Catch ‘Em AllPokémon Legends: Arceus Isn’t Great. It Doesn’t Matter
Game Freak once again gets away with not nailing an open-world Pokémon game. And we are powerless to stop it happening again and again.Will Bedingfield
Rants and RavesMultiplayer Families Deserve Better Gaming Plans
Trying to share game subscriptions with my spouse and kids is a headache. It doesn’t have to be like this.Simon Hill
ZuckerverseBig Tech Needs to Stop Trying to Make Their Metaverse Happen
From Microsoft to Meta, the race is on to sell an amorphous concept that no one really wants them to build.Gian M. Volpicelli
Casual GamerGuardians of the Galaxy Made Me Love Linear Games
Open worlds can be fantastic, but they can also be exhausting.Swapna Krishna
Cloud AtlasMicrosoft’s Activision Blizzard Deal and the Post-Console World
Microsoft is betting on a future more focused on games than hardware.Will Bedingfield
Health CodeHe Made a Covid-Zapping Video Game. Then He Fought Covid for Real
An indie developer made a shoot-em-up game where the player battles giant viruses. Shortly before the game’s release, he wound up in the hospital.Boone Ashworth
mirror imageGaming Giant Unity Wants to Digitally Clone the World
The company is leveraging its technology to help clients make “digital twins”—virtual copies of real-life objects, environments, and even people.Cecilia D’Anastasio
Insert CoinGalloping Ghost Gives Arcade Gaming an Extra Life
One of the world’s largest arcades is still making history, preserving video games for posterity and inviting anyone who wants to play to the table.Michael J. Seidlinger
video gamesThe Gritty, Underground Network Bringing Japan’s Arcades to the US
After falling in love with an obscure anime rhythm game, I became obsessed with obtaining a machine of my own—or finding the people who could.Cecilia D’Anastasio
Profit MotiveGame Studios Are Turning Play Into Work
Video games are being split into titles geared toward fun and those that beguile us into productivity with points, rewards, and even NFTs.Will Bedingfield
Casual GamerCozy Grove Saved Me While Stuck on a Train for 35 Hours
Last week’s massive snowstorm in the northeast left me stranded with a toddler. A Nintendo Switch helped us keep our cool.Swapna Krishna
video gamesRiot Games Investigates Esports Team Founder Over Bullying Claims
Andy “Reginald” Dinh, the founder and CEO of TSM, has been accused of verbal abuse and bullying by employees and esports pros.Cecilia D’Anastasio
Pass It OnSkábma: Snowfall Is a Huge Win for Indigenous Game Makers
The game tells the story of a Sámi reindeer herder reconnecting with the ancient ways of his people.John Last
Video GamesVideo Games Already Do What the Metaverse Just Promises
Virtual hang-outs, digital currency, weddings? Online games have been making space for these things for decades. Cecilia D’Anastasio
defiant’Gaymers’ Are Taking Brazil by Storm
Dressed in drag, Brazilian streamers are breaking stereotypes with a lot of humor and a dash of glitter.Fernanda Seavon
consequencesIndie City-Building Games Finally Reckon With Climate Change
City- and empire-builders like Cities: Skylines totally simplify the climate crisis, if they address it at all. A new wave of titles are far more complex.Mark Hill
impressionisticThe Pixel Art Revolution Will Be Televised
How pixel art rose through 3D gaming’s dominance to win the hearts of terbaru players.Aidan Moher
Year in ReviewThe 9 Games We Loved in 2021
In a year of continued stasis, these games brought us a lot of joy.WIRED Staff
Business Time12 Awesome Management Games for Armchair Tycoons
These building- and resource-based simulations are perfect for single-player fun and relaxation.Simon Hill
Year in ReviewWhy 2021 Was the Biggest Year for the Labor Movement in Games
Working conditions at top studios have been criticized before, but this year saw a significant increase in protests and organizing by employees.Cecilia D’Anastasio