Video Games & Gear

Minecraft launched in 2011. Now, a decade later, the game shows no signs of losing popularity. How much do you know about this award-winning game that features baby zombies riding chickens and other crazy stuff?

By Alia Hoyt

Tetris was developed during the Cold War by a puzzle-happy programmer working for the Russian Academy of Sciences. So how did this addictive game break free of the Iron Curtain?

By John Donovan

Everyone's heard of Mario, but Nintendo is nearly as well known for the ultra-popular Animal Crossing series. How much do you know about this beloved social simulation game?

By Alia Hoyt

You might be adept at racking up coins and saving the ever-in-peril princess, but how much do you really know about the iconic video game series? Take our quiz and find out!

By Alia Hoyt

Candy Crush seems easy — simply match three candies of the same color. But something about it keeps players hooked. How sweet are you on this addictive game? Take the Candy Crush quiz and find out!

By Alia Hoyt

Described by The New Yorker as a cross between Minecraft and "The Hunger Games," this video game is insanely popular among teens (and others). See what you know about Fortnite — or want to know — with this quiz!

By Alia Hoyt

The role playing game upended the video game industry two decades ago, and still looms large on its 20th anniversary.

By Jonathan Strickland

NDGT's ambitious plan would create an educational game with input from George R. R. Martin, Neil Gaiman, Bill Nye and Amy Mainzer, among others.

By Jonathan Strickland

In this immersive online game, suicide is the last task.

By Jonathan Strickland

We did not see No. 1 coming.

By Melanie Radzicki McManus

And they look super fun, whether you're a gamer or not.

By Tracy Staedter

Who cares if it's an elaborate marketing scheme if it's fun? In alternate reality gaming, the line between fiction and reality is blurred, and players enter a world filled with rabbit holes and mysteries.

By Oisin Curran

Pokemon Go is sweeping the globe, but the story of the game's rising popularity includes criminal activity, death and even an R-rated photo or two.

By Chris Opfer

A pocket monster by any other name would smell as sweet. But it would also raise issues of fan respect, linguistics, politics and cultural imperialism.

By Chris Opfer

New, free avatar-creation technology developed at USC means video gamers could be significantly closer to playing as themselves on the small screen.

By Chris Opfer

For years, kids have been filling their Pokédexes with Pokemon they've caught in Nintendo's digital fields. Why has it stayed so popular while other franchises haven't?

By Bryan Young

Computer games have long been a place to escape from reality. Unless, of course, that game is about your life.

By John Donovan

Asking whether a cheat code constitutes cheating may seem silly. "Of course it is!" you say. "It has the word 'cheat' right in it!" Perhaps, but the history and purpose of cheat codes in video games makes this question not so cut-and-dried.

By Kate Kershner

College scholarships for video gamers? You'd better believe it. The payoff is big at colleges offering a boost to the field's best and brightest up-and-comers.

By Kate Kershner

With 74 percent reporting that they already play video games weekly, moms aren't exactly waiting around for game makers to craft them the perfect "mom game." But then again, what does a mom game even look like — and are there any on the market?

By Kate Kershner

The debate on whether video games help players build any lasting skills is as old as video games themselves. Luckily, science has decided to weigh in on the conversation — including the claim that gaming improves hand-eye coordination.

By Kate Kershner

Video games sometimes get a bad rap for corrupting the world's youth. But while some of these concerns might be overblown, keeping "Mortal Kombat" away from 5-year-olds is probably a good idea. So how do we regulate responsibly?

By Kate Kershner

"Candy Crush." "Flappy Bird." "Farmville." You've likely played at least one of the many "freemium" games out there — and chances are you've also wondered how these companies make any money. Sure, ads help, but there's a bit more to it than that.

By Kate Kershner

Scratching the nostalgia itch can be tricky — especially if it involves playing classic out-of-print video games like "Oregon Trail" or "Street Fighter II." But fear not: When you're in the mood for a little old-school gaming, you have options.

By Kate Kershner

Quick: Press X to not die! If normal gameplay in your favorite video game has ever been interrupted by a sudden, unexpected moment of desperate button-mashing, then you've probably experienced a quick-time event.

By Kate Kershner