The hottest Games Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Art & Illustration Topics

Database Review

Zwischenzug • 353 implied HN points • 19 Jun 23
🎾 Sports Chess Poker Strategy Analysis Games
  1. In poker, understanding strategy requires looking at the big picture over many hands.
  2. Chess is a game of specifics and calculation, unlike poker which has too many possibilities to calculate precisely.
  3. In both chess and poker, it's essential to have a global view of your strategy to identify and correct systematic mistakes.

TITAA #51: Tool People & People Tools

Things I Think Are Awesome • 157 implied HN points • 01 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI VR Games NