Games
Live D&D Shows Are Inviting More Players to the Table
Actual play, or livestreams of tabletop RPG games, is exploding in popularity. It's also helping make the hobby more welcoming and inclusive.
Kam Burns and Kayla Sharpe
This AI Resurrects Ancient Board Games—and Lets You Play Them
What tabletop games did our ancestors play in 1000 BC? A new research project wants to find out, and make them playable online too.
Samantha HuiQi Yow
Age of Empires IV and Real-Time Strategy Games' Rocky History
If the genre is to return to its former glory, it needs to do more than tweak the formula that made it successful two decades ago.
Matthew Smith
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Reviews and Impressions
Age of Empires IV Is a Solid Strategy Game Stuck in the Past
It’s the perfect introduction to Age for new players, but veterans may be underwhelmed by its campaign offerings.
Mark Hill
Metroid Dread Is Let Down by Its Boring Robot Villains
The Switch exclusive is a fine return to form for the series, but it would benefit from antagonists that are, you know, actually scary.
Will Bedingfield
Review: Deathloop Is a Unique Reflection on Time and History
It's not only a masterfully crafted stealth shooter, it also shows the possibility of radical ruptures with the present.
Gabriel Solis
Last Stop Is a Playable Love Letter to London
The title’s three codirectors discuss bringing their TV-show-meets-adventure-game project to life.
Lewis Gordon
Culture and Criticism
Kenji Eno Broke New Ground for Video Games
The visionary developer was one of the first to implement cinematic stylings, package titles with freebies, and roll out limited editions.
Michael J. Seidlinger
Video Games Inspire a Generation of Classical Music Fans
Game soundtracks are making waves in the classical community, and a new generation of composers and aficionados are starting to pay attention.
Mat Ombler
Of All the Video Game Remakes, Why Not SSX?
Twenty years after the game's initial release, SSX still has a passionate fan base longing for a revival.
Paige Lyman
Oh, This Game Set in Latin America Has a Coup? How Original
From '80s arcade titles to Far Cry 6, video games have rehashed the same stereotypes of regimes and corruption.
Gabriel Solis
Gear & Tips
All Our Favorite Accessories for the Nintendo Switch
Did you pick up the handheld console recently? Here are some screen protectors, chargers, and other extras for your new best friend.
Eric Ravenscraft and Gear Team
The Best Mechanical Keyboards for Work and Play
Whether you're looking to boost your productivity or your Fortnite stats, these are the top typing peripherals for the job.
Jess Grey and Eric Ravenscraft
The Best Accessories for Your New PlayStation 5
From backup controllers to full-on sound systems, here are our favorite complements to your PS5.
Jess Grey
Our 9 Favorite Gaming Headsets for Every System
A simple wired headset will lend depth and drama to your gameplay, no matter which console or device you have.
Jess Grey
Dragon Ball FighterZ and the Elusive Art of Anime Adaptation
Video games based on anime don't usually live up to the original—but this one is the exception.
Daniel Dockery
The Best Crossplay Games for Consoles and PC
These titles let you keep playing across Xbox, PC, Switch, and even mobile.
Eric Ravenscraft
EA Sports Might Lose ‘FIFA,’ and That’s Not So Bad
As the two sides negotiate over the price of the brand, “this is a time when you say goodbye to FIFA,” says one former EA exec.
Cecilia D'Anastasio
‘New Game+’ Is a Terrible Name but Offers a Great Advantage
Enabling the feature in Horizon Zero Dawn allows you to learn how to play it in a whole new way.
Swapna Krishna
How Dead by Daylight Became the Ultimate Game for Horror Fans
Behaviour Interactive fleshed out a creepy cast of characters by negotiating rights to everything from Saw to Silent Hill.
Nina Corcoran
Yoko Taro Foresees the End of Video Games as We Know Them
The mind behind iconic titles like Nier: Automata and Drakengard tells WIRED about his inspirations—and how AI plays a role in the future of game design.
Joshua Khan
Climate Stress Was Getting Me Down, So I Made a Clicker Game
In the game, you start as a lowly atmospheric scientist and you have to click “write grant” and wait.
Paul Ford
The Grand Theft Auto III Radio Commercials Are Still Awesome
It’s been 20 years since they first hit the digital airwaves. Here’s how they came to be part of the series’ legacy.
Ade D. Adeniji
10 Video Game Series That Deserve to Be Resurrected
From Legacy of Kain to Silent Hill, these franchises were killed off too soon.
Simon Hill
Tips on How to Snag a PlayStation 5 (Good Luck!)
A year after launch, Sony's latest console is still difficult to find. We've got some tips on how to score one.
Simon Hill
The Best Wireless Gaming Headsets for Every Kind of Player
These battery-powered headsets will serve you well whether you're chatting with teammates in Fortnite, friends in Discord, or coworkers in Zoom.
Eric Ravenscraft and Gear Team
Age of Empires IV Wants to Teach You a Lesson
Can a video game be historically accurate? The team behind the iconic series wanted to give it a try.
Will Bedingfield
Want a Better PC? Try Building Your Own
Assembling a computer yourself is a good way to learn about how it works.
Jess Grey and Louryn Strampe
EVE Online Gamers Role-Play as Covid-19 Researchers
A citizen science project based in this MMO space opera has saved scientists almost 500 years of mind-numbing data crunching.
Payal Dhar
13 Creepy Games to Get Your Fright on for Halloween
Seeking thrills for the spookiest holiday of the year? These horror titles will haunt you.
Simon Hill
How to Govern the Metaverse
To build healthy communities in virtual reality, we must move beyond automated penalties toward proactive forms of governance. Games can show us how.
Lucy Sparrow
Vintage Board Games Are Getting a Modern Revival
The team behind Restoration Games wants to update lost classics for 21st-century players.
Luke Winkie
Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla Needs More Epic Viking Tunes
Norse warriors were famously musical, and people in the Dark Ages kind of hated that.
Jess Grey
Japanese Breakfast Talks About Writing Sable's Soundtrack
The musician discusses playing JRPGs as a kid, learning on the job, and how composing the game's soundtrack gave her a newfound sense of freedom.
Lewis Gordon
The Best Nintendo Switch Bundle Deals—and Which Model to Pick
Looking to nab a Switch, Switch Lite, or related accessories? We've compiled everywhere you can potentially get them online.
Jeffrey Van Camp and Eric Ravenscraft
The Beats Fit Pro Are Apple's Best Earbuds Ever
The latest Beats in-ears are by far the best everyday headphones for iPhone owners.
Parker Hall
This Company Tapped AI for Its Website—and Landed in Court
Under pressure to make their sites accessible to visually impaired users, firms turn to software. But advocates say the tech isn't always up to the task.
Tom Simonite
A Vaccine Against Valley Fever Finally Works—for Dogs
People and canines suffer horribly from the disease, caused by a fungus spreading through the increasingly dry US Southwest.
Maryn McKenna
Climate Pledges Fall Dangerously Short of the 1.5 °C Target
Countries at COP26 have committed to slashing emissions, in the hope of limiting global warming to 1.5 °C. It's not enough.
Jocelyn Timperley
Why Zillow Couldn’t Make Algorithmic House Pricing Work
The real estate site went into the business of buying and selling homes. But the pandemic messed up its predictions.
Chris Stokel-Walker
The 10,000 Faces That Launched an NFT Revolution
When two Canadian coders started an online project called CryptoPunks, they had no idea they’d spark a hyped-up, blockchain-fueled cultural juggernaut.
Sandra Upson
Watch Highlights From Our RE:WIRED 2021 Event
We spoke with AI experts, an NFT artist, and more about how to build a better future. Here's what they said.
Boone Ashworth
John Cho and André Nemec on Giving Cowboy Bebop More Soul
For the star and showrunner, the real challenge with adapting the classic '90s anime was finding the essence of its iconic trio.
Graham Hacia