TK
What Is a 'Role-Playing Game' Anyway?
Jon Petersen's latest book, The Elusive Shift, shows how games like Dungeons & Dragons came to be known, controversially, as RPGs.
Photograph: Douglas Sacha/Getty Images
Comments
Back to top
The Geek's Guide to the Galaxy is a podcast hosted by author David Barr Kirtley and produced by Lightspeed Magazine editor John Joseph Adams. The show features conversations about fantasy & science fiction in books, movies, games, and comics, as well as related subjects such as science, history, and critical thinking. Guests have included Neil ... Read More
Our Favorite Gaming Headset for Xbox Owners Is Discounted
Save almost $20 on Microsoft's first-party headset for Xbox Series S/X.
I Really, Really Want the 3,600-Piece Lego U.S.S. Enterprise
This $400 set comes with minifigures of the complete Next Gen crew, including Picard, Riker, and Wesley Crusher’s portable tractor beam.
Exclusive LegalZoom Promo Code for 10% Off Services for 2025
Save on top services at LegalZoom, like LLC registration, incorporation, estate plans, and more with coupons and deals from WIRED.
How to Hack a Poker Game
This week on Uncanny Valley, we break down how one of the most common card shufflers could be altered to cheat, and why that matters—even for those who don’t frequent the poker table.
Teachers Get Death Threats After MAGA Claims Their Halloween Costumes Mocked Charlie Kirk
A Turning Point USA official inaccurately claimed a high school's math department wore Halloween costumes that mocked Charlie Kirk. Those teachers are now facing a flood of online attacks and death threats.
This Upgraded SteelSeries Gaming Headset Is $80 Off
Serious gamers take note, the Arctis Nova Pro is feature-packed and ready for anything.
Historians Don't Think a US Civil War Is Likely—but They're Still Nervous
“The fabric of what binds America together at this point is basically on its final thread,” one source tells WIRED.
OpenAI's Atlas Wants to Be the Web’s Tour Guide. I’m Not Convinced It Needs One
In OpenAI’s new Atlas browser, the Ask ChatGPT sidebar is moderately helpful at best. Sometimes, it’s confusingly wrong.
No, ICE (Probably) Didn’t Buy Guided Missile Warheads
A federal contracting database lists an ICE payment for $61,218 with the payment code for “guided missile warheads and explosive components.” But it appears ICE simply entered the wrong code.
Zohran Mamdani’s Campaign Figured Out How to Channel Fandom
Much of the content about Mamdani online hasn’t come from his campaign or the dozens of political influencers invited to cover it. It has also come from fans.
One of Our Favorite Pairs of Binoculars Is $80 Off
These lightweight Celestron binoculars offer great magnification for the price.
The Government Shutdown Is a Ticking Cybersecurity Time Bomb
Many critical systems are still being maintained, and the cloud provides some security cover. But experts say that any lapses in protections like patching and monitoring could expose government systems.