The Gaming Playbook with Harry Phokou

Gaming Industry Podcast

Conversations That Unpack the Playbook

Harry Phokou sits down with experts in the games industry who have never been interviewed before. Through these in-depth conversations, we unpack the "Playbook" that made them so successful.

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How to Build a Sustainable Game Studio in an Unsustainable Industry | Dru Erridge
Game Development Gaming Investment
April 9, 2026

How to Build a Sustainable Game Studio in an Unsustainable Industry | Dru Erridge

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 profitable, self-funded game studio in an industry driven by risk, layoffs,.

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How to Build a Sustainable Game Studio in an Unsustainable Industry | Dru Erridge
Game Development Gaming Investment
April 9, 2026

How to Build a Sustainable Game Studio in an Unsustainable Industry | Dru Erridge

How do you build a sustainable studio in an unsustainable industry? In this episode, I sit down with Dru Erridge...

Do Indies Need Publishers? The Answer From Someone Who’s Been Both | Andrei Podoprigora
Game Development Gaming Investment
March 31, 2026

Do Indies Need Publishers? The Answer From Someone Who’s Been Both | Andrei Podoprigora

Do indie game developers actually need publishers? After 20 years in the industry as a developer, studio founder, and publisher,...

Mobile Game Publishing in 2026: What Publishers Actually Want | Elena Lobova
Game Development Game Marketing
March 24, 2026

Mobile Game Publishing in 2026: What Publishers Actually Want | Elena Lobova

Learn how mobile game publishing really works in 2026, from user acquisition costs to what publishers actually look for when...

Why Game Studios Lose Clarity (And Why It Hurts Production) | Anastasia Zaiceva
Game Development Recruitment & HR
March 10, 2026

Why Game Studios Lose Clarity (And Why It Hurts Production) | Anastasia Zaiceva

What does a game studio brand really mean beyond a logo or color palette? Today, I’m joined by Anastasia Zaiceva,...

Why Most Careers Stall (And How I Built a $10K/Month Business in 90 Days) | Harry Phokou
Personal Branding
March 4, 2026

Why Most Careers Stall (And How I Built a $10K/Month Business in 90 Days) | Harry Phokou

In this episode, I join Jonny Rose to share how I built Hivemind into a leading go-to-market marketing agency for...

How Rovio Revived Angry Birds 2 After 10 Years | Johannes Mang
Game Careers Game Development
February 19, 2026

How Rovio Revived Angry Birds 2 After 10 Years | Johannes Mang

How do you revive and regrow a 10-year-old mobile game in one of the toughest markets in gaming? Today, I’m...

Ex-Team17 Executive: Why the Games Industry Is Playing It Safe | Charlotte Cook
Game Careers Game Development
February 10, 2026

Ex-Team17 Executive: Why the Games Industry Is Playing It Safe | Charlotte Cook

The games industry is changing fast, and not everyone is keeping up. Today, I sit down with Charlotte Cook (former...

Why Good Games Still Fail: Data from 690+ Game Launches | Robbie Ferguson
Game Development Game Marketing
February 3, 2026

Why Good Games Still Fail: Data from 690+ Game Launches | Robbie Ferguson

Why do 90% of games fail, even when the game itself is good? Today, I sit down with Robbie Ferguson,...

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Harry Phokou hosting The Gaming Playbook

The Gaming Playbook Host

Meet Harry

Harry Phokou is the host of The Gaming Playbook, where he has interviewed 200+ gaming industry leaders to uncover the strategies, decisions, and playbooks behind the industry's most successful companies and operators. He is the founder of Hivemind, which he grew using LinkedIn by turning content into consistent deal flow — a system that now powers dozens of founder-led brands. Through Hivemind World and Hivemind Marketing, he has hosted 20+ industry mixers connecting studios, publishers, and B2B partners, and has used LinkedIn to tour 30+ game studios across Europe. Read more