni Lappalainen: Why Most Game Studios Burn Out & How to Build One That Ships
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it really take to build and lead a game studio that actually ships, without burning people out?Today, I'm joined by Joni Lappalainen, CE...
#50 - Joe Hills: Why Most Game Launches Fail and What Studios Miss
09 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today's guest is Joe Hills, an expert game marketer, ex-Blizzard, Supercell, Meta, Riot, and now Head of Gaming & Partnerships at Once Upon a ...
#49 - Jenny Xu: From Indie Game Dev to CEO & Staying Focused Under Pressure
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today's guest is Jenny Xu, a long-distance runner, Forbes 30 Under 30, and CEO of Talofa Games.Jenny breaks down her wild journey from making 100+ gam...
#48 - Simon Sundén: Why Esports Helps Some Games And Hurts Others
25 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today's guest is Simon Sundén, a veteran of the competitive gaming scene, CEO of Clutch Group, and the operator behind major esports productions like...
#47 – Henri Lindgren: What It Takes To Survive As a Founder In Games
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today's guest is Henri Lindgren, a veteran games industry leader, CEO of Kokoon Games, and former head of Lightneer.We unpack the real side of buildin...
#46 – Matt Hitchcock: Why Great Games Still Fail Without Great Marketing
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I sit down with Matt Hitchcock, co-founder of Other Things Agency, to break down what it really takes to market, launch, and revive g...
#45 – Amir Satvat: 2,000 Rejections Before Landing His Dream Job in Games
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it actually take to build a career in games? In this episode, I sit down with Amir Satvat, Director of Business Development at Tencent and t...
#44 – Andrew Pappas: How Empathy-Driven Marketing Builds Successful Indie Games
16 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ever wondered why some indie games blow up without “doing any marketing”? And why that idea frustrates real game marketers?In this episode, I sit ...
#43 – Marcus Holmström: How Roblox Is Rewriting the Rules of Game Development
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ever wondered how to scale a gaming studio to over 200+ staff without raising a single dollar of VC funding?In this episode, I sit down with Marcus Ho...
#42 – John Wright: From Accountant to CEO, Breaking Into the Gaming Industry & Scaling Mobile Games
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dreaming of breaking into the games industry or scaling your studio?In this episode, John Wright (CEO of Turborilla) shares his journey from leaving a...
#41 – Jon Hanson: Why Indie Game Marketing Fails (and How to Succeed on a Small Budget)
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Gaming Playbook, I sit down with Jon Hanson, founder of Skill Tree Marketing and former EA & Warner Bros. publishing exec, ...
#40 – Charlie Czerkawski: Inside Game Economy Design, Monetization & Progression
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Gaming Playbook, I sit down with Charlie Czerkawski, veteran game designer behind Shadowgun Legends and Payday 3, and now part ...
#39 – Matej Lancaric: The UA Consultant on Building a €1.6M Solo Gaming Business
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Gaming Playbook, I sit down with Matej Lancaric, one of the most successful solopreneurs in the gaming industry, who scaled his...
#38 – Kate Edwards: The #1 Mistake Studios Make Going Global in Games
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I sit down with Kate Edwards, CEO of Geogrify, culturalisation strategist, and former Executive Director of the IGDA, to unpack the h...
#37 – Ada Mockute Jaime: Casual Game Marketing in 2025 – Why UGC Beats Ads & TikTok Strategies
21 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I sit down with Ada Mockute Jaime, CMO at Nordcurrent (Cooking Fever, Airplane Chefs) to unpack what’s actually working in mobile g...
#36 – Ridzki Syahputera: The Hidden Costs of Equity in Gaming & How to Scale Smarter
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Think raising VC is the best way to grow a game? Think again.In this episode, I sit down with Ridzki Syahputera — ex-VC and co-founder of PVX Partne...
#35 - Greg Lee: The Baby in Yellow: How an Indie Game Hit 300M Downloads Without a Marketing Budget
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Discover how The Baby in Yellow, an indie horror game born from a game jam, exploded to over 300 million downloads — without any marketing budget or...
#34 - Bobby Wertheim: Why Game Publishing in 2025 Is Broken for Indies - Funding, Pitching & Surviving the Market
19 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
2025 Indie Game Publishing Playbook w/ Bobby WertheimLooking to land a publishing deal for your indie game in 2025? In this episode, veteran game scou...
#33 - Alexander Brazie: How to Get Promoted Fast in the Games Industry
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Want to break into the gaming industry or level up your career fast?In this episode of The Gaming Playbook, Harry Phokou sits down with Alexander Braz...
