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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.

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.

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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

Gear & Tips

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.

The Best Crossplay Games for Consoles and PC

These titles let you keep playing across Xbox, PC, Switch, and even mobile.

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.

‘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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

10 Video Game Series That Deserve to Be Resurrected

From Legacy of Kain to Silent Hill, these franchises were killed off too soon.

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.

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.

Want a Better PC? Try Building Your Own

Assembling a computer yourself is a good way to learn about how it works.

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.

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.

Vintage Board Games Are Getting a Modern Revival

The team behind Restoration Games wants to update lost classics for 21st-century players.

Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla Needs More Epic Viking Tunes

Norse warriors were famously musical, and people in the Dark Ages kind of hated that.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.