My Perfect Console with Simon Parkin

Simon Parkin
  • 4.9 (69)
  • Video Games
  • Updated Weekly

In My Perfect Console, Simon Parkin, award-winning author video game critic for The Observer invites well-known guests from the worlds of gaming, film and television, music, comedy and more to pick the five video games they would like to immortalise on a fictional games machine. They discuss those five games in chronological order of release, interspersed with biographical chat about the guest’s life and career –– a lens that often leads to new and unexpected insights. "Thoroughly modern and ahead of its time...a gift." - NEW YORK'S VULTURE "Charming, insightful." -- THE GUARDIAN TIME OUT'S 50 Best Podcasts VULTURE's Best Podcast of the Year Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 18h ago

    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, history, and stories beyond the mainstream. He began at the music website Drowned in Sound, where he rose to become content editor, before going on to work with Clash and contribute to publications including Kerrang! and Rock Sound. Later, he turned increasingly to video games, writing for outlets including Edge and Kotaku - as well as heading up teams at VICE Gaming (later Waypoint) and GAMINGbible - and bringing the same curiosity and critical energy to games culture, retro hardware, and the history of the medium. Alongside his journalism, he has written six books on video games and edited several more, covering subjects from indie games and esports to Sonic the Hedgehog and Final Fantasy. His latest book, Aliens: The Video Games, continues that fascination with the way great pop-cultural worlds mutate and endure through interactive form. LINKS Mike Diver – website & book Mike Diver – Aliens: The Video Games: An Unofficial Guide (Waterstones, out 30 August 2026) Aliens: The Video Games – publisher White Owl / Pen and Sword Alien games discussed Alien: Isolation – Steam Aliens: Dark Descent – Steam Aliens: Colonial Marines – Wikipedia Aliens: Infestation (Nintendo DS) – Wikipedia Aliens vs. Predator (Capcom, 1994 arcade) – Wikipedia Alien: Rogue Incursion – Steam Alien: Isolation 2 – official announcement trailer Mike's Perfect Console Sensible Soccer (1992) – Wikipedia Sensible World of Soccer – Wikipedia Streets of Rage 2 – Wikipedia Streets of Rage 4 – official site Snatcher – Wikipedia 1944: The Loop Master – Wikipedia Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium (includes 1944) – Steam The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – official site The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Steam Other games and references mentioned Drowned in Sound – Wikipedia (music website where Mike began his career) Vice Gaming / Waypoint – Wikipedia Aftermath – independent games journalism site Respec – independent games journalism site Mina the Hollower – Yacht Club Games Yuzo Koshiro – composer of Streets of Rage 2 soundtrack, Wikipedia Hideo Kojima – Wikipedia Evercade – retro gaming handheld Next week's guest Sarah Maria Griffin – official website Eat the Ones You Love – Sarah Maria Griffin's latest novel (Waterstones) Sarah Maria Griffin – writing about video games for The Guardian Support the show My Perfect Console – episode archive Support My Perfect Console on Patreon Become a My Perfect Console supporter and receive a range of benefits at www.patreon.com/myperfectconsole Take the Acast listener survey to help shape the show: My Perfect Console with Simon Parkin Survey 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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

