Wireframe Magazine

Wireframe looks at how games are made and who makes them, and even guides you through making your own.

Be a hero: shun NFTs in video games

WELCOME

PEOPLE POWER • Epic Games’ Paul Doyle takes us behind the scenes on MetaHuman Creator – the digital human maker that could change the face of the games industry

WAY OF THE DIGITAL SAMURAI • Dimension Studio tell us about AKUMA, the short film behind this month’s cover

Lost Twins 2 • From Pakistan comes a puzzle-platformer inspired by the work of animator Hayao Miyazaki

Toys VR us • Powering through the puzzles in toy-based Tin Hearts

Beyond Sunset • Going back to the future in this retro action-RPG

That was the month that was

Incoming

FIRST CONTACT: DESIGNING VIDEO GAME ALIENS • Far from the mindless invaders of gaming’s past, some aliens have been designed with an eye on scientific realism. We meet the minds behind them

In video games, fun is a four-letter word

20 MEMORABLE NPC PERFORMANCES • From walk-on parts to pivotal side-kicks, our personal pick of superb, non-human, non-player turns in video games

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

The principles of game design • Could AI help developers prototype games – or even design a triple-A hit from scratch? Howard has a few thoughts

Ten tips for a better game city • Some super-condensed city building advice for video game designers and world-builders

Make a Dark Souls-style messaging system in Unreal Engine 4 • Allow players to leave one another handy in-game notes by following our guide

Ghost of Tsushima’s DLC masterclass • Antony discovers that Sucker Punch’s biggest hit saves the best for last with its Iki Island expansion

How we create the perfect concept art for games • The UK’s Atomhawk Studio shares its process for turning game ideas into unique visuals

How to become a user researcher • Start a career making games better with user research. Steve has all the details

Code an explosive homage to Bomb Jack • Help Jack collect the bombs in a remake of the arcade hit

Creating a video game with Sketch • Sketch is a tool for UI design, but it can also be used to make games. Here’s how RareSloth used it to create King Rabbit

Martha Is Dead

THE NEW NORMAL • The indie developers challenging us to rethink our conceptions of difficulty

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Interactive / FROGSONG • Developer Brandon Braun talks us through their heartfelt action-RPG, about a frog on a personal mission

Online Diary GITTIN’ GUD • Yep, it’s the same game twice in a row. Rocket League proves the system works.

Lost Twins 2

System Profile PS2 • Sony’s stunning sophomore system silenced cynical sceptics

10 PS2 titles never seen elsewhere • The best exclusives that only ever came to PS2

Wordle Gummidge

Backend Contents • Reviews, retro games, and lots more besides

Mechajammer • Cyberjank

White Shadows • For the birds

Scarf • An otherworldly journey just about worth wrapping up warm for

The Gunk • Honey, I gunk the planet

Aeterna Noctis • A hard day’s night, and then some

Itch.io roundup • Picking out some of the platform’s standout titles

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS • This month we look to our own: it’s Kim Justice

The Wireframe HOTLIST • The best PC games, according to Wireframe, catering for whatever your mood might be

PC Top 10

Backwards compatible

Some best-of lists • Why not, eh? Here’s my five favourite gaming machines and five fa vourite games for each one, with a wee sprinkling of the reasons why…

My debut album • Ryan brushes...