Shows / The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou
On The Gaming Playbook, Harry Phokou sits down with experts in the games industry who have never been interviewed before. Through these in-depth conversations, Harry unpacks the "Playbook" that made them so successful. Skip the line on Tuesdays and download the real-life cheat codes every gaming industry pro needs to know. LinkedIn: @hphokou Instagram: @hphokou Newsletter: https://join.thegamingplaybook.com/ Business and guest inquiries: playbook@phokou.com
Episodes
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#84 - Kirill Oreshkin: How to Test Game Ideas in Just 2 Weeks Before You Build Them
How can you tell whether players want your game before spending years building it? Today, I'm joined by Kirill Oreshkin, Co-founder and CEO of Polden…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#83 - Jakob Berglund: How to Prioritize What Matters Most in Game Development
Today I’m joined by Jakob Berglund, founder of Atlas One, who spent over 11 years at King and later worked on MONOPOLY GO! at Scopely. We talk about turning…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#82 - Guy Costantini: What It Takes to Build and Fund a Game in 2026
Today I'm joined by Guy Costantini, Co-founder and CEO of Chaos Manufacturing, who's spent over 15 years in game publishing, marketing and studio leadership…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#81 - Teemu Haila: How AI Is Changing How Games Are Built, Tested & Run
Today I’m joined by Teemu Haila, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Metaplay. Teemu has spent more than 20 years in game development, co-founded PlayRiven…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#80 - Magnus Lysell: How to Sell More Copies of Your Game in China
Today, I’m joined by Magnus Lysell, co-founder of Light Up Games and a former product manager at Paradox Interactive, where he worked on games including…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#79 - Mikkel Weider: What It Takes for a Great Game to Succeed (Publishing, Discovery, Market Demand & More)
Today, I’m joined by Mikkel Weider, the new CEO of Everplay Group, home to Team17, astragon Entertainment and StoryToys, with hundreds of games across its…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#78 - Ali Farha: How Game Funding Works (VC, Publishers, Project Financing & More)
How do game studios actually get funded, and when should you choose VC, a publisher, project financing, or another route? Today I’m joined by Ali Farha…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#77 - Adam Jaffe: Why Mobile Game Growth Has Changed and Where the New Opportunities Are
Today I’m joined by Adam Jaffe, a mobile gaming marketer with nearly two decades in the industry. He was Playtika’s 10th employee and Head of User Acquisition…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#76 - Doug Pennant: How to Build a Career That Lasts in the Games Industry
Today, I'm joined by Doug Pennant, a Senior Producer at Infinity Ward, drawing on 16 years across Alien: Isolation, Total War, and Call of Duty, who explains…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#75 - Adam Selcuk: Why Steam Alone Isn't Enough to Sell More Copies of Your Game
Today, I'm joined by Adam Selcuk, CPO at VaultN, who explains why game studios are leaving significant revenue on the table by ignoring third-party PC game…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#74 - Quentin Cobb: How to Build a Fundable Indie Studio in 2026
What does it really take to get an indie game funded? After 17 years in AAA game development, Quentin Cobb left studios behind to found Ironroot Games. In this…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#73 - Michael Szklarski: Why Rockstar Bought His Mod Instead of Fixing GTA Online
Multiplayer doesn't have to be built on day one. Today, I'm joined by Michael Szklarski, Co-Founder of ReadyM, who explains how community-driven multiplayer…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#72 - Frank Lofaro: The Hiring System Every Studio Founder Needs (Before the Next Mis-Hire)
Hiring isn't guesswork. In this episode, I'm joined by Frank Lofaro, who has helped over 1,700 businesses hire better, from zero-employee startups to companies…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#71 - Chris Bain: Why Making Great Games Is Only Half the Job
How do you build a great game company, not just a great game? Today, I'm joined by a former Xbox executive and Player One Consulting CEO, Chris Bain, who…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#70 - Ben Kvalo: Why Indie Developers Give Away Too Much to Get Published
What do game publishers actually do in 2026? Why do some indie games succeed while others fail, even with a great product? Today's guest is Ben Kvalo, founder…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#69 - Pontus Maehler: Indie Game Funding, Deal Terms and New Markets in 2026
Why are indie game funding deals getting harder in 2026? In this episode, I'm joined by Pontus Maehler, games industry advisor and Co-Founder of Agora Gaming…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#68 - Jakub Remiar: Why Chinese Studios Are Taking Over Mobile Gaming
Today, I'm joined by Jakub Remiar, Mobile F2P monetization consultant and veteran game designer, for a deep dive into the future of the mobile games industry…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#67 - Alexandre Amancio: Why Small Game Teams Are Starting To Beat AAA Studios
AAA games are getting too big, and it’s breaking the industry. In this episode, game director Alexandre Amancio (Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry) breaks down why…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#66 - Maria Maunula: How Supercell Made Retros Actually Improve Teams
Why do most retrospectives fail, and how do you turn them into a real driver of team performance? In this episode, I sit down with Maria Maunula, Senior Game…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#65 - Tom Dusenberry: How Indie Devs Can License Big IPs Like Star Wars & Harry Potter
What does it actually take to build successful games in 2026 and beyond? Today, I'm joined by Tom Dusenberry, former Hasbro Interactive CEO, who shares…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#64 - Dru Erridge: Building a Sustainable Game Studio in an Unsustainable Industry
How do you build a sustainable studio in an unsustainable industry? In this episode, I sit down with Dru Erridge (ex-Riot Games) to break down how he built a…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#63 - Andrei Podoprigora: Indie Publishing, Pitching & Systems-Driven Games
Do indie game developers actually need publishers? After 20 years in the industry as a developer, studio founder, and publisher, Andrei Podoprigora breaks down…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#62 - Elena Lobova: Mobile Game Publishing in 2026 and What Publishers Really Want
Learn how mobile game publishing really works in 2026, from user acquisition costs to what publishers actually look for when funding games. Today, I'm joined…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#61 Anastasia Zaiceva: Why Clarity Breaks Down In Game Studios And How It Hurts Production
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 ZiMAD, who…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#60 – Harry Phokou: Building a $10K/Month Business in 90 days and Escaping Career Drift
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…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#59 - Johannes Mang: How Rovio Revived Angry Birds 2 After 10 Years
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 at Rovio…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#58 – Charlotte Cook: Why the Games Industry Is Playing It Safe (Ex-Team17 Executive)
The games industry is changing fast and not everyone is keeping up. Today, I sit down with Charlotte Cook (former Team17, Sega, Skybound, angel investor, and…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#57 – Robbie Ferguson: Why Good Games Fail (Data from 690+ Launches)
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…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#56 – Ionut Codreanu: Building Game Studios That Actually Ship
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 like…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#55 – Frode Krisner: Why Game Discovery Is Broken (And What Actually Works in 2026)
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…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#54 – Dino Patti: Why Game Publishing Is Failing Indie Developers
The traditional game publisher model is breaking, and indie developers are feeling it first. Today, I'm joined by Dino Patti, co-founder of Playdead, creator…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#53 – Felix Oechsler: What Happens When a Game Succeeds and the Studio Isn’t Ready
What really happens when your game suddenly explodes to hundreds of thousands of players? Today, I sit down with Felix Oechsler, CTO and Managing Director at…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#52 - Edward Newby-Robson: 20-Year AAA Marketer Breaks Down Game Branding 101
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 marketing…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#51 – Joni Lappalainen: Why Most Game Studios Burn Out & How to Build One That Ships
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, CEO and…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#50 - Joe Hills: Why Most Game Launches Fail and What Studios Miss
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 Time. Also newly…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#49 - Jenny Xu: From Indie Game Dev to CEO & Staying Focused Under Pressure
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+ games as a…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#48 - Simon Sundén: Why Esports Helps Some Games And Hurts Others
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 the…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#47 – Henri Lindgren: What It Takes To Survive As a Founder In Games
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 building and…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#46 – Matt Hitchcock: Why Great Games Still Fail Without Great Marketing
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 games in…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#45 – Amir Satvat: 2,000 Rejections Before Landing His Dream Job in Games
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 the…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#44 – Andrew Pappas: How Empathy-Driven Marketing Builds Successful Indie Games
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 down with…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#43 – Marcus Holmström: How Roblox Is Rewriting the Rules of Game Development
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 Holmstrom…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#42 – John Wright: From Accountant to CEO, Breaking Into the Gaming Industry & Scaling Mobile Games
Dreaming of breaking into the games industry or scaling your studio? In this episode, John Wright (CEO of Turborilla) shares his journey from leaving…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#41 – Jon Hanson: Why Indie Game Marketing Fails (and How to Succeed on a Small Budget)
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, who left the…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#40 – Charlie Czerkawski: Inside Game Economy Design, Monetization & Progression
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 of…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#39 – Matej Lancaric: The UA Consultant on Building a €1.6M Solo Gaming Business
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…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#38 – Kate Edwards: The #1 Mistake Studios Make Going Global in Games
In this episode, I sit down with Kate Edwards, CEO of Geogrify, culturalisation strategist, and former Executive Director of the IGDA, to unpack the hidden…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#37 – Ada Mockute Jaime: Casual Game Marketing in 2025 – Why UGC Beats Ads & TikTok Strategies
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 game…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#36 – Ridzki Syahputera: The Hidden Costs of Equity in Gaming & How to Scale Smarter
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 Partners — to…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#35 - Greg Lee: The Baby in Yellow: How an Indie Game Hit 300M Downloads Without a Marketing Budget
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 VC…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#34 - Bobby Wertheim: Why Game Publishing in 2025 Is Broken for Indies - Funding, Pitching & Surviving the Market
2025 Indie Game Publishing Playbook w/ Bobby Wertheim Looking to land a publishing deal for your indie game in 2025? In this episode, veteran game scout Bobby…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#33 - Alexander Brazie: How to Get Promoted Fast in the Games Industry
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 Brazie…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#32 – Tom Gayner: How Top Game Studios Monetize Discord Communities
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 Levellr…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#31 - Markus Wilding: How Game Marketing Must Change to Win
Why do most good games still fail today, even with great gameplay? Markus Wilding – former marketing leader at Take-Two, 2K, and Private Division – joins me to…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#30 - Peter Fodor: Why Mobile Games Fail in 2025 And How to Market Them Right
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…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#29 - Matt Barker: High-Converting LinkedIn Posts, Storytelling & Building Authority
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 audience, better…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#28 - Lara Acosta: "The Best LinkedIn Content Strategy for 2025" - Personal Branding, The Psychology of Success, Offline Experiences & more
Today’s guest is Lara Acosta, a personal branding expert, content strategist, and founder of Literally Academy. Lara went from being unemployed in 2022 to…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#27 - Hendrik Lesser: "Why Game Studios Struggle" - Leadership, Survival Strategies & more
Today's guest is Hendrik Lesser, president of the European Game Developer Federation and CEO of Remote Control Productions (RCP). Hendrik started out selling…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#26 - Ali Farha: "The Producer Playbook” - The Secrets to Becoming a Game Producer Everyone Wants on Their Team
Today’s guest is Ali Farha, a Senior Technical Producer at Star Stable Entertainment. Ali has helped studios build scalable technology, optimize tools, and…
The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou#25 - Alexander Brazie: “How To Get a Job In Gaming Playbook” - Building Portfolio, Nailing Interviews, Practical Tips & more
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 worked on some…