Games
Collectors corner: Christmas miniatures
For this week's collectors corner we head to the Waikato where Helen and Brian Gibson have been collecting Christmas miniatures for the past 15 years. Audio
Let's get Quizzical
Quizmaster Jack Waley-Cohen has joined The Weekend throughout January and brings us his final set of tricky puzzles. Jack is well placed to provide some brain-busting questions as he is the man behind… Audio
The videogames that blew our minds in 2023
Whether you want to swing like Spider-Man or solve a challenging puzzle, there's a game for you. Pratik Navani takes a look at the best of the best. Video
NZ gamers to compete with world's best at Esport champs
New Zealand's best and brightest gamers are gearing up for the Global Esports championships. The Women's DOTA 2 team and an E Football player qualified for the games in Saudi Arabia where they'll… Video, Audio
When gaming leaves the couch
Esports players say their sport is more than just time on the couch with a joystick – we have a national team, and it’s heading to global games at the end of the year. Audio
Viva La Dirt League 'nerds' crowdfund $4 million Auckland studio
A “bunch of nerds who play games and make comedy sketches about games” have come a long way. With more than 5.5 million subscribers on YouTube and in excess of 2.4 billion views on their channel, Viva… Video, Audio
The art of joysticks - reinventing the spacies parlour
Since he could barely reach the joysticks in his local parlour in Ngongotaha, Lake Rotorua, Preston McNeil (Te Arawa, Tainui) has loved spacies. Audio
Commonwealth Games future looks grim
Victoria's decision to pull out of hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games after a budget blowout shines light on the huge amount of money it takes for these sporting extravaganzas. Audio
Can role-playing board games help social development?
Fantasy tabletop role-playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons have shot up in popularity in recent years, thanks to their inclusion in popular culture. Researchers at the University of South… Audio
Kiwi-made antidote to 'highly curated life' takes off
Have you ever felt the need to get off the beaten track and get lost once in a while? Well, so did Cat MacNaughtan, so much so she made a game out of it. Audio
Who will be the Scrabble C-H-A-M-P? Dozens of players compete for title
Eighty enthusiastic Scrabble players will descend on Howick this King's Birthday weekend to decide New Zealand's 43rd Scrabble Champion.
AI in education, skills for an AI-powered future and in-game
Technology expert Dr Mahsa Mohaghegh joins Kathryn to talk about the continued debate on how to handle the rise of artificial intelligence in the education sector, how people can develop their AI… Audio
Could video game skills help you get a job?
Millions of people spend much of their free time playing video games - and one British academic's research explores how all that screen time might actually be enhancing life skills. Audio
Could video game skills help you get a job?
Video games may not be the waste of time you thought they were. Audio
Cracking Crosswords: Doug Hendry
Kathryn speaks with Doug Hendry, who makes the crosswords that appear in nearly all our newspapers every day. Doug and partner Ange run Tauranga-based The Puzzle Company. They've been testing people's… Audio
Dunedin the gaming development capital of Aotearoa
In New Zealand, Dunedin is leading the charge in our gaming industry, with 43 percent of the workforce at local studios made up by women. Among them is Zoe Hobson, who is the CEO of game developer… Audio
The wild world of chess cheating
A cheating scandal has rocked the chess world, but it's just the latest in a long list of sports cheats. Audio
The cheating scandal that's rocking the world of chess
A chess player at the centre of a cheating row gripping the game "likely" cheated in more than 100 games online, according to an investigation.
'We've been through hell and back' - Councillor calls for gambling reform
Auckland councillor Josephine Bartley has seen first-hand the destructive impact of problem gambling and is calling for changes to the way the pokie machine industry is regulated.
Why do we still fly our flag for the Commonwealth?
The Games are cringy, insular, and a colonial hangover - but we still celebrate an opportunity to show off our athletes on the world stage. Audio