#32 – Tom Gayner: How Top Game Studios Monetize Discord Communities
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Want to turn your Discord community into a revenue-generating machine? In this episode of The Gaming Playbook, I sit down with Tom Gayner, CEO of Leve...
#31 - Markus Wilding: How Game Marketing Must Change to Win in 2025
06 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why do most good games still fail today, even with great gameplay?Markus Wilding – former marketing leader at Take-Two, 2K, and Private Division –...
#30 - Peter Fodor: Why Mobile Games Fail in 2025 And How to Market Them Right
22 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Gaming Playbook, I sit down with Peter Fodor, founder and CEO of AppAgent, a top-tier mobile marketing agency behind games from...
#29 - Matt Barker: High-Converting LinkedIn Posts, Storytelling & Building Authority
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ever feel like your writing isn’t landing the way you want? Whether you’re posting on LinkedIn, crafting a sales page, or trying to grow an audien...
#28 - Lara Acosta: "The Best LinkedIn Content Strategy for 2025" - Personal Branding, The Psychology of Success, Offline Experiences & more
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s guest is Lara Acosta, a personal branding expert, content strategist, and founder of Literally Academy. Lara went from being unemployed in 2...
#27 - Hendrik Lesser: "Why Game Studios Struggle in 2025" - Leadership, Survival Strategies & more
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today's guest is Hendrik Lesser, president of the European Game Developer Federation and CEO of Remote Control Productions (RCP).Hendrik started out s...
#26 - Ali Farha: "The Producer Playbook” - The Secrets to Becoming a Game Producer Everyone Wants on Their Team
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s guest is Ali Farha, a Senior Technical Producer at Star Stable Entertainment.Ali has helped studios build scalable technology, optimize tool...
#25 - Alexander Brazie: “How To Get a Job In Gaming Playbook” - Building Portfolio, Nailing Interviews, Practical Tips & more
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s guest is Alexander Brazie, a veteran game designer with over 20 years of experience and co-founder of Game Design Skills.Alexander has worke...
#24 - Jacob Pegs: "The Solopreneur Playbook" - The $1,000,000 Solopreneur Formula Using LinkedIn Without Burnout
14 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s guest is Jacob Pegs, a solopreneur, mentor, friend, and founder of Modern Maker, a coaching community.After years of web development and run...
#23 - How they made $100,000s writing on LinkedIn | Lara Acosta, Matt Barker, Jacob Pegs
24 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Gaming Playbook's first-ever studio panel discussion features three LinkedIn powerhouses: Lara Acosta, Jacob Pegs, and Matt Barker. Episode Sponso...
#22 - "The Content Strategy Playbook" - Content Creation, Lead Management, The Role of AI & more
29 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s guests are Lara Acosta, Luke Matthews, Matt Barker, Sam G. Winsbury, and Jacob Pegs.Lara is a personal branding expert and founder of Litera...
#21 - ”The Business Growth Playbook” - Adapting to Change, Expanding Beyond LinkedIn, Scaling Through Systems and Delegation & more
26 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s guests are three LinkedIn powerhouses: Nausheen I. Chen, Ryan R. Sullivan, and Danny DelVecchio.Nausheen is a 3-time TEDx speaker and public...
#20 - Kseniia Maiboroda: “Mobile Game Monetization Playbook” - Boosting Revenue with AI, Creating Personalized Experience, The Power of Tech and Data & more
20 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s guest is Kseniia Maiboroda, CEO and Co-founder of Elevatix, an AI-powered LiveOps platform built to help mobile games reach their revenue po...
#19 - Alexis Gresoviac: “How To Survive In Gaming Playbook” - Strategic Growth, Decision-Making, High-Performing Teams & more
09 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s guest is Alexis Gresoviac, Founder of Ace Consulting Group and former Managing Director at Blizzard, Gameloft, and Huuuge Games.Alexis has b...
#18 - Johan Tjäder: “Player Data Playbook” - Power of Player-Driven Data, Impact on Game Publishing, Building Better Games & more
09 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s guest is Johan Tjäder, the CEO and founder of RankOne, the top platform for gamers and creators to share their passion for games.Johan has ...
#17 - Pontus Mahler: “How To Get Money In Gaming Playbook” - Investment Landscape, Dealing With Publishers, Securing Funding & more
03 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s guest is Pontus Mahler, co-founder of Agora Gaming Partners, a global investment bank and advisory firm focused on video gaming.With over a ...
#16 - Callum Godfrey: “Securing a Publisher Playbook” - Understanding Your Audience, Pitching To Publishers, Prioritizing LiveOps & more
01 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today's guest is Callum Godfrey, the Head of Third Party Publishing at nDreams.With over 20 years in the gaming industry, Callum has worked with major...
#15 - Chris O’Connell: “The CEO Playbook” - Leading with Purpose, Overcoming Challenges, Long-Term Business Growth & more
24 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today's guest is Chris O'Connell, a renowned recruitment mentor and host of The Purpose-Led Leadership Podcast.Chris is a former global top biller at...
#14 - Christina-Marie Drake: "How To Get a Job Playbook" - Navigating Layoffs, Networking, Job Search Challenges & more
17 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s guest is Christina-Marie Drake, a leading recruiter at Ghostpunch Games and founder of Moms in Gaming.With nearly a decade of experience in ...
#13 - Simran Whitham: “The Events Playbook” - Building a Profitable Events Business, Effective Networking, Resilience, Strategy & more
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today's guest is Simran Whitham, founder and CEO of FORMAT, the award-winning events production and creative agency.With over 8 years of experience in...
#12 - Tarak Ford: "The Growing Teams Playbook" - Growing International Teams, Onboarding Candidates, Remote Management & more
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today's guest is Tarak Ford, Head of Development at Kwalee, a leading mobile game publisher and developer that also creates games for PC and consoles....
#11 - Harry Phokou: "The Business Developer Playbook" - Practical tips for BD, Optimizing LinkedIn, Growth Opportunities for Gaming Pros & more
01 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s guest is… me, Harry Phokou. I was invited to join Andrew Pappas on the Indie Game Movement podcast to discuss business development. In thi...
#10 - Raphael Colantonio: "The Founder Playbook" - Founding WolfEye and Arkane, Building Trust in Teams, Making Narrative Games & more
23 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s guest is Raphael Colantonio, President and Creative Director at Wolf Eye Studios.Raphael Colantonio has been a prominent figure in the game ...
#9 - Kshiraj Telang: "The Art Director Playbook" - Working Remotely, Across Cultures, Becoming an Art Leader & more
09 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today's guest is Kshiraj Telang, a seasoned artist and Art Director at Moon Active.With over 20 years in the entertainment industry, including over a ...
#8 - Selim Ozturk: "The Gaming Recruiter Playbook" - Building Trust, Long-Term Relationships, Recruitment Success & more
02 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s guest is Selim Ozturk, founder and director of The Pixel Movement a global gaming recruitment agency.Over the last 12 years, he transitioned...
#7 - Ferran Punti García: "The CEO Playbook" - Sustaining a Studio, Creating Standout Games, Disasters and Mistakes
25 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s guest is Ferran Punti García, The Breach Studios co-founder and CEO.With extensive experience in the gaming industry and beyond, he was a p...
#6 - Jeremy Stein: "The Product Leader Playbook" - Product Management, Team Empowerment, Gaming Studio Startup & more
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s guest is Jeremy Stein, the Co-Founder of TTFN Games and a mobile product leader with specialties in design and production.With nearly 18 yea...
#5 - Yahsir Qureshi: "How do you build a successful gaming studio?" - Team-building, Gaming Studio Management & more
11 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s guest is Yahsir Qureshi, the VP and Head of Studio at Sandsoft Games, also an accomplished advisor and investor in the tech industry.He has ...
#4 - Alexander Rehm: Career growth in Games - Transferable Skills, Layoffs, Mentorship, LinkedIn Algorithm & more
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today's guest is Alexander Rehm, a seasoned Live Ops Director and a mentor with over 16 years of experience in the gaming, banking, and B2B/B2C indust...
#3 - Alexis Gresoviac: "The Managing Director Playbook" - Growing Gameloft Japan as VP from 1-150, Negotiating w/ Giants, Coaching and more.
20 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today's guest is Alexis Gresoviac, a veteran of the gaming industry.He has been in the gaming industry for 25 years and served as Managing director of...
#2 - Lara Acosta: How to get Unstuck using LinkedIn - Personal Branding, Networking, Storytelling and more.
08 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lara Acosta has helped 100s of people get unstuck using LinkedIn and personal branding. She grew from 0 to 140k+ followers in just 2 years and is now ...
#1 - Thomas Lemesle: From Producer to Recruiter - Lessons from 25 Years of Hiring, AI in Recruitment, Networking & Mentoring and more.
15 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Thomas Lemesle is the Talent Acquisition manager at Gamehouse closing in on 20 years in the games industry. Having been a hiring manager for 25+ years...