List of video game magazines
This is a list of video game magazines. The primary focus of the magazines in this list is or was video game journalism for at least part of their run. For general computing magazines that may also cover games, consult the list of computer magazines.
Overview
Journalist reporting and evaluation of video games in periodicals began from the late 1970s to 1980 in general coin-operated industry magazines like Play Meter and RePlay, home entertainment magazines like Video, as well as magazines focused on computing and new information technologies like InfoWorld or Popular Electronics.However, dedicated magazines focusing primarily on video game journalism wouldn't appear until late in 1981, when several magazines where launched independently of each other at about the same time. Computer and Video Games premiered in the U.K. in November 1981. It was soon followed by Electronic Games in the US, founded by Bill Kunkel, Arnie Katz and Joyce Worley, who had previously written the "Arcade Alley" column in Video. While Electronic Games covered arcade and console games as well as computer software, Computer Gaming World was focused entirely on the latter. The video game crash of 1983 badly hurt the market for North American video game magazines. Computer Gaming World, founded in 1981, stated in 1987 that it was the only survivor of 18 color magazines for computer games in 1984.
Meanwhile, in Japan, the first magazines entirely dedicated to video games began appearing from 1982, beginning with ASCII's LOGiN, followed by several SoftBank publications and Kadokawa Shoten's Comptiq. The first magazine dedicated to console games, or a specific video game console, was Tokuma Shoten's Family Computer Magazine, which began in 1985 and was focused on Nintendo's Family Computer. This magazine later spawned famous imitators such as Famicom Tsuushin in 1986 and Nintendo Power in 1988.
In the mid-2000s, the popularity of print-based magazines started to wane in favor of web-based magazines. In 2006, Eurogamers business development manager Pat Garratt wrote a criticism of those in print games journalism who had not adapted to the web, drawing on his own prior experience in print to offer an explanation of both the challenges facing companies like Future Publishing and why he believed they had not overcome them.
List
| Name | Founded | Defunct | Country | Publisher | Topics | Refs |
| 360 Magazine | 2005 | 2012 | United Kingdom | Imagine Publishing | Xbox 360 | |
| 360 Gamer | 2005 | 2014 | United Kingdom | Uncooked Media | Xbox 360 | |
| 4Players Magazin | 2000 | Germany | Computec Media GmbH | Video game journalism | ||
| Ação Games | 1991 | 2002 | Brazil | Editora Abril, Editora Azul | General video gaming | |
| ACE | 1987 | 1992 | Future Publishing EMAP | Atari ST, Amiga, C64, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, and newly released machines | ||
| Aktueller Software Markt | 1986 | 1995 | Germany | Tronic Verlag | General video gaming | |
| Amiga Action | 1989 | 1996 | United Kingdom | Europress | Amiga games magazine which merged with Amiga Computing in 1996. | |
| Amiga Force | 1992 | 1994 | United Kingdom | Europress Impact | Amiga games magazine | |
| Amiga Format | 1989 | 2000 | United Kingdom | Future Publishing | Amiga games magazine | |
| Amiga Joker | 1989 | 1996 | Germany | Joker Verlag | Amiga games magazine | |
| Amiga Power | 1991 | 1996 | United Kingdom | Future Publishing | Amiga games magazine | |
| Amstrad Action | 1985 | 1995 | United Kingdom | Future Publishing | Amstrad CPC | |
| Amtix | 1985 | 1987 | United Kingdom | Newsfield Publications Ltd. | Amstrad CPC games magazine; merged with Computing With The Amstrad | |
| Atari Age | 1982 | 1984 | United States | The Atari Club | Atari related topics | |
| Bad Influence! Magazine | 1992 | 1992 | United Kingdom | Europress | general video gaming | |
| Bazinama | 2002 | 2019 | Iran | Iranian video game magazine | ||
| Big K Magazine | 1984 | 1985 | United Kingdom | IPC Magazines Ltd | Commodore 64 games | |
