Playmakers

Discover the incredible stories behind the most influential videogames ever made.

How did acting lessons lead to the creation of Assassin's Creed? What was Paul McCartney's problem with Josh Randall, creative director on The Beatles: Rock Band? How did Papers, Please, an indie game about checking passports made by a single man, become an international hit? Why did the blockbuster Baldur's Gate 3 almost never see the light of day?

Playmakers answers each of these questions - and charts the history of videogames through the stories behind 30 of the most acclaimed, influential and popular games ever made, from groundbreaking titles like Pong and Tekken through to modern classics like Halo, God of War and Stardew Valley.

By peeling back the curtain at some of the world's most revered studios and speaking with many of the industry's most celebrated designers, this collection of fascinating features offers rare and exclusive insights into the notoriously opaque games industry - all accompanied by stunning concept artwork, screenshots and behind-the-scenes photography.