The Pocket Gamer Podcast Episode 78 - Gambonanza, Monopoly, and the Pocket Gamer People's Choice Award 2026
On people's voices and eldritch choices
Would you love to get a crash course on chess? Let Iwan enlighten you in this week's (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast, as we talk about why pawns should be sacrificed and what happens when Cthulhu tries to save the seas.
Before anything else, it's worth noting that our sibling site PocketGamer.biz has just opened nominations for the Mobile Gaming Awards' People's Choice Award this year, where nominations will stay open until June 29th! Only games released between June 2025 and May 2026 are eligible, so choose wisely.
Then begins Iwan's very brief thoughts on Gambonanza, where we learn everything about chess and jokers and gambits and life. All kidding aside though, he does offer a lot of interesting thoughts on the Balatro-like, and if you're interested in how it all plays out, Iwan's review breaks it down pretty thoroughly (and so does his Gambonanza beginner's guide!).
To keep things moving, I jump into the upcoming release of Nekomancer, which is slated for release on May 31st for all your roguelike tower-defending pleasure. Will is a little spiteful that I snagged this topic from him - as he is the Number One Tower Defence Fan over at PG Towers - but it's all good because the title is very pun-ny and we love it.
Defences and dolphins segue into Cthulhu and the cosmic horror's appearance in Monopoly, where it's all about the WDC (Whale & Dolphin Conservation Center) and its efforts to save the whales. 20% of each purchase of the collaboration bundles will go directly to the WDC, so if you've always wanted to do your part to conserve nature (with the help of some eldritch friends), now's your chance.
Lending others a helping hand is also the central theme in Spirit Crossing, this cosy new multiplayer adventure that's out now on Netflix. You help fulfil quests for cute spirits here and build bonds with them along the way, and while it doesn't have the most original concept, its Ghibli-esque vibes make it pretty distinct as it is.
Finally, Will caps it all off with Dead Be The Fallen, where, while it does seem like it's got some pretty obvious AI-generated visuals, it might be your cup of tea if you're looking for a stylised monochrome FPS horror on your phone.
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