| CD-Action | 1996 | Poland | Bauer | Video games | ||
| Commodore Force | 1993 | 1994 | United Kingdom | Europress Impact | Commodore 64 games | |
| Commodore Format | 1990 | 1995 | United Kingdom | Future Publishing | Commodore 64 games magazine | |
| Comptiq | 1983 | Japan | Kadokawa Shoten | Multi-media games | ||
| Comp Ace | 2007 | Japan | Kadokawa Shoten | Bishōjo games and visual novels | ||
| Computer and Video Games | 1981 | 2004 | United Kingdom | Future Publishing | Home computing, arcade games, video games; web-based magazine defunct as of February 2015. | |
| Computer Gamer | 1985 | 1987 | United Kingdom | Argus Specialist Publications | Computer game topics | |
| Computer Gaming World | 1981 | 2006 | United States | Ziff Davis | PC game topics, occasional console game topics | |
| Crash | 1983 | 1992 | United Kingdom | Newsfield & Europress | Sinclair Spectrum, SAM Coupé | |
| CU Amiga | 1983 | 1998 | United Kingdom | EMAP | Commodore computers; started as computer magazine; by 1985 mostly games coverage. | |
| DC-UK | 1999 | 2001 | United Kingdom | Future Publishing | Dreamcast games magazine | |
| Dengeki G's Magazine | 1992 | Japan | ASCII Media Works | Bishōjo games and Seinen manga | ||
| Dengeki Hime | 1997 | 2014 | Japan | ASCII Media Works | Eroge and Visual novels | |
| Dengeki Maoh | 2005 | Japan | ASCII Media Works | Seinen manga, light novels and video games | ||
| Dengeki Nintendo | 1993 | Japan | Media Works ASCII Media Works | Nintendo related topics | ||
| Dengeki PlayStation | 1995 | 2020 | Japan | Media Works ASCII Media Works | PlayStation games | |
| Diànzǐ Yóuxì Ruǎnjiàn | 1994 | 2012 | People's Republic of China | China Association for Science and Technology | China's first video game magazine. Covered PC and console gaming, anime, music, etc. | |
| Donya ye Bazi | 2005 | 2014 | Iran | Donyaye Bazi Organization | First Official Iranian Game Magazine | |
| Edge | 1993 | United Kingdom | Future Publishing | Console, PC, Arcade, Mobile games | ||
| Electric Brain | 1989 | 1993 | United Kingdom | Space City Publishing | Console games | |
| Electronic Fun with Computers & Games | 1982 | 1984 | United States | Fun & Games Publishing Inc. | Video, computer and arcade games | |
| Electronic Games / Computer Entertainment | 1981 | 1985 | United States | Reese Communications | Video, computer and arcade games | |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 1989 | 2009 | United States | Sendai Publishing Ziff Davis | Video game journalism | |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 2010 | 2015 | United States | EGM Media | Video game journalism | |
| Expert Gamer | 1994 | 2001 | United States | Sendai Publishing Ziff Davis | video game strategy guides and cheat codes | |
| Famitsu Famicom Tsūshin | 1986 | Japan | ASCII Enterbrain, Inc. | Multiformat video game news | ||
| FUN! Online Games Magazine | 2009 | 2010 | United States | Beckett Media | Children's online games | |
| Game Developer | 1994 | 2013 | United States | UBM Tech | The premier magazine for working video game creators | |
| Game.EXE | 1997 | 2006 | Russia | Computerra | Video Games | |
| Game Industry Report Magazine | 2006 | United States | GNB News Group | All aspects of the video game industry in the US | ||
| Game Informer | 1991 | United States | Funco GameStop | Articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and associated consoles. | ||
| GameFan | 1992 | 2000 | United States | DieHard Gamers Club Metropolis Media Shinno Media | Video game news –focus on Anime and RPG games, Dave Halverson first video game publication | |
| GameNOW | 2001 | 2004 | United States | Ziff Davis | Spinoff of EGM geared to younger audience | |
| Game Players | 1989 | 1998 | United States | GP Publications Imagine Publishing | Video game journalism | |
| GamePro | 1989 | 2011 | United States | IDG GamePro Media | General video gaming | |
| ' | 2006 | 2008 | United States | Ziff Davis | Windows Games in partnership with Microsoft | |
