Games
Discover facts about games. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Games
Magnavox successfully sued multiple rivals for patents
Magnavox’s broad patents on electronic television output led it to sue major hardware makers for decades; legal settlements brought in more money than…
Discover more
Why Witcher potions would kill ordinary humans
Witcher potions are so toxic that an ordinary person who drank one would be killed by it, even if it could boost a Witcher’s night vision.
Discover more
Dixit players must describe abstract art with vague clues
A clue that’s too obvious lets everyone guess and earns no points; one that’s too obscure leaves everyone stumped. The challenge is finding a hint only some…
Discover more
Microsoft Flight Simulator lets you fly over your own house
Its satellite-based map covers the whole planet, so players can fly over familiar neighborhoods—even their own homes—instead of sticking to airports.
Discover more
Why CDs are so hard to recycle
CDs combine a plastic base with a reflective metallic layer, so they don't fit easily into standard municipal recycling streams.
Discover more
Quarters requires bouncing a coin perfectly into a glass
A coin has to bounce off the table and arc into the glass; a sticky, drink-soaked surface can give it more friction.
Discover more
STACKY FOR IPHONEA bigger world.
One discovery
at a time.
Keep discovering with Stacky. Interesting facts in an app that is always within reach.
Steam Controller features dual concave haptic trackpads
Instead of thumbsticks, it used two concave, touch-sensitive pads with haptic feedback to control movement—a design that some players praised and others found…
Discover more
Elden Ring's glowing Erdtree is visible from across the map
It’s a real object at the world’s center, not a skybox effect, and its glow keeps reminding you how far you still have to travel.
Discover more
Why strategy games send scouts to die
Strategy games hide unexplored areas behind a fog of war, so players send cheap, weak scouts into danger to reveal the map—even when an enemy army is waiting.
Discover more
The Sands of Time let you take back the jump that killed you
The Prince's dagger could rewind recent action, returning you to a moment before the fatal mistake. The limited supply of sand made retries a resource inside…
Discover more
Ryu's red headband has a friendship story
Street Fighter Alpha 2 connects the headband to Ken, turning part of Ryu's familiar outfit into a token from his rival and friend. Earlier versions of Ryu…
Discover more
The rapping dog that shaped rhythm games
The rapping dog’s game introduced a format where players hit buttons in time with symbols moving on screen, inspiring countless imitators.
Discover more
Unskippable tutorial prompts interrupt gameplay
The game freezes to display mandatory instructions, even when you already know which button to press.
Discover more
Macromanagement proves building farms wins more battles
In strategy games, a strong economy can matter more than winning individual battles: building farms lets you produce enough units to overwhelm an opponent.
Discover more
Why games let you mute their own music
The mute setting helps content creators avoid copyright strikes by silencing licensed tracks in a game.
Discover moreCarl Johnson returns home strictly for a funeral
After escaping street violence for a quieter life on the East Coast, Carl returns to San Andreas for his mother’s funeral—and is pulled back into crime.
Discover more
Queen of Spades traditionally faces to the right
In a standard deck, the other queens face left, making the Queen of Spades the lone exception.
Discover more
How laser tag shots bounce off shiny walls
Laser-tag guns use infrared light, not laser beams. Its reflection off shiny walls or mirrors can let a shot reach you even when the shooter isn't directly…
Discover more
The game where finding secrets means headbutting walls
In Astro Bot Rescue Mission, VR turns the player into a hovering camera following a tiny robot. Finding hidden collectibles can mean leaning forward to…
Discover more
High-fiving a tiny digital mouse in a magical forest
In Moss, you guide a mouse named Quill through a miniature world—and can reach into it with a glowing hand to high-five her when she solves a problem.
Discover moreShenmue hid a historical weather option behind finishing the game
Its weather system included records from Yokosuka in 1986–87, the period in which the story takes place. After clearing the game, players could enable that…
Discover more
Why game heroes go silent during trauma
A deeply traumatized ally can reveal something devastating while the player character responds with a blank stare and no dialogue.
Discover more
Minecraft’s ghast sounds came from a sleeping cat
Composer Daniel Rosenfeld, known as C418, recorded his cat grumbling as it woke from a nap, then slowed and distorted the audio to create the ghast's eerie…
Discover more
Expensive gemstone dice can be more fragile than plastic ones
Carved stone and glass dice trade the resilience of ordinary plastic for weight and appearance. Edges can chip when hard dice strike one another or a hard…
Discover more