Wireframe Magazine

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

Why there’s more to pixel art’s revival than nostalgia

WELCOME

The mouse that ROARED • Castlevania meets Link’s Awakening? Yacht Club’s Sandy Gordon talks us through its latest retro-inspired adventure, Mina the Hollower

Put a spell on you • Alchemist Interactive’s Roman Matuszczak talks making magic in Spells & Secrets, a wholesome wizard school roguelike

Live and die by the blade • Point Blank Games’ upcoming high-fantasy RPG straddles Souls-like technical action and approachability. Introducing Stray Blade…

Bouncing back • The creators of Owlboy return with the bounciest multiplayer brawler in the land: it’s Vikings on Trampolines

That was the month that was

The surprising history of sprites • Video game graphics owe a huge debt to Nolan Bushnell and a chap named Danny Hillis

INCOMING

The evolution of pixel art in 20 games • From monochrome aliens to vibrant fantasies in the 21st century, we follow the rise, fall, and rise of the humble sprite

Vikings on Trampolines

MYSTICAL NINJA • The history of Konami’s Ganbare Goemon series, and the games the West never got

The sad tale of Odin Computer Graphics

Toolbox • The art, theory, and production of video games

Writing in the gutter • To play a game is to experience a hallucination. So how do we write for this strange experience, instead of against it?

The principles of game design • Howard’s had two potential movie deals scuppered by none other than Leonardo DiCaprio. How? Read on…

In media res: beginning in the middle • The techniques behind beginning a game in media res, and when should you use it or avoid it

Make your own pixel editing program • Want to draw your own sprites? Then Mark has the pixel editor for you

How I became a… Senior Lighting Artist • Ellen Shelley from Firesprite Games on the importance of using light to set atmosphere and how to avoid creative exhaustion

UP, UP, DOWN, DOWN… BUT NOT OUT • Loved by some, loathed by others, cheat codes have a long and fascinating history

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Interactive / Mojito the Cat • Spain’s Guillem Tenza Albeldo went from architect to game designer – and has big plans for the future

Interactive / Dreamed Away • Software engineer turned solo dev Nicolas Petton discusses his French-inspired homage to Mother

Get your skates on • Thomas Hegarty, co-founder and director at Roll7, reflects on the studio’s educational origins all the way up to the skater’s paradise it is today

The evolution of video games

A Plague Tale: Requiem • Far from innocence

Shovel Knight Dig • Fun down under

The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow • This is a local shop for local people; there’s nothing for you here

You Suck at Parking • P marks the spot

Session: Skate Sim • Heaven is a well-timed kickflip

Vampire Survivors • Sucking up blood, pasta, and all your time

Serial Cleaners • All Cops Are Bozos

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

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS • Kinda Funny’s Andy “Nitro Rifle” Cortez on making a career out of streaming

The Wireframe HOTLIST • Wireframe’s best-reviewed PC games, with something for all tastes

Backwards compatible

Backwards compatible

Interstellar terror • Ahead of the Dead Space remake, Aaron boards the USG Ishimura to see whether its horror still cuts through

Lode Runner • How the eighties platformer’s level editor gave players the chance to awaken their inner game designer

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