Kinda Funny Games (Games Daily & Gamescast)
The team over at Kinda Funny is a group of multiple games journalism veterans that decided to strike out on their own. They never disappoint and always offer some of the most insightful podcasts on video games.
Their two big gaming podcasts are Games Daily which has a cycling group of hosts and Gamescast which features IGN alums Greg Miller, Fran Mirabella, Tim Gettys, and “the former informer” Imran Khan.
Sacred Symbols: A Playstation Podcast
Sacred Symbols is one of the few shows on this list that focuses on a single topic in gaming. It’s no secret that the host, Colin Moriarty, is a big PlayStation fan. However, that’s what makes this podcast great.
Moriarty’s decades of experience with PlayStation consoles and games give him a knowledge of the brand that’s is nearly unmatched by anybody else in the business.
Giant Bomb (Bombcast & Beastcast)
Giant Bomb was founded on the idea of making video game journalism fun. This feeling of fun permeates everything that they do on their site and especially in their podcasts.
Co-founder Jeff Gerstmann felt that covering game news had become too narrowly on the business side of the gaming. When you listen to Giant Bomb podcasts it just sounds like friends shooting the breeze about video games.
What’s Good Games
The team of Andrea Rene, Brittney Brombacher, and Kristine Steimer that forms What’s Good Games is what makes their podcast so great. Together, they have years upon years of games journalism experience.
They all have impressive resumes when it comes to former employers and gaming panels hosted. Best of all, in an industry filled with negativity, they’re always able to put a positive spin on the news of the day.
Japan Time Podcast
If you’re a fan of Super Smash Bros., then this podcast is for you. It’s the definitive podcast about the beloved franchise. This is a special weekly podcast that features numerous personalities from the Smash community.
The two biggest names on this podcast are YouTubers RogersBase and Shofu. Both love these games and the entire group is extremely passionate about Smash Bros., which comes through loud and clear.
Easy Allies
This seasoned bunch of gaming industry experts have a massive list of podcasts that they produce. From their Nintendo podcast to their flagship show, it’s clear that they love video games.
Their sense of humor is fantastic and melds perfectly with their knowledge of the gaming industry and games in general. They also stream on Twitch and have a massive YouTube presence with tons of reaction and review videos.
Retronauts
This is one of the most highly-regarded podcasts in the gaming community. Hosts Jeremy Parish and Bob Mackey have an extremely deep knowledge of classic video games.
There are many similar podcasts, but only one Retronauts. The depth and breadth of Parish and Mackey’s experience with retro games is nearly unmatched by any other classic video game podcast hosts.
Rebel FM
Rebel FM is likely familiar to former fans of the classic 1UP Podcast. Founders Anthony Gallegos and Arthur Gies are former employees of the now-defunct 1UP.com.
This podcast doesn’t pull any punches. There’s never a point where you’re left wondering what the hosts think of a certain topic or game. You might not always agree with them, but that’s just a part of the fun.
IGN (NVC, Beyond, Podcast Unlocked, Game Scoop!)
If you play video games, then it’s very likely that you’ve heard of at least one of these podcasts. Each one has over 300 episodes and some of the most recognizable names in the industry have hosted these shows.
Greg Miller, Jose Otero, Colin Moriarty, Daemon Hatfield, and Casey DeFreitas are just a few of the recognizable personalities who have hosted these shows which exude personality and witty banter.
PSVG
PSVG is an up and coming podcast network that has multiple shows which cover a range of topics in the gaming world. They’ve had Peer Schneider on as a guest and interviewed big names like Nolan North and Troy Baker.
The currently have a small following, but it’s clear that it’s not stopping them any time soon. TPSVG is certainly on the rise, but they already have a surprisingly impressive resume.
Gamespot After Dark
Gamespot After Dark is one of the newer podcasts on the list, but don’t confuse that for being less than. Host, Jake Dekker, does a fantastic job and his supporting cast of Gamespot’s editors add fantastic insight on gaming.
This weekly show goes up every Friday and so far has stayed committed to that schedule. The podcast offers a delightful mix of comedy with gaming commentary and as long as they continue to stay on schedule it should be smooth sailing.
Gamertag Radio
Gamertag Radio has been going strong for nearly a decade and a half. They’ll reach the 15-year milestone this coming February. This group is best known for its roundtable discussions and reviews.
When it comes to experience, there’s just about no other group that can match the team on Gamertag Radio. Danny Peña, Peter Toledo, and Parris Lilly are the incomprable trio that form this gaming podcast Voltron.
The Polygon Show
If you like a good podcast that likes to add in dashes of comedy along with serious game discussion, then The Polygon Show is for you. The hosts are Simone de Rochefort, Chelsea Stark, Ashley Oh, and Allegra Frank.
This is another podcast that’s comparatively new when looking at the others on this list. However, the two years of experience these hosts have under their belts make this a joyous listen every week.
OK Beast
Another show on the rise is the OK Beast podcast. Hosts Blessing Adeoye and Alex Van Aken both do a great job of staying on topic and contributing their thoughtful opinions to the show.
The immense amount of work that goes into preparing this show is clear in the end product. The amount of polish they have on the end product is impressive for a show with a relatively small audience.
The Game Informer Show
This is the only podcast on the list recorded in God’s country (Minneapolis, MN) and has recently undergone a bit of a change at the helm thanks to the recent departure of former host Ben Hanson.
The location of the podcast may not seem like a major differentiating factor, but not being in the belly of the beast (San Francisco, CA) usually means that you’ll hear considerably different perspectives on games on this show.
Kinda Funny (Games Daily & Gamescast)
Their two big gaming podcasts are Games Daily which has a cycling group of hosts and Gamescast which features IGN alums Greg Miller, Fran Mirabella, Tim Gettys, and "the former informer" Imran Khan.
Sacred Symbols: A Playstation Podcast
Moriarty's decades of experience with PlayStation consoles and games give him a knowledge of the brand that's is nearly unmatched by anybody else in the business.
Giant Bomb (Bombcast & Beastcast)
Co-founder Jeff Gerstmann felt that covering game news had become too narrowly on the business side of the gaming. When you listen to Giant Bomb podcasts it just sounds like friends shooting the breeze about video games.
What's Good Games
They all have impressive resumes when it comes to former employers and gaming panels hosted. Best of all, in an industry filled with negativity, they're always able to put a positive spin on the news of the day.
Japan Time Podcast
The two biggest names on this podcast are YouTubers RogersBase and Shofu. Both love these games and the entire group is extremely passionate about Smash Bros., which comes through loud and clear.
Easy Allies
Their sense of humor is fantastic and melds perfectly with their knowledge of the gaming industry and games in general. They also stream on Twitch and have a massive YouTube presence with tons of reaction and review videos.
Retronauts
There are many similar podcasts, but only one Retronauts. The depth and breadth of Parish and Mackey's experience with retro games is nearly unmatched by any other classic video game podcast hosts.
Rebel FM
This podcast doesn't pull any punches. There's never a point where you're left wondering what the hosts think of a certain topic or game. You might not always agree with them, but that's just a part of the fun.
IGN (NVC, Beyond, Podcast Unlocked, & Game Scoop!)
Greg Miller, Jose Otero, Colin Moriarty, Daemon Hatfield, and Casey DeFreitas are just a few of the recognizable personalities who have hosted these shows which exude personality.
PSVG
The currently have a small following, but it's clear that it's not stopping them any time soon. PSVG is certainly on the rise, but they already have a surprisingly impressive resume.
Gamespot After Dark
This weekly show goes up every Friday and so far has stayed committed to that schedule. The podcast offers a delightful mix of comedy with gaming commentary and as long as they continue to stay on schedule it should be smooth sailing.
Gamertag Radio
When it comes to experience, there's just about no other group that can match the team on Gamertag Radio. Danny Peña, Peter Toledo, and Parris Lilly are the incomparable trio that forms this gaming podcast Voltron.
The Polygon Show
This is another podcast that's comparatively new when looking at the others on this list. However, the two years of experience these hosts have under their belts make this a joyous listen every week.
OK Beast
The immense amount of work that goes into preparing this show is clear in the end product. The amount of polish they have on the end product is impressive for a show with a relatively small audience.
The Game Informer Show
The location of the podcast may not seem like a major differentiating factor, but not being in the belly of the beast (San Francisco, CA) usually means that you'll hear considerably different perspectives on games on this show.
About the author
Omar Banat
Omar is a UofM Duluth graduate who is obsessed with Smash Bros. Video games are life, but life is not video games. Playing Games Since: 1991, Favorite Genres: Puzzle, Platformer, Action-Adventure (mainly Metroidvanias)