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 leading game studios, from scaling startups to shutting down companies, rebuilding from scratch, and mastering resilience as a founder. Henri shares insights about leadership, culture, and mental endurance in the turbulent games industry, along with practical strategies for bootstrapping, raising angel investment, and avoiding the VC trap. Whether you’re a game dev, entrepreneur, or creative leader, this is a masterclass in staying resilient when the grind gets real.Connect with Henri:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henri-lindgren-9a388b39/Company's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kokoongames/Connect with Harry:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokouInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokouGet exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights:→ Subscribe to The Gaming Playbook Weekly at thegamingplaybook.comChapters:00:00 Intro02:30 Henri’s 16-year journey in gaming and founding Kokoon Games03:44 Why resilience is the most underrated founder skill07:22 The rise and fall of Lightneer: lessons in leadership and culture11:37 Bootstrapping vs VC: how to survive tough markets14:47 Building company culture and values from scratch19:10 Tactical resilience: how to simplify and refocus under pressure22:41 Time blocking, focus, and managing chaos as a founder26:34 Surviving event season and keeping mental reserves31:22 The myth of the solo founder hero33:47 Hiring smart and avoiding premature scaling36:17 CEO loneliness and coping with leadership isolation41:19 Raising angel investment vs VC in 2025’s market45:47 Cap tables, advisory shares, and avoiding equity mistakes49:20 The state of Finland’s games industry and what’s next55:44 Inside Kokoon’s new party game and design inspiration01:02:06 What Henri’s playing right now & closing thoughts

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• #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 2025. From creating game trailers that actually sell, to fixing poor launches and standing out on Steam, this is the conversation every indie developer and studio marketer needs to hear.Matt shares insights from working on campaigns for Elder Scrolls Online, Squirrel With a Gun, and Cloudheim, revealing how studios can build hype, craft effective trailers, and make their store pages convert. We also dive into hiring in the games industry, what great portfolios look like, and the mistakes job seekers keep making.If you’re building, marketing, or relaunching a game, this episode will save you time, money, and frustration.Connect with Matt:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthitch/E-mail: [email protected]: https://otherthingsagency.com/Connect with Harry:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokouInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokouGet exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights: → Subscribe to the Gaming Rally Newsletter www.gamingrally.netChapters:00:00 Intro03:01 Elder Scrolls Online live-action trailer breakdown05:13 Why trailers matter for conversion on Steam08:25 When to start marketing your game10:30 Working with creators the right way12:10 Squirrel With a Gun – how to go viral with intent17:12 The truth about viral formulas in game marketing19:10 In-engine cinematic capture and authenticity26:58 Why most indies underinvest in marketing33:51 What to do if your game isn’t selling37:12 Key art 101: how visuals sell your game43:02 When and why to refresh your store art45:11 Reviving and re-marketing older games47:15 Continuous marketing done right50:42 Hiring insights: what makes portfolios stand out59:05 Common job applicant mistakes1:02:00 Final advice for devs and creatives#GameMarketing #IndieDev #GameTrailers #SteamLaunch #GamingIndustry

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• #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 creator of one of the biggest gaming career communities online. Amir’s helped almost 4,000 people land roles in games, all while juggling a full-time job.We talk about the real odds of getting into the industry, how he handled 2,000+ job rejections, what it takes to build visibility on LinkedIn, and the personal cost of becoming a public figure.Whether you’re just starting out or making a career move within games, this conversation dives into how to stay consistent, build systems that last, and turn your passion for games into a long-term career.Connect with AmirLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirsatvat/Website: https://amirsatvat.com/Connect with Harry:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokouInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokouGet exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights: → Subscribe to the Gaming Rally Newsletter www.gamingrally.netChapters:00:00 Intro01:20 Thanksgiving 2022: How Amir’s journey to help began03:40 Breaking into games after 2,000 job rejections05:50 Family, remote work, and finding balance08:05 Persistence, purpose, and building career momentum11:50 Showing your passion vs. just saying it13:40 “I’ve done everything I can” mindset trap15:40 Networking, visibility, and why no one gets hired by accident20:25 Building relationships and using mentorship to get feedback25:05 The hidden job market and how most hiring really happens28:55 Creation of the Games Jobs Workbook and community34:20 Lessons from hosting and scaling gaming events36:20 Productivity, delegation, and avoiding burnout43:10 Who’s getting hired in games right now (data insights)45:20 Nepotism, referrals, and why trust drives hiring decisions49:00 Handling negativity and staying authentic online55:35 Why criticism doesn’t matter unless it’s from the right people59:00 Giving back without burning out01:02:30 Finding non-games work for gamers01:06:50 Final thoughts and where to connect with Amir#GameCareers #GamingIndustry #CareerAdvice #AmirSatvat #LinkedInGrowth

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• #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 Andrew Pappas, founder of RenGen Marketing and host of Indie Game Movement podcast, to unpack what real marketing looks like for indie studios in 2025. Andrew has worked with countless devs across the world to help them understand how to connect with players, build sustainable studios, and turn creative passion into commercial success.We talk about why marketing should start at the concept stage, how to identify player pain points before you even prototype, and why so many devs are leaving money on the table by ignoring empathy-driven marketing. Andrew also breaks down how to build trust-based content, choose the right marketing channels for your strengths, and craft systems that actually scale without burning out your team.This is a practical, no-fluff deep dive into how indie studios can market smarter, connect deeper with players, and build a real business around creativity, not just luck.Connect with Andrew:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpappas-rengen/Website: https://www.rengenmarketing.com/Podcast: https://www.rengenmarketing.com/podcast/100-2/Newsletter: https://www.rengenmarketing.com/newsletter/Connect with Harry:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokouInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokouGet exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights: → Subscribe to the Gaming Rally Newsletter www.gamingrally.netChapters:00:00 Intro02:40  Why marketing should start before development07:20 Demand-based vs solution-based thinking12:00 Using player pain points to design better games18:10 The risks of long dev cycles in a fast-changing market23:00 Marketing strategy vs marketing plan explained28:40 Why copying other studios’ marketing doesn’t work34:30 Leading with empathy to connect with players40:10 How to understand your players without being salesy46:50 Choosing the right channels for your indie game51:20 Building a repeatable marketing process57:00 Measuring resonance instead of raw reach1:03:20 Understanding your player’s buying journey1:08:40 Making marketing entertaining and memorable1:11:30 Andrew’s final advice for indie developers#IndieGameMarketing #GameDevPodcast #PlayerFirstDesign #SteamMarketing #IndieDevGrowth

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• #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, Co-Founder and CEO of The Gang, who shares how he built one of the world’s leading Roblox studios, and working with brands like FIFA, Netflix, Amazon, and Wimbledon, while pioneering the rise of UGC gaming.We talk about how Roblox developers are actually making huge money from their games, what’s driving the UGC boom, and why more traditional studios are starting to take notice. Marcus also breaks down how to build a remote-first team, hire the right people, and create games that find product-market fit fast.This is a practical, no-fluff deep dive into the business of modern gaming, from bootstrapping to global scale.Connect with Marcus:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcusholmstrom/Website: https://www.thegang.io/Press Kit: https://readymag.website/TheGang/Presskit-2025/Strongman Simulator: https://www.roblox.com/games/6766156863/Strongman-SimulatorConnect with Harry:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokouInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokouGet exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights: → Subscribe to the Gaming Rally Newsletter www.gamingrally.net01:10 Intro03:03 How The Gang was founded05:44 What Roblox really is (and why it matters)07:47 Why Grow a Garden became the biggest game ever09:25 How Roblox games make millions13:03 Building 40+ games in 5 years13:44 Working with brands like Netflix, FIFA & Amazon17:40 From hobby project to 300+ employees20:37 Why full-time staff beat contractors22:50 Running remote-first studios pre-COVID26:34 Using Discord as a digital office29:43 Culture, communication & daily structure32:04 Why the age demographics of Roblox matters35:43 Why major studios are now building on Roblox37:54 How monetization really works on Roblox42:40 Welcome to Bloxburg: a case study46:05 Why simplicity wins on Roblox48:05 The Strongman Simulator story (1.5B plays!)53:20 Parents, kids & spending on digital goods58:06 Health-based gaming & motion integration59:07 Hiring tips for scaling studios01:05:29 Final takeaways & how to contact The Gang#RobloxDevelopment #GamingBusiness #UGCgaming #GameDevPodcast #StartupGrowth

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