Games
Discover facts about games. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Games
Subnautica permanently strands players on a submerged planet
After their spaceship crashes, players are stranded on an ocean planet where dangerous sea creatures threaten their tiny submarine.
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A rodeo bullfighter runs toward the animal everyone else is escaping
They draw the bull away from a fallen rider, putting themselves in its path to distract the animal.
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Doodle Jump's alien shoots from its nose
The little green alien launches small, round projectiles straight from its nose to knock out hovering monsters.
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Why people trust a rubber cord with their lives
A bungee cord stretches under a jumper’s weight, then recoils to slow the fall and pull them back up.
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A yo-yo can work in space—you supply the first push
On Earth, gravity starts the drop and helps get the yo-yo spinning. In microgravity, an astronaut can throw it outward and pull the string taut instead. Its…
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Why stranded Kerbals can wait decades for rescue
Because the game ignores biological needs, stranded Kerbals don’t suffocate or starve. They can wait alone on a desolate moon for decades until you rescue them.
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Snooker began as bored officers' invention
In 19th-century India, British officers combined colored balls with a new scoring system when they tired of familiar games. “Snooker” was military slang for…
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Real life Quidditch forces adults to sprint holding brooms
Adults play real-life Quidditch by sprinting across fields with plastic brooms between their legs and throwing volleyballs.
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Spore lets you laser Earth out of existence
After evolving from a tiny organism into a spacefaring empire, you can find Earth's solar system on the galactic map and destroy the planet with a massive…
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In The Sims 4, a ghost can stay part of the household
A deceased Sim can remain playable, build relationships, and carry traits connected to the way they died. Death changes the character’s abilities instead of…
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Toad's mushroom cap is part of his head
Nintendo producer Yoshiaki Koizumi settled the question in a 2018 video: the spotted dome is Toad's head, not a removable hat. It is a wonderfully odd detail…
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Knuckles keeps falling for the same lie
Even while guarding the powerful emerald, Knuckles keeps falling for the villain’s same obvious lie.
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Why Waluigi wears an upside-down L
The upside-down L is a flipped version of his rival's logo, not a new initial—a little purple act of spite.
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Peach has also been the Mario character you rescue people with
In Super Mario Bros. 2, the princess is playable, and her floating jump gives her a distinct advantage when crossing gaps. The familiar rescue target becomes…
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Bentley is a highly intellectual turtle relying on explosives
The wheelchair-using turtle hacks secure mainframes and follows up with explosives, making him an unconventional problem-solver.
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Yoshi has a surprisingly elaborate full name
An official 1993 character guide gives his full name as T. Yoshisaur Munchakoopas.
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Anna Williams brings evening wear to a fighting game
Tekken's character design makes her formal dress part of her silhouette and personality. Animators then have to make attacks read clearly around that costume.…
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Jin Kazama started a global war to cure his dark curse
He starts a global war to confront the curse tied to his family, putting millions of lives at risk.
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Super Mario's Boo freezes when you look directly at it
Boo freezes when Mario looks directly at it, covering its face. The player can stop the ghost in its tracks simply by keeping it in view.
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Big the Cat is stronger than Sonic
He spends his time lazily fishing for his pet frog, a sleepy pastime that contrasts with his greater raw strength.
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Crash Bandicoot makes a turtle dangerous until you approach it correctly
Touching an enemy can cost Crash a life, while jumping or spinning changes the encounter. A small creature is therefore less a realistic threat than a test of…
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Tekken's family feud begins with a father throwing his son off a cliff
Heihachi throws young Kazuya down a ravine, helping set up the revenge at the heart of the series. Their later confrontations keep turning family succession…
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Tekken lets a trained bear enter the family feud
Kuma is Heihachi's bear bodyguard and a playable fighter. Putting him alongside human martial artists turns the roster's seriousness into part of the joke:…
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Link's strangest habit: smashing strangers' pots for rupees
In the games, Link can raid villagers’ homes, smash their pottery, and pocket the rupees hidden inside—an odd side hustle for a realm’s supposed savior.
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