My Perfect Console with Simon Parkin

Anna Donlon, head of Valorant Studios (Valorant, League of Legends, Call of Duty: Black Ops)

My guest today is an American game producer and studio leader whose career has been shaped by a deep love of competitive shooters and more than two decades spent building

Correspondence Special #9: Which games should have been on the podcast by now (and much more)

In this special correspondence edition, Simon reads out your letters and answers your questions. Is there a cut-off point for working in games journalism? Which video ga

Chris Cantrill, comedian, writer Saturday Night Live UK.

Chris Cantrill is a British comedian, writer, and actor from West Yorkshire whose work combines rapid-fire jokes with an off-kilter view of everyday life. He first came t

Sarah Maria Griffin, poet, author (Eat the Ones You Love; Strange is the Light)

My guest today is an Irish writer, poet, critic, and podcaster. Born and raised in Dublin, she began writing seriously as a teenager, studied English, Media and Cultural

Mike Diver, journalist, author (Aliens: The Video Games)

Mike Diver is a British journalist, editor, and author whose career has moved fluidly between music criticism and video games writing, always with an eye for subculture,

Soren Johnson, game designer (Civ III, Civ IV, Spore, Old World)

Soren Johnson is an American programmer and game designer whose work has helped shape the modern strategy genre. After earning a master’s degree in Computer Science from

Glen Henry, gamemaker, co-founder Jamaica Game Developer Society.

My guest today is a Jamaican game developer and studio founder. Based in Kingston, he is the founder of Spritewrench Studios, a narrative-focused micro studio he built af

Amelia Tait, journalist, children's author.

Amelia Tait is a British journalist and author whose work has made her one of the sharpest observers of modern life online and off. As a freelance writer, she has built a

James Trickey, comedian.

James Trickey is a British comedian whose work blends sharp writing, physical comedy, and, in his new show, one of the more extraordinary Edinburgh Fringe stories in rece

Pierce Brown, science fiction novelist (Red Rising series).

Pierce Brown is an American novelist whose work has made him one of the defining voices in modern science fiction. After a restless childhood that saw his family move rep

John Robertson, comedian, creator The Dark Room.

John Robertson is an Australian comedian, writer, and performer who has carved out a singular space between stand-up, theatre, and video games. Beginning his career on th

Andreas Thorstensson, former Counter-Strike champion, founder GOALS AB.

Andreas Thorstensson is a Swedish entrepreneur, former professional gamer, and studio founder whose career has moved from the early days of esports to the challenge of re

Abigoliah Schamaun, comedian.

Abigoliah Schamaun is an American comedian, writer, actor, and podcaster whose open-hearted style has made her one of the most distinctive voices on the UK stand-up circu

Luke Whittaker, gamemaker. (South of the Circle, Lumino City).

Luke Whittaker is a British game designer and creative director. With a background in animation and games design, he co-founded the BAFTA-winning indie studio State of Pl

Rob Dubbin, comedy writer, game designer (The Colbert Report, Scripto).

Rob Dubbin is a comedy writer and game designer whose work spans late-night television, journalism, and interactive storytelling. After studying History and Literature at

George Osborn, strategist, author (Power Play: Video Games, Politics, and the Battle for Global Influence.)

George Osborn is a journalist, strategist, and analyst whose work explores the increasingly fraught intersection of video games, business, and politics. He has worked as

Gabríel Ólafs, pianist, composer, founder Reykjavík Orkestra.

Gabríel Ólafs is an Icelandic pianist, composer, and producer whose work blends classical tradition with fantasy and a strikingly modern sense of atmosphere. Born in Reyk

Elise Kova, romantic fantasy novelist.

Elise Kova is a fantasy novelist whose rise from online serial writer to international bestseller has made her one of the defining voices in modern fantasy. She began wri

Brendan Greene, game-maker (PUBG, Prologue: Go Wayback!)

Brendan Greene is a game designer whose work reshaped the landscape of competitive multiplayer video games. Raised on a barracks in County Kildare, he grew up in an army

Stephen Totilo, journalist, editor.

Stephen Totilo is an American journalist whose career has helped redefine how video games are reported and understood. After studying at Columbia’s Graduate School of Jou