Stories
The history, culture, and quiet trivia behind the games in our library — for the moments when you're more curious about a game than ready to play it.
Where Chess Really Came From
Tracing the game's path from an Indian battlefield simulation to the 64 squares we know today.
Why a Standard Deck Has 52 Cards
The surprisingly specific numeric logic behind the deck almost every card game in this country uses.
The Enduring Appeal of Pen-and-Paper Games
Why games that need nothing more than a notebook margin have never gone out of style.
The Oldest Board Games We Know About
A look at the handful of games whose boards have survived for thousands of years.
Why Puzzles Feel So Satisfying to Solve
What's actually happening when a stubborn puzzle finally clicks into place.
Games That Were Designed to Teach Something
A handful of familiar games began life as teaching tools before they became entertainment.
The Long Journey of Dominoes
How a set of tiles based on dice results traveled from imperial China to kitchen tables worldwide.
The Best Quiet Games for Two People
Why some of the deepest games ever designed need nothing more than two players and a shared table.