The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou

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 conversation, he shares what he's learning while actively pitching publishers and investors, raising funding, building a vertical slice, and navigating today's publishing landscape.
We discuss publisher expectations, angel investors, AI in game development, pitching a game studio, and why investors often back founders as much as games.
If you're an indie game developer, studio founder, or anyone trying to fund your next game, this episode is packed with practical advice from someone living it today.
Connect with Quentin:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/quentin-cobb/
Website: https://ironrootgames.com/
Connect with Harry:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokou
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou/
Join our industry events: https://hivemind.world/
Get exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights:
→ Subscribe to The Gaming Playbook Weekly at https://join.thegamingplaybook.com

00:00 Intro
01:45 Quentin's AAA background and founding Ironroot Games
04:25 Why funding is the biggest challenge for indie studios
06:25 How Quentin survived after the Microsoft layoffs
09:03 Angel investors, friends & family, and early funding
11:29 Building a team before funding exists
15:44 What publishing deals are possible in 2026?
19:01 Why publishers invest in founders, not just games
22:22 Becoming a first-time CEO and earning investor confidence
26:35 Publisher pitches vs investor pitches
28:27 AAA vs indie development: biggest differences
29:55 Lessons from developing The Last of Us
33:03 Finding the features players actually care about
36:08 Why Ironroot Games is focused on single-player
37:29 AI in game development and publisher expectations
47:24 China, Europe, and finding the right publishing partners
57:07 How to get honest feedback from publishers
59:49 Making games that are personal
1:08:54 Gamescom plans and pitching the prototype
1:12:00 Final advice for every indie game developer

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 mods have transformed games like GTA V and why the future of gaming may belong to player-created experiences.
From the origins of GTA multiplayer mods and FiveM to Black Myth: Wukong, Oblivion Remastered, Minecraft, Roblox, Skyrim, and Hytale, this conversation explores how UGC (User-Generated Content), modding, and multiplayer communities can dramatically extend a game's lifespan.
Whether you're a game developer, publisher, aspiring game designer, or modder, you'll learn how successful games evolve into long-lasting platforms, why some games attract thriving modding communities while others don't, and what it takes to build the next generation of community-powered games.
Connect with Michael:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michalszklarski
Website: https://docs.ready.mp/
Forum: https://forum.ready.mp/
Oblivion Multiplayer Mod: https://oblivionmp.firstlook.gg/
Connect with Harry:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokou
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou/
Join our industry events: https://hivemind.world/
Get exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights:
→ Subscribe to The Gaming Playbook Weekly at https://join.thegamingplaybook.com
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:23 ReadyM and the vision behind community multiplayer
02:47 What is UGC multiplayer?
05:32 The origins of GTA multiplayer modding
07:43 How multiplayer mods work under the hood
10:03 How GTMP became FiveM
15:17 Why Rockstar acquired FiveM
20:11 How UGC extends a game's lifespan
25:03 Can developers design games for modding success?
29:11 Should studios build official modding tools?
35:17 Michael's journey into modding
38:58 When modding became a business
42:56 Building ReadyM and multiplayer technology
46:56 Raising investment and proving the vision
53:52 Why Red Dead Redemption Online never reached FiveM's success
56:42 Advice for AAA game developers
58:41 Advice for aspiring modders

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 scaling past 100 people. Before founding Tank Recruiting, he spent three years at AeroTech (one of the largest private staffing firms in the world) and was an employee #12 at Acquisition.com, where he worked as an internal recruiter and hired across an entire portfolio of companies.
We talked about how to make your first hire, avoid costly hiring mistakes, identify A-players, create better interview processes, improve candidate experience, and build a team that can scale with your business.
Whether you're a founder making your first hire or leading a growing company, this conversation is for you.
Connect with Frank:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frank-lofaro/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/franklofaro/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TankRecruiting
Website: http://tankrecruiting.com/
Connect with Harry:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokou
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou/
Join our industry events: https://hivemind.world/
Get exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights:
→ Subscribe to The Gaming Playbook Weekly at https://join.thegamingplaybook.com
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
05:03 How Frank got into recruiting and joined Acquisition.com
08:50 Why hiring speed and candidate experience matter
14:13 Making your first hire: where founders should start
15:59 The mistake of hiring a COO too early
20:12 Why over-titling employees creates problems
23:20 Biggest hiring mistakes from 0–10 employees
26:53 Accountability meetings and managing performance
32:13 The hiring framework: Qualify, Amplify, Evaluate
36:02 How to review resumes and screen candidates efficiently
40:13 Structured interviews and objective hiring decisions
47:39 Take-home assessments and hiring tests
52:31 Frank's favorite interview question
53:49 Who should run first-round interviews?
56:59 The biggest hiring lesson: never compromise on culture fit
01:00:22 Why Frank started Tank Recruiting

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 shares lessons from working with 100+ game studios, major publishers, and Microsoft.
We discuss game pricing, localization, publishing deals, funding, studio growth, leadership, vision, and why so many developers focus on making games but overlook building sustainable businesses.
If you're an indie developer, studio founder, publisher, or anyone interested in the business of games, this conversation offers practical insights on turning creative projects into long-term, successful companies.
Connect with Chris:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chbain/
Website: https://www.playeroneconsulting.com/
Connect with Harry:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokou
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou/
Join our industry events: https://hivemind.world/
Get exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights:
→ Subscribe to The Gaming Playbook Weekly at https://join.thegamingplaybook.com/
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
02:11 From scientist to consultant to Xbox strategist
08:08 Inside the Xbox vs PlayStation console wars
11:45 How game pricing really works
15:30 Cost control and budgeting for game studios
18:17 Finding your game's unique selling point (USP)
19:54 Market research and understanding player demand
21:35 Localization and reaching global audiences
27:31 Building games for specific audiences
28:33 Common mistakes indie studios make
31:09 Why every studio needs a clear vision
36:32 The danger of loving development more than business
38:49 Making games investable and commercially viable
41:23 Funding options, investors, and publisher relationships
43:23 What publishers actually do today
46:17 Choosing the right publisher for your game
48:24 Lessons learned from coaching hundreds of studios
52:28 Why the games industry became much harder after 2022
54:40 Opportunities in VR and emerging markets
1:00:02 Studio growth, leadership, and scaling challenges
1:10:11 Building sustainable companies in a changing industry
1:15:40 Game IP, transmedia opportunities, and future growth

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 of Midwest Games and former publishing, marketing, and technology leader at Netflix, Blizzard, and 2K. Ben breaks down how modern game publishing works, why traditional publishing models are changing, how Steam's algorithm impacts launches, common mistakes indie developers make, and why the future of game development may be shifting away from traditional industry hubs.
Whether you're an indie developer, publisher, marketer, or game industry professional, this conversation provides practical insights into game publishing, Steam marketing, wishlists, launch strategy, publisher relationships, and the future of the games industry.
Connect with Ben:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benkvalo/
Substack: https://substack.com/@benkvalo
Website: https://www.midwestgames.com/
Tombwater: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3308200/Tombwater/
Connect with Harry:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokou
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou/
Join our industry events: https://hivemind.world/
Get exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights:
→ Subscribe to The Gaming Playbook Weekly at https://join.thegamingplaybook.com/
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
03:00 What Midwest Games does and the concept of Shadow Publishing
04:40 The current state of game publishing
07:51 Why publishing is becoming modular
10:28 Traditional publishers vs specialized expertise
15:49 Why publishers still dominate game revenue
19:59 Common mistakes indie developers make
21:04 Steam page launches and market validation
22:23 Demos, Early Access, and launch strategy
24:50 Steam wishlists and conversion rates
27:46 How external marketing impacts Steam performance
28:25 Steam algorithms, launch timing, and visibility
32:15 What Shadow Publishing actually includes
34:31 The 40+ disciplines behind game publishing
40:11 Building effective publishing teams
42:55 Why recency matters in publishing expertise
46:46 The reality of game development costs in the US
52:28 Remote work, talent, and regional advantages
55:39 MDEV and the growth of Midwest game development
59:10 Industry disruption and future opportunities
01:02:46 Advice for aspiring game publishers
01:05:37 How to connect with Ben
01:06:35 Why you should check out Tombwater