| The Games Machine | 1987 | 1990 | United Kingdom | Newsfield Publications | General Video Gaming | |
| The Games Machine | 1988 | Italy | Aktia | Italian PC game magazine. PC and console gaming online. | ||
| GamesMaster | 1993 | 2018 | United Kingdom | Future plc Summit Media | Multiformat video games | |
| Gamereactor | 1998 | 2015 | Denmark | Gamez Publishing A/S | PC, Mobile and video game consoles | |
| Gamest | 1986 | 1999 | Japan | Shinseisha | Arcade games | |
| GameStar | 1997 | Germany | IDG Entertainment Media Webedia | PC games | ||
| gamesTM | 2002 | 2018 | United Kingdom | Future Publishing | UK-based computer and video games magazine | |
| GameWeek Magazine | 1995 | 2002 | United States | Cyberactive Media Group | General video gaming | |
| Giochi per il mio computer | 1997 | 2010 | Italy | Italian video game magazine | ||
| GMR Magazine | 2003 | 2005 | United States, Canada | Ziff Davis | PC games, Console games | |
| Hobby Consolas | 1991 | Spain | First Hobby Press, then Axel Springer | Spanish video game magazine specialized in console gaming | ||
| Hobby's Jump | 1983 | 1988 | Japan | Shueisha | Shōnen manga and video games | - |
| Hoog Spel | 1990 | 2000 | The Netherlands | Rangeela B.V. | Dutch gaming magazine | |
| Hyper Magazine | 1993 | 2019 | Australia | Next Media Future plc | Video games | |
| Joystick Magazine | 1988 | 2012 | France | Hachette Filipacchi Médias | PC games | |
| LeveL | 1995 | Czech Republic | PC, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PSP, Nintendo DS | |||
| LeveL | 1997 | Turkey | Turkish edition of Czech magazine | |||
| MCV | 1998 | United Kingdom | Future Publishing | business-focused topics of video games | ||
| Mean Machines | 1990 | 1992 | United Kingdom | Emap | Sega Mega Drive, Sega Master System, NES, Game Boy, Amstrad GX4000, Game Gear | Splite |
| Mean Machines Sega | 1992 | 1997 | United Kingdom | Emap | Sega Mega Drive, Sega Master System, Mega CD, Game Gear, Sega 32X and Sega Saturn | |
| Mean Machines PlayStation | 1996 | 1997 | United Kingdom | Emap | PlayStation | |
| Megami Magazine | 1999 | Japan | Gakken | Anime and Video games | ||
| Mega | 1992 | 1995 | United Kingdom | Future Publishing | Mega Drive games magazine | |
| Mega Drive Advanced Gaming | 1992 | 1995 | United Kingdom | Maverick Magazines | Mega Drive, Mega–CD, 32X | |
| Mega Power | 1993 | 1995 | United Kingdom | Paragon Publishing | Mega Drive games | |
| MegaTech | 1991 | 1994 | United Kingdom | EMAP Maverick Magazines | Sega Mega Drive | |
| Mega Zone | 1989 | 1995 | Australia | Elwood, Vic.: Megazone Publications | ||
| Micromanía | 1985 | Spain | HobbyPress Axel Springer AG BlueOcean Publishing | PC games | ||
| Monthly Arcadia | 1999 | 2015 | Japan | Enterbrain | Video games | |
| MyM | 2012 | 2018 | United Kingdom | MCM Central | 3DS, PC, PS3, PS4, PS Vita, Wii, Xbox 360, Xbox One | |
| N64 Magazine | 1999 | 2000 | Italy | Play Press | Nintendo games magazine | |
| NEXT Generation | 1995 | 2002 | United States | Imagine Media | 32-bit consoles, covers the video game industry rather than the games themselves | |
| New Computer Express | 1988 | 1991 | United Kingdom | Future Publishing | Multiformat home computer magazine | |
| NGC Magazine | 1997 | 2006 | United Kingdom | Future Publishing | Nintendo games magazine | |
| Nintendo Force | 2013 | United States | MagCloud/NF Publishing LLC | Nintendo games | ||
| Nintendo Fun Club News | 1987 | 1988 | United States | Nintendo of America | Official Nintendo consoles coverage. Started in 1987 as a newsletter; discontinued in favor of Nintendo Power. | |
| Nintendo Gamer | 2006 | 2012 | United Kingdom | Future Publishing | British magazine covering Nintendo products | |
| Nintendo La Rivista Ufficiale | 1997 | 2012 | France | MER7 | France Nintendo related topics | |
| Nintendo, le magazine officiel | 1993 | 2000 | Australia | Catalyst Publishing | Australian Nintendo related topics | |
| Nintendo Magazine System | 1993 | 2000 | Australia | Catalyst Publishing | Australian Nintendo related topics | |
| Nintendo Magazine System | 1992 | 2006 | United Kingdom | Emap | United Kingdom Nintendo related topics | |
| Nintendo Power | 1988 | 2012 | United States | Nintendo of America Future U.S. Publishing | Official Nintendo consoles coverage | |
| Nintendo World | 1998 | 2017 | Brazil | Editora Tambor | Nintendo related | |
| Nintendo World | 1999 | 2000 | United Kingdom | Future Publishing | Nintendo games magazine | |
| Official Dreamcast Magazine | 1999 | 2001 | United Kingdom | Dennis Publishing | UK Dreamcast related topics | |
| Official Dreamcast Magazine | 1999 | 2001 | United States | Imagine Media | US Dreamcast related topics | |
| Official Nintendo Magazine | 2008 | 2013 | Australia, New Zealand | Future Publishing | Australia & New Zealand Nintendo related topics | |
| Official Nintendo Magazine | 2006 | 2014 | United Kingdom | Future Publishing | UK Nintendo related topics | |
| Official PlayStation Magazine | 2007 | Australia | Citrus Media | Australian PlayStation related topics | ||
| Official UK PlayStation Magazine | 1995 | 2004 | United Kingdom | Future Plc | UK PlayStation related topics | |
| Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine | 1997 | 2007 | United States | Ziff Davis | US PlayStation related topics, succeeded by Future's PlayStation: The Official Magazine | |
| Official Xbox Magazine | 2001 | 2020 | United Kingdom United States | Future PLC Future US | Xbox related topics | |
| The One | 1988 | 1996 | UK | EMAP | Amiga, Atari ST, PC | |
| Oyungezer | 2007 | Turkey | Seti Publishing | PC, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PSP, Nintendo DS | ||
| Page 6 | 1982 | 1998 | United Kingdom | Page 6 Publishing | The Atari 8-bit range and Atari ST | |
| Personal Computer Games | 1983 | 1985 | United Kingdom | VNU | PC games | |
| PC Accelerator | 1998 | 2000 | United States | Imagine Media | Men's magazine-style PC games coverage | |
| PC Engine Fan | 1988 | 1996 | Japan | Tokuma Shoten | :Category:NEC consoles|NEC Consoles | |
| PC Format | 1991 | 2015 | United Kingdom | Future Publishing | PC magazine | |
| PC Gamer | 1993 | United Kingdom United States | Future Publishing | PC games | ||
| PC Games | 1992 | Germany | Computec Media AG | PC games | ||
| PCGamesN | 2012 | Network N | PC games | |||
| PC Mania | 1998 | 2009 | Bulgaria | PC Mania | PC games | |
| PC PowerPlay | 1996 | Australia | Future Australia | PC games | ||
| PC Zone | 1993 | 2010 | United Kingdom | Future plc | PC games | |
| PCW Plus | 1986 | 1996 | United Kingdom | Future Publishing | Amstrad PCW computers | |
| Pelaaja | 2002 | Finland | H-Town Oy | Finnish gaming magazine | ||
| Pelit | 1992 | Finland | Fokus Media Finland Oy | The oldest and most popular videogame magazine of Finland | ||
| Planet PC | 1999 | 2001 | United Kingdom | PC games | ||
| Play | 1994 | 2013 | People's Republic of China | Science Popularization Publication | China's first PC-gaming-specific magazine | |
| Play Magazine | 1995 | 2016 | United Kingdom | Imagine Publishing | PlayStation consoles | |
| Play Meter | 1974 | 2018 | United States | Skybird Publishing | Coin-op and arcade games | |
| Player One | 1990 | 2000 | France | Média Système Édition | Console games | |
| ' | 2007 | 2012 | United States | Future US | PlayStation related topics, successor to Ziff Davis' OPM upon discontinuation of PSM | |
| PlayStation Official Magazine | 2002 | Italy | Il Mio Castello Future Media Italy Play Media Company Lunasia Edizioni | Italian PlayStation related topics | ||
| PlayStation Official Magazine | 2006 | United Kingdom | Future Publishing | UK PlayStation related topics | ||
| PlayStation Underground | 1997 | 2001 | United States | Sony Computer Entertainment America | PlayStation, PlayStation 2 | |
| 1997 | 2007 | United States | Imagine Media Future Network USA Future US | PlayStation family news | ||
| Swipe Magazine | 2007 | 2013 | United Kingdom | Steel Media Ltd | Mobile games | |
| Power Play | 1993 | 2000s | Germany | Magna Media | PC games | |
| Power Unlimited | 1993 | The Netherlands | VNU Media HUB Uitgevers Reshift Digital | Dutch gaming magazine | ||
| PSM3 | 2000 | 2012 | United Kingdom | Future Publishing | Sony video game consoles and PlayStation games | |
| PNM | 2011 | United States | MagCloud/Pure Media LLC | All things Nintendo related | ||
| Raze Magazine | 1990 | 1991 | United Kingdom | Newsfield | Sega Master System, NES | |
| Retro Gamer | 2004 | United Kingdom | Live Publishing Imagine Publishing Future Publishing | Retro games from multiple platforms, often via an Emulator | ||
| Saturn Power | 1997 | 1998 | United Kingdom | Future Publishing | Sega Saturn games | |
| Secret Service | 1993 | 2001 | Poland | ProScript | Polish game magazine, video games - all platforms | |
| Secret Service | 2014 | 2014 | Poland | Idea-Ahead | Polish game magazine, video games - all platforms | |
| Sega Force | 1992 | 1993 | United Kingdom | Europress Impact | Sega games magazine | |
| Sega Magazine | 1994 | 1995 | United Kingdom | EMAP | Official Sega publication; relaunched as Sega Saturn Magazine. | |
| Sega Power | 1989 | 1997 | United Kingdom | Future Publishing | Sega video games | |
| Sega Pro | 1991 | 1996 | United Kingdom | Paragon Publishing | Master System, Game Gear, Mega Drive | |
| Sega Saturn Magazine | 1995 | 1998 | United Kingdom | EMAP | Sega Saturn games. Official Sega publication; the successor to Sega Magazine. | |
| Sega Visions | 1990 | 1995 | United States | Sega of America Sega/The Communique Group Sega/Infotainment World | Official Sega magazine, competed with Nintendo Power | |
| Sinclair Programs | 1982 | 1985 | United Kingdom | ECC Publications | ZX80, ZX81 and ZX Spectrum computers | |
| Sinclair User | 1982 | 1993 | United Kingdom | Sinclair Spectrum | ||
| SKOAR! | 2003 | 2017 | India | Jasubhai Digital Media Pvt. Ltd. | Indian game magazine | |
| SNES Force | 1993 | 1994 | United Kingdom | Europress | SNES Magazine | |
| ST Format | 1989 | 1996 | United Kingdom | Future Publishing | Atari ST games magazine | |
| ST/Amiga Format | 1988 | 1989 | United Kingdom | Future Publishing | Atari ST and Amiga games magazine | |
| Strana Igr | 1996 | 2013 | Russia | Gameland | Russian game magazine | |
| Super Play | 1992 | 1996 | United Kingdom | Future Publishing | SNES magazine | |
| Super PLAY | 1993 | 2009 | Sweden | Swedish game magazine | ||
| Świat Gier Komputerowych | 1992 | 2003 | Poland | Polish video game magazine | ||
| Tilt | 1982 | 1994 | France | Editions Mondiales S.A. | PC and Console gaming | |
| Tips and Tricks | 1995 | 2007 | United States | LFP | Video game strategy guides, codes and walkthroughs | |
| Total! | 1993 | 2000 | United Kingdom | MVL-Verlag X-Plain Verlag | Nintendo games; brand licensed from UK magazine, but independent content | |
| TurboPlay | 1990 | 1992 | United States | L.F.P., Inc. | TurboGrafx-16, TurboGrafx-CD, Turbo Duo, TurboExpress, SuperGrafx | |
| Velikiy Drakon | 1993 | 2004 | Russia | Video-Ace | Video games | |
| Videogaming Illustrated | 1982 | 1983 | United States | Ion International, Inc. | Video games | |
| Video Games Magazine | 1982 | 1984 | United States | Pumpkin Press | Video games | |
| Video Games Player | 1982 | 1984 | United States | Carnegie Publications Corp. | Video games | |
| VideoGames - The Ultimate Gaming Magazine | 1993 | 1996 | United States | L.F.P., Inc. | Video games, PC games and arcades | |
| V Jump | 1993 | Japan | Shueisha | Video games and Shōnen manga | ||
| Xbox World | 2003 | 2012 | United Kingdom | Future Publishing | Xbox video game consoles and Xbox games | |
| X-One | 2005 | 2015 | United Kingdom | Imagine Publishing | Xbox 360, Xbox one | |
| XtremPC | 1998 | 2010 | Romania | PC games, game consoles | ||
| X64 | 1997 | 2000 | France | Edicorp Publications | Nintendo games magazine | |
| Your Sinclair | 1984 | 1993 | United Kingdom | Dennis Publishing Future Publishing | Sinclair Spectrum, SAM Coupé | |
| Zero | 1989 | 1992 | United Kingdom | Dennis Publishing | Amiga, Atari ST, PC games | |
| Zzap!64 | 1985 | 1992 | United Kingdom | Newsfield Publications Europress Impact | Commodore 64 games |