Games
Discover facts about games. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Games
Overwatch turned an aimbot into a character ability
Blizzard took the most toxic, rage-inducing aspect of multiplayer gaming and canonically gave it to a grumpy cowboy. Soldier 76's tactical visor auto-aim is a…
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Pong was designed for drunk bar patrons
The genesis of the video game industry relied entirely on the cognitive decline of intoxicated adults. Nolan Bushnell designed Pong with just two knobs and a…
Discover moreSephiroth's name has a Kabbalistic origin
Because naming a guy with an absurdly long sword 'Steve' just doesn't carry the same dramatic weight. The iconic silver-haired villain derives his name from…
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Spyro glides across gaps but cannot actually freely fly
Having wings is mostly just for aesthetic purposes. Despite being a literal dragon, this tiny purple hero is completely incapable of taking off from the…
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The Australian drinking game played on a clothesline
Leave it to Australian ingenuity to turn a backyard clothesline into a rotating beverage dispenser. By pegging bags of cheap wine to a rotary washing line and…
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Super Mario Galaxy was recorded with a live orchestra
Jumping on mushrooms in space apparently demands a cinematic budget. The creators abandoned standard synthesized blips and hired a massive live orchestra to…
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Proximity blocking forces you to defend near an enemy
You are suddenly paralyzed just because someone threw a punch in your general zip code. Holding back to walk away from a missed attack automatically triggers…
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Theme Hospital treats giant heads with a pin
Healthcare is complicated, unless you have a giant needle. Theme Hospital is a satirical management sim where diseases are entirely fictional and wildly…
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One player in bridge sits out entirely as the dummy
After the bidding phase, one partner literally lays their cards face up on the table and sits in total silence while their partner plays for them. It is the…
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How Abercrombie brought mahjong to America
The beloved tile-matching pastime was fiercely imported to the West by a wealthy retailer that now strictly sells overpriced cologne and distressed jeans.…
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Why dartboards put high numbers next to low ones
Throwing sharp spikes at a wall requires deeply precise mathematical punishment. The completely chaotic standard circular layout was meticulously designed in…
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Why gamers put weights in their mice
Adding literal metal weights inside your peripheral so you can miss your clicks with maximum physical effort is hilarious. Some believe a heavier drag…
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The heart suit once meant religious devotion
Rather than romantic love, the heart suit was originally meant to symbolize the pious devotion of the church. It is hilariously ironic that the symbol of…
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Bingo uses exactly seventy-five numbered balls in America
Every single letter in the title perfectly corresponds to a specific range of these exact integers. You sit quietly in a crowded hall, tensely waiting for…
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The cake that lured Portal’s test subjects
Why use complex motivations when baked goods work perfectly fine? A murderous artificial intelligence manages to coerce desperate test subjects through…
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Donkey Kong collects hoards of tiny yellow bananas
A balanced diet is crucial when fighting large reptiles. This massive primate spends his entire life leaping across treacherous ravines solely to recover his…
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How Dungeons & Dragons brought XP to games
Every time you level up in a video game, you owe a debt to a bunch of nerds from the 1970s. Before D&D, games were strictly about winning or losing. Dave…
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Microsoft heavily pushed high definition graphics early
They brazenly launched hardware demanding incredibly high resolutions long before most consumers actually owned flat-screen televisions. Millions of people…
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Sleeping one hour cures mortal flesh wounds
Resting in a dirty tavern bed for exactly sixty minutes is a medically sound treatment for concussions, broken limbs, and severe lacerations.
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Why gamers shoot their teammates first
The very first interaction in any cooperative session inevitably involves firing a warning shot directly into your ally's kneecap. It is an incredibly…
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Why Catan turns friends into ruthless traders
If you have ever screamed at your sibling over sheep, the game is working exactly as intended. Klaus Teuber designed Catan to force negotiation in an…
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Original Xbox features a massive prominent green top jewel
A flashy emblem that served absolutely zero practical purpose. The massive logo required special manufacturing just to embed deeply into the casing, giving it…
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Why the craps stickman keeps chanting
The guy holding the long wooden rake does a lot more than just move dice. He maintains a hypnotic, auctioneer-style rhythmic chant specifically engineered to…
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The trick behind lifting someone with two fingers
Gathering around a supine friend to chant 'light as a feather, stiff as a board' while attempting to lift them with two fingers feels like invoking black…
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