Lewis Packwood

Lewis Packwood

Video games journalist

Lewis Packwood has been writing about video games professionally since 2013, and his work has appeared in The Guardian, Retro Gamer, EDGE, Eurogamer, Wireframe, Rock Paper Shotgun, Kotaku, PC Gamer and Time Extension, among others. He is also the author of Curious Video Game Machines: A Compendium of Rare and Unusual Consoles, Computers and Coin-Ops (White Owl, 2023).

Latest articles by Lewis Packwood

Switch 2’s mouse control is a neat trick, but it’s also a real pain – literally

By Lewis Packwood Published

This quickly becomes uncomfortable.

Gaming
It’s remarkable how modern these Switch 2 GameCube titles feel

By Lewis Packwood Published

Wind Waker, F-Zero GX and Soul Calibur II get a fresh lease of life on Nintendo’s new console.

Gaming
Clair Obscur Expedition 33; fantasy characters float in a dark sky, a god-like creature is seen in the distance amidst lighting and flames
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 review: a brilliantly weird, utterly unique game

By Lewis Packwood Published

More than eye candy.

Gaming
Arc and LOVE engine no-code game development;
“It's staggeringly simple” – this coding tool is ideal for artists looking to break into game development

By Lewis Packwood Published

Arco game artist and indie dev Max Cahill explains why Lua and the LÖVE engine are a great combo.

Video Game Design
Asses.masses game art; a presentation is projected onto a large screen, showing a video game scene with various farm animals
How two artists made a game that plays like interactive theatre

By Lewis Packwood Published

Patrick Blenkarn and Milton Lim created live collaboration game asses.masses with no previous coding experience.

Video Game Design
Your House indie game art interview; A stylised illustration depicts a young woman seated, seemingly contemplative, in a setting that combines elements of a comic book panel and a vintage aesthetic
"This is a game you can read, or a book you can play” – solving the visual design of Your House, a detective game crossed with a Daniel Clowes comic

By Lewis Packwood Published

Spanish indie dev Patrones & Escondites explains how they were influenced by Ghost World and the 1990s fanzine style.

Video Game Design
Best video game architecture; a woman stands in front of a city scene, in the distance is a mix of gothic and modernist buildings
The best video games for architecture and design fans

By Lewis Packwood Published

Design meets gameplay in these games that changed how worlds are built.

Video Game Design
Monster Hunter Wilds review; knights with large weapons fight a massive monster in grassy field
Monster Hunter Wilds review: a new open-world design feels fresh and exciting

By Lewis Packwood Published

The most accessible Monster Hunter game to date.

Gaming
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 art influences; watery scenes from a fantasy video game, showing colourful coral and mines and creatures
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's art director jokes how he wanted to make a 'realistic version of SpongeBob'

By Lewis Packwood Published

Nicholas Maxson-Francombe reveals the hotly anticipated game's art influences.

Video Game Design
Clair Obscur Expedition 33; fantasy characters float in a dark sky, a god-like creature is seen in the distance amidst lighting and flames
Using Unreal Engine 5 “can be a trap”, says the dev behind Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

By Lewis Packwood Published

Sandfall Interactive found there were pros and cons to moving onto UE5, as "people expect AAA quality on all aspects".

Video Game Design
Will Follow The Light interview; how this indie game is being made using Unreal Engine 5
"It gives you almost everything": How Unreal Engine 5 empowered the indie team behind WILL: Follow the Light

By Lewis Packwood Published

Indie studios can now achieve impossible visuals.

Video Game Design
Keep Driving review; indie game featuring pixel art cars
Keep Driving review: a stunning pixel art road trip

By Lewis Packwood Published

Hop in, we’ve got a long drive ahead.

Gaming
No code game engines; a cartoon flea, cartoon people and cartoon rally car
The best no code game engines recommended by leading indie devs

By Lewis Packwood Published

Make games without coding using these no code game maker apps.

Video Game Design
Dreamcore review; unreal engine 5 game rated
Dreamcore review: when style is the whole game

By Lewis Packwood Published

Getting lost in liminal spaces is more dull than terrifying.

Gaming
Citizen Sleeper 2 no-code development; a man floats in space, but its yellow
Why Citizen Sleeper 2's no-code creative process is an inspiration

By Lewis Packwood Published

Visual scripting could open up game development to more people than ever before.

3D
Citizen Sleeper 2 interview; a space person floats in a yellow room
"Game development is more accessible than ever": how Citizen Sleeper 2 was created without coding

By Lewis Packwood Published

Illustrator turned indie dev, Gareth Damian Martin's new game is built entirely with visual scripting.

Video Game Design
The Cabin Factory review; a machine sits under a light in the ceiling
The Cabin Factory review: one frightfully good idea, masterfully done

By Lewis Packwood Published

If only these haunted walls could talk.

Gaming
Game design trends 2025; characters from games
The 10 gaming trends for 2025 that will transform how we play and create

By Lewis Packwood Published

Our expert games writer predicts the gaming trends for 2025, including Nintendo Switch 2, the rise of indie gaming, the impact of generative AI and how Unreal Engine 5 will shake things up .

Video Game Design
BAFTA Breakthrough; a woman in smart evening clothes
Viewfinder's Sophie Knowles reflects on her BAFTA Breakthrough, joking how it's "weird" to be associated with Tom Holland and Florence Pugh

By Lewis Packwood Published

The indie game's lead artist puts things in perspective.

Video Game Design
BAFTA Breakthrough 2024; a man in a red scarf
Only video games "force people to live in your drawings for hours at a time"

By Lewis Packwood Published

BAFTA Breakthrough art director Fred Hoffman explains why games are the ultimate canvas.

Video Game Design
BAFTA Breakthrough 2024; a woman sits in silks
VR can affect social change, believes BAFTA Breakthrough filmmaker and artist Poulomi Basu

By Lewis Packwood Published

MAYA: The Birth of a Superhero tells a uniquely female story.

VR & AR
Indie devs and game AI; anime characters
A year on, have indie devs changed their views on AI?

By Lewis Packwood Published

We got back in touch with six indie developers to see whether their viewpoints on AI have moved.

Video Game Design
Spine transmedia art; a comic character fires guns
"We have a lot of stories to tell," says SPINE director Dmitry Pimenov as he talks about the game is being spun into comics, web series and more

By Lewis Packwood Published

The transmedia ambitions of SPINE.

Video Game Design
unreal engine 5 Spine; a woman holds up a helmet from the game Spine
"Unreal Engine 5 offers unprecedented creative freedom" - the art director behind gun fu game SPINE loves Epic's tech

By Lewis Packwood Last updated

This art team's designing with ambition.

Video Game Design
Game remakes by Nightdive Studios ; stormtroopers from Star Wars Dark Forces
Nightdive Studios are masters of retro game remakes - this is how it's done

By Lewis Packwood Published

Here's how the best retro game remakes are made.

Gaming
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