Archive for the ‘games’ Category
Nerd Problems
July 28th, 2010
While conversing with an attractive lady, our chess-playing protagonist finds himself in the following situation:
He sat leaning on his cane and thinking that with a Knight’s move of this lime tree standing on a sunlit slope one could take that telegraph pole over there, and simultaneously he tried to remember what exactly he had just been talking about.
- Vladimir Nabokov, The Defense
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arXiv vs. snarXiv
June 4th, 2010
Can you tell a real high-energy physics paper from a fake? This game lets you try. Prepare to be embarrassed.
The context-free grammar used by the snarXiv title generator doesn’t always know when to stop recursing, so just picking the shorter title seems to be a reasonably good heuristic.1
This whole project reminds me a little of the Sokal affair, in which a physicist wrote a nonsense paper on postmodern cultural studies and had it accepted at a (formerly) reputable journal. Of course that paper was refereed by a board of alleged experts and these titles are guessed at by simple netizens like you and I, but the concept seems similar.
1 On a related note, Slightly Better Than Random will be the title of my autobiography.
Finchley Central
May 27th, 2010
If I knew any stations on the London Underground, I’d love playing this game:
Two players alternate naming the stations on the London Underground. The first to say “Finchley Central” wins. It is clear that the “best” time to say “Finchley Central” is exactly before your opponent does. Failing that, it is good that he should be considering it. You could, of course, say “Finchley Central” on your second turn. In that case, your opponent puffs on his cigarette and says, “Well, …” Shame on you.
Originally from Beck and Fowler’s paper A Pandora’s Box of non-Games, reproduced in Hofstadter’s Metamagical Themas.
Hatetris
April 11th, 2010
Hatetris: Like Tetris, but the game will always give you the worst possible piece. So, exactly like Tetris.
Chess Boxing
February 16th, 2010
Chess boxing is exactly what you’d expect.
A match consists of up to eleven alternating rounds of boxing and chess. The match begins with a four-minute chess round. This is followed by three minutes of boxing, with rounds of chess and boxing alternating until the end. There is a one minute break between rounds. Speed chess is used, a form in which each player has a total of only twelve minutes for the whole game.
Competitors may win by a knockout, achieving a checkmate, by the judges’ decision, or if their opponent’s twelve minutes of chess time is exceeded. If a competitor fails to make a move during the chess round, he is issued a warning and he must move within the next 10 seconds. Repeated warnings may result in a disqualification.
Ball Droppings
April 14th, 2009
This game will make you happy. Make sure your speakers are on.
Expert mode: use this to compose a melody.
The Eye of Argon
March 12th, 2009
The Eye of Argon is the single worst piece of fantasy fiction writing ever produced. I’ve honestly never been able to get through more than half of it. It was written in 1970 by a 16-year-old, and it shows. To give you an idea of what we’re dealing with, let’s read the first few paragraphs:
The weather beaten trail wound ahead into the dust racked climes of the baren land which dominates large portions of the Norgolian empire. Age worn hoof prints smothered by the sifting sands of time shone dully against the dust splattered crust of earth. The tireless sun cast its parching rays of incandescense from overhead, half way through its daily revolution. Small rodents scampered about, occupying themselves in the daily accomplishments of their dismal lives. Dust sprayed over three heaving mounts in blinding clouds, while they bore the burdonsome cargoes of their struggling overseers.
“Prepare to embrace your creators in the stygian haunts of hell, barbarian”, gasped the first soldier.
“Only after you have kissed the fleeting stead of death, wretch!” returned Grignr.
A sweeping blade of flashing steel riveted from the massive barbarians hide enameled shield as his rippling right arm thrust forth, sending a steel shod blade to the hilt into the soldiers vital organs. The disemboweled mercenary crumpled from his saddle and sank to the clouded sward, sprinkling the parched dust with crimson droplets of escaping life fluid.
There’s actually a party game wherein people take turns reading the story aloud until they can’t suppress their laughter. There are competitions to see who can read the longest.
“By the surly beard of Mrifk, Grignr kneels to no man!”
Apparently the original printing contained illustrations by the author. A thousand Internets to whoever can find me a copy!