  2. Aug 25

    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 Stanford University, he joined Firaxis Games, where he worked as both a programmer and designer on Civilization III before going on to lead the design of Civilization IV, one of the most celebrated strategy games yet made. Over the years he has contributed to a wide range of projects, including Spore, Dragon Age Legends, and Offworld Trading Company, bringing a distinctive blend of historical insight, systemic thinking, and player-driven design. Today he is the founder and design director of Mohawk Games, where he recently led the development of the acclaimed historical strategy game Old World. Alongside his development work, he continues to explore the craft of game design through his long-running blog and podcast, both of which are titled “Designer Notes”. Soren Johnson – website & podcast Soren Johnson – Designer Notes blog Designer Notes podcast – episode archive Designer Notes – Apple Podcasts Designer Notes – Spotify Mohawk Games & Old World Mohawk Games – official site Old World – official page Old World – Steam Old World – GOG Old World – Epic Games Store Old World: Empires of the Indus DLC – Mohawk Games Soren's Perfect Console Pinball Construction Set (1983) – Wikipedia M.U.L.E. (1983) – Wikipedia Seven Cities of Gold (1984) – Wikipedia Legacy of the Ancients (1987) – Wikipedia Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri (1999) – Wikipedia Other games and references mentioned Civilization IV – Wikipedia Civilization III – Wikipedia Sid Meier's Pirates! (2004 remake) – Wikipedia Civilization Revolution – Wikipedia Offworld Trading Company – Steam Spore (2008) – Wikipedia Balatro – Steam Vampire Survivors – Steam Schedule I – Steam Lethal Company – Steam Bennett Foddy – personal site Danielle Bunten Berry – Wikipedia (designer of M.U.L.E.) Trip Hawkins – Wikipedia (founder of Electronic Arts) Jake Solomon – Wikipedia Game Developers Conference (GDC) – official site Simon's book Trial of the Space Invaders – pre-order (Bookshop.org UK) Trial of the Space Invaders – pre-order (Amazon UK) Support the show My Perfect Console – episode archive Support My Perfect Console on Patreon Become a My Perfect Console supporter and receive a range of benefits at www.patreon.com/myperfectconsole Take the Acast listener survey to help shape the show: My Perfect Console with Simon Parkin Survey 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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

  3. Aug 18

    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 after realising, in his final year at university, that he did not need to leave Jamaica or join a hundred-person team to make games of his own. Inspired by that possibility, he began creating small projects, taking part in game jams, and steadily turning Spritewrench from a name into a company. His work is shaped by a commitment to cultural representation that reaches beyond cliché, and by a wider effort to grow the local scene through the Jamaica Game Developer Society, where he has worked to connect creators and open up pathways into the industry. Now, with Duppy Detective Tashia, a point-and-click mystery rooted in Caribbean folklore, he is bringing that vision to a wider audience. Glen Henry & Spritewrench Studios Spritewrench Studios – official website Spritewrench – itch.io (all games) Glen Henry – Instagram (@spritewrench) Duppy Detective Tashia Duppy Detective Tashia – Steam Duppy Detective Tashia – itch.io Jamaica Game Developer Society Jamaica Game Developer Society – official site JGDS – YouTube channel (Crash Course series) Glen's Perfect Console The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker – Wikipedia Viewtiful Joe (GameCube, 2003) – Wikipedia Spelunky Classic – free download (Derek Yu's site) Spelunky Classic – Wikipedia Hades – official site Hades – Steam Hollow Knight: Silksong – official site Also mentioned Bastion – Supergiant Games Transistor – Supergiant Games Indie Game: The Movie – official site Black Voices in Gaming – community Discord Rami Ismail – game developer and advocate Chase Bethea – composer (Duppy Detective Tashia) Bubblexity – BChaotic (Jamaican student dev team, Steam) TIGSource – indie game development forums Global Game Jam Next week's guest Soren Johnson – designer of Civilization IV Old World – Mohawk Games (Steam) Simon's book Trial of the Space Invaders – pre-order (Bookshop.org UK) Trial of the Space Invaders – pre-order (Amazon UK) Support the show My Perfect Console – episode archive Support My Perfect Console on Patreon Become a My Perfect Console supporter and receive a range of benefits at www.patreon.com/myperfectconsole Take the Acast listener survey to help shape the show: My Perfect Console with Simon Parkin Survey 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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

  4. Aug 11

    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 reputation for following the strange, revealing currents of contemporary culture — writing about the internet, and remarkable people for publications including The New Yorker, The Guardian, Wired, and the New York Times. Her reporting is often drawn to the places where technology and absurdity collide, finding the human story inside subjects other people might dismiss as niche or ephemeral. Now she has turned that same wit and curiosity to fiction with her debut children’s book, Lily Tripp: Diary of an Accidental Time Traveller, a funny, fast-moving adventure about a girl bouncing through history while trying to survive friendship drama and the general embarrassment of being thirteen. LINKS Amelia Tait – website & writing Amelia Tait – official website The Waiting Room – Amelia's Substack newsletter Lily Tripp: Diary of an Accidental Time Traveller Lily Tripp – Waterstones (Waterstones Children's Book of the Month, June 2026) Lily Tripp – Amazon UK Amelia's Perfect Console Theme Hospital (1997) – Wikipedia The Simpsons: Road Rage (2001) – Wikipedia The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker – Wikipedia The Sims Bustin' Out (Game Boy Advance, 2003) – Wikipedia Stardew Valley – official site Stardew Valley – Steam Other games mentioned Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Nintendo The Simpsons: Hit & Run – Wikipedia Amelia's journalism – selected pieces Are Disney Adults the Happiest Debtors on Earth? – The New Yorker Amelia Tait – articles on The Guardian Next week's guest Duppy Detective Tashia – Glen Henry / Spritewrench Studios – Steam Spritewrench Studios – itch.io Support the show My Perfect Console – episode archive Support My Perfect Console on Patreon Become a My Perfect Console supporter and receive a range of benefits at www.patreon.com/myperfectconsole Take the Acast listener survey to help shape the show: My Perfect Console with Simon Parkin Survey 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Amelia Tait, journalist, children's author.

  5. Aug 4

    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 recent memory. By day he works as an accountant; by night he has been building a reputation as one of the most promising young voices on the live circuit, with appearances across the UK, a Chortle Student Comedy Award nomination, and a Best New Show nomination at the Leicester Comedy Festival. Last year, his sold-out Edinburgh debut, Don’t Count on Me, marked him out as a rising talent, earning strong reviews and an enviable word-of-mouth reputation. Since then, he has appeared on the BBC’s Funny Parts and returned to the Fringe with a new show shaped in part by the strange and unexpectedly dramatic events of last summer. LINKS: James Trickey – follow & tickets James Trickey – Instagram (@jamestrickey_) James Trickey: Split – Edinburgh Fringe 2026 tickets (Pleasance Courtyard, 9:25pm, 5–30 August) James Trickey: Split – Avalon press release James's Perfect Console The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion – Wikipedia The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered – Steam Halo 3 – Wikipedia Undertale – official site Undertale – Steam God of War (2018) – PlayStation God of War (2018) – Wikipedia The Last of Us Part II – PlayStation The Last of Us Part II – Wikipedia Bristol comedians to watch Abi Clarke – comedian and content creator Alex Kitson – Chortle profile Jessie Nixon – Chortle profile Ted Milligan – British Comedy Guide Pravanya Pillay – PBJ Management Also mentioned Alfie Brown – comedian Glenn Moore – at the Monkey Barrel, Edinburgh Fringe Pokémon Crystal – Wikipedia Super Mario Advance (Game Boy Advance) – Wikipedia League of Legends – official site Support the show My Perfect Console – episode archive Support My Perfect Console on Patreon Become a My Perfect Console supporter and receive a range of benefits at www.patreon.com/myperfectconsole Take the Acast listener survey to help shape the show: My Perfect Console with Simon Parkin Survey 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    James Trickey, comedian.

  6. Jul 28

    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 repeatedly and left him passing through more than ten schools, he began writing in earnest just after high school. After years of rejection, he found his breakthrough with Red Rising, the first instalment in an epic saga that fused classical tragedy, Roman myth, and space opera into an international bestseller. Since then, the series has grown into a global phenomenon, winning a devoted readership for its high-stakes politics and fierce emotional intensity. Alongside his work as a novelist, he has embraced gaming culture—contributing to the Red Rising board game and speaking openly about his love of everything from StarCraft II to Mass Effect and Cyberpunk. Now, as the series is being reissued in special tenth-anniversary editions, a new generation of readers is discovering the world that made his name. LINKS Pierce Brown – website & books Pierce Brown – official website Red Rising – the complete saga Red Rising: Sons of Ares – prequel comic series Pierce Brown – Instagram (@piercebrownofficial) Red Rising board game Red Rising – Stonemaier Games (designed by Jamey Stegmaier) Pierce's Perfect Console Command & Conquer (1995) – Wikipedia Command & Conquer: Red Alert – Wikipedia Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun – Wikipedia Shogun: Total War (2000) – Wikipedia Total War series – official site Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn – Wikipedia Black & White (2001) – Wikipedia The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind – Wikipedia Books and other references mentioned Plato's Republic – Wikipedia Antigone by Sophocles – Wikipedia The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas – Wikipedia Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card – Wikipedia The First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie Gattaca (1997 film) – Wikipedia Gustave Doré – illustrator, Wikipedia Support the show My Perfect Console – episode archive Support My Perfect Console on Patreon Become a My Perfect Console supporter and receive a range of benefits at www.patreon.com/myperfectconsole Take the Acast listener survey to help shape the show: My Perfect Console with Simon Parkin Survey 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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

  7. Jul 21

    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 the UK and international comedy circuit, he became known for his high-energy, unpredictable style—before creating The Dark Room, a live-action text adventure where audiences shout commands, face absurd deaths, and attempt to survive his chaotic world. The show has toured globally, sold out runs at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and grown into an online phenomenon, streamed to millions and adapted into digital formats. Alongside this, he has written and performed a wide range of solo shows and interactive work, creating a unique space where comedy, games, and audience participation collide. John Robertson – website & show John Robertson – official website The Dark Room – live show information The Dark Room – live dates and tickets The Dark Room – Edinburgh Fringe 2026 at the Gilded Balloon The Dark Room – Dark Room Deathstravaganza at Leicester Square Theatre, 22 November John Robertson – Twitch (Robbotron) John's Perfect Console Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Mega Drive, 1992) – Wikipedia Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo – Wikipedia Wii Sports Resort – Wikipedia Sid Meier's Civilization V – Wikipedia Hitman: World of Assassination – official site Hitman: World of Assassination – Steam Other games and references mentioned Caves of Qud – official site Caves of Qud – Steam PAX West – Seattle gaming convention Switch Sports – Nintendo Next week's guest Pierce Brown – official website Red Rising – Pierce Brown's debut novel Support the show My Perfect Console – episode archive Support My Perfect Console on Patreon Become a My Perfect Console supporter and receive a range of benefits at www.patreon.com/myperfectconsole Take the Acast listener survey to help shape the show: My Perfect Console with Simon Parkin Survey 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    John Robertson, comedian, creator The Dark Room.

  8. Jul 14

    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 rebuilding one of the world’s biggest sports genres from the ground up. Born in Stockholm, he began programming as a child and later emerged in competitive Counter-Strike under the name ‘bds’, becoming world champion in 1999 and earning a reputation as both a player, and builder of tools, platforms, and communities around the game. In 2001, he co-founded SK Gaming, helping turn esports into a more professionalised business, and later spent a decade in technology and startups. In 2021, frustrated by the state of football games, he returned to development to found GOALS AB, a Stockholm studio with an ambitious aim: to give football the video game it deserves. Its first title, GOALS, is a free-to-play, cross-platform football simulator built around a gameplay-first, fully skill-based philosophy.   Become a My Perfect Console supporter and receive a range of benefits at www.patreon.com/myperfectconsole Take the Acast listener survey to help shape the show: My Perfect Console with Simon Parkin Survey 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Andreas Thorstensson, former Counter-Strike champion, founder GOALS AB.
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In My Perfect Console, Simon Parkin, award-winning author video game critic for The Observer invites well-known guests from the worlds of gaming, film and television, music, comedy and more to pick the five video games they would like to immortalise on a fictional games machine. They discuss those five games in chronological order of release, interspersed with biographical chat about the guest’s life and career –– a lens that often leads to new and unexpected insights. "Thoroughly modern and ahead of its time...a gift." - NEW YORK'S VULTURE "Charming, insightful." -- THE GUARDIAN TIME OUT'S 50 Best Podcasts VULTURE's Best Podcast of the Year Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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