Games
Discover facts about games. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Games
Coaches frantically watching immense amounts of footage
Coaches study hours of opponent footage to spot small, repeatable habits they can exploit during a tournament.
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Why the darts line is called an oche
No one knows for sure. Theories trace “oche” to obscure brewing terms, but its origin remains unclear.
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Kirby's placeholder body became the finished character
During development, the simple round figure was easy to draw and animate, and the team grew attached to it. The project also went through the name Popopo…
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A party game where a wink means murder
A designated murderer secretly winks at players to “kill” them, while everyone else watches for the telltale blink and tries to identify the culprit.
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Why Kirby's studio is called HAL
Each letter in HAL comes one place before its counterpart in IBM: H/I, A/B, and L/M.
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Roulette dealers undergo strict training for ball spinning
Dealers train to send the ball around the wheel at consistent speeds, helping prevent suspicions that a spin was manipulated.
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A game review can sit beside ads bought by the game's publisher
That arrangement creates a conflict for publications: the company paying for attention may also be the subject of criticism. The 2007 controversy around Jeff…
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Luigi began as a different color of Mario
In the original Mario Bros., changing the character's colors distinguished the second player without requiring a wholly different figure. That economical…
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Medieval chess didn't insist on black and white
A 1283 Book of Games illustration shows red and white squares. Checkered boards and their orientation were not always standardized, either. The essential idea…
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The Jenga move that can start an argument
If a piece is stuck, push it fully back into place before trying another. Leaving it halfway out can spark an argument over the jagged tower.
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Javier Escuella was a famous Mexican revolutionary
Before joining the outlaw gang, Javier Escuella was a Mexican revolutionary who fled after killing a corrupt military official.
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Exploding Kittens defuse cards prevent instant elimination
Unless you play a Defuse card, drawing an Exploding Kitten ends your game. Some cards use distractions such as a laser pointer or catnip sandwich to get you…
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Gaming team houses reeking of stale energy drinks
Even well-funded teams can have messy shared spaces, with tangled cables, empty takeout boxes, and stacks of empty beverage cans.
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Phase 10 requires players to complete specific card sets
Players must complete ten increasingly difficult phases in order. If someone else finishes a round before you complete your current phase, you have to try…
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Double dutch jump rope arrived via early Dutch settlers
Dutch settlers brought the synchronized two-rope technique to the American colonies, where it later evolved into an urban pastime.
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The GTA IV swingset that launches cars into the sky
A glitch in the game’s collision detection can eject a car thousands of feet into the air when it hits one particular playground structure.
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Connect four columns drop tokens exactly six deep
Each column holds only six tokens; once it’s full, that route is blocked and you have to rethink your next move.
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A charred Game Boy still had a game left in it
A Game Boy damaged by fire during the Gulf War became famous for continuing to run Tetris despite its badly burned casing. Nintendo later displayed it as a…
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Why the d10 doesn’t belong with the Platonic dice
A standard d10 uses kite-shaped faces rather than one of the Platonic solids, making it the odd one out in many polyhedral dice sets.
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Billiard cue tips rely entirely on hardened leather
Layered pigskin or cowhide gives the tip enough grip and cushion to transfer spin to the cue ball.
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In craps, seven can switch from your best roll to your worst
For a pass-line bet, seven wins on the opening come-out roll. Once a point is established, rolling seven before repeating that point loses the bet. The dice…
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Cyberpunk's yellow announcements became a warning color
CD Projekt delayed Cyberpunk 2077 three times during 2020 before its December release. The bright yellow statement format became recognizable enough to…
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The real distress behind Left 4 Dead’s Witch cries
The Witch’s wail was made using recordings of people in genuine emotional distress, giving the enemy a sound that feels heartbreakingly sorrowful.
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Why foil cards curl when they get damp
The cardboard backing absorbs moisture and expands while the metal layer cannot, making the card curl.
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