Games
This Travel Game Takes Connect Four to the Extreme
What if Connect Four and TheAmazing Race had a baby? WIRED spoke to Jet Lag creator Sam Denby about his new state-hopping whirlwind of a game show.
Thirsty Suitors Won’t Fit In. That’s the Point
In Outerloop's new game, the South Asian hero battles exes and cooks with her parents. It's a big step toward creating more games for non-white audiences.
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Reviews and Impressions
The Quarry Lets You Experience What’s Great About Slasher Films
The video game combines couch co-op bonding with the joy of watching horror films with friends.
Horizon Forbidden West Is a Worthy Sequel
It's an intriguing mystery with heartfelt moments. It also wants to be Mass Effect 2 so bad.
Elden Ring Is the Game of the Year
FromSoftware has reinvented Dark Souls in an open world, and the result is a triumph.
Total War: Warhammer III Is an Epic Final Chapter
The grand finale of this trilogy is a strategy masterwork that will take over your life.
Culture and Criticism
Pokémon Legends: Arceus Helps Me Manage My Productivity Obsession
Look, I can’t help how my brain is wired, but I can trick it into relaxing.
Frost Giant Studios’ Debut Mixes Starcraft With Diablo
Founded by ex-Blizzard devs, the new studio’s first foray is a real-time strategy game that focuses on fun and ’90s vibes.
How to Make the Video Game Industry Greener
A new book by researcher Ben Abraham charts gaming’s path to carbon neutrality.
8 Queer Video Games Worth Playing
From Caper in the Castro to Raptor Boyfriend, these fabulous games let you express yourself and remember LGBTQ+ history.
Gear & Tips
The Best Wired Gaming Headsets for Every System
A simple corded headset will lend depth and drama to your gameplay, no matter what device you have.
The Best Xbox Game Pass Games, From Citizen Sleeper to Weird West
Cancel your evening plans, because these titles will keep you engaged for hours on end.
Set Up Your Battle Station With the Best Desktop Gaming PCs
Forget hunting for a PlayStation 5. A desktop PC lets you play thousands of games on Steam and glows in the dark while you're doing it.
8 Gardening and Plant-Based Video Games for Spring
Test your digital green thumb with farming simulators, cozy growing games, and peculiar indies.
Reverse Engineering
The Weirdest Official Doom Game Is Now Playable on Windows
GEC.inc, a small collective of developers, has freed the surprisingly fun Doom RPG from a pre-iPhone world.
Product Review
MSI’s No-Frills Gaming Laptop Misses the Mark on Value
With prices above $1,000 at the low end, MSI's Katana GF66 no-frills gaming laptop struggles to make a mark as a value-for-money machine.
Non-Player Character
The Loneliness of the Junior College Esports Coach
He tried to save his wife through the video game they loved—and nearly lost himself. Then he signed up to lead a fledgling team of gamers in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Video Games
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Isn't the Game You're Expecting
Square Enix is still tinkering with its beloved series.
Old School
These Retro Gaming Consoles Deliver a Dose of Nostalgia
From the stylish Evercade to the old-school Sega Genesis Mini, these machines will have you bleeping, blooping, and blasting back to the good old days.
Power Up
The Activision Blizzard Union Win Is Only a Beginning
The company’s future owner, Microsoft, has entered into a labor neutrality agreement, making it easier for workers to unionize.
Video Games
Summer Game Fest’s Biggest Announcement Was a Remake
But at least it’s a remake of The Last of Us Part 1.
Buying Guide
5 Gaming Laptops That Pwned the Competition
We tested the latest and greatest gaming notebooks to sort the god-rolls from the vendor fodder.
Video Games
Do Xbox Consoles Still Have a Place at Microsoft?
As low supply and high demand continue, cloud gaming is more attractive than ever.
Evolution
It’s the End of a Pokémon Era
The coming of Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet demonstrate the brand’s next evolution.
Product Review
The ROG Flow Z13 Is a Portable Gaming Tablet With a Sweet Screen
ROG’s slim tablet and keyboard combo is (mostly) a success, but its high price may put you off.
Product Review
Arctis' Nova Pro Wireless Sound Great, Unless You're Speaking
This do-everything gaming headset has a price tag to match. Just make sure you get the right model, and that you don't need a high-end mic.
Solidarity
Video Gaming Got Its First Major Union. Now What?
Raven Software’s vote to unionize its QA team is historic, but getting Activision Blizzard to actually listen will require a lot more work.
Casual Gamer
I’m Embarrassed by How Much I Enjoy Merge Mansion
Mobile games are designed to hook you, and I’ve fallen for it.
Inclusive AF
Hades Nails Its Depictions of Polyamory and Kink
The 2020 indie darling provides players with thoughtful romantic plots seldom seen in gaming.
come home
In Dot’s Home, Your Choices Are Often Illusions
The game tackles housing inequality, gentrification, racism, and generational trauma with elegance and empathy.
Product Review
Beyerdynamic’s DT 700 Pro X Can Make the Old Sound New Again
What if the best headphones for gaming, movies, and music are the kind studios use to make them?
Say Again?
Minecraft’s Code-Writing AI Points to the Future of Computers
Today, Microsoft’s AI can take control of characters in Minecraft. Soon, it could help you control your whole computer.
Buying Guide
20 Outstanding Online Co-Op Games to Play With Faraway Friends
Make a long-distance connection. These cooperative multiplayer games let you and your friends play together online.
Sunset
This Is How It Feels to Build a Video Game and Watch It Die
When a "live service" game goes down, it's a nightmare for the developers whose work vanishes with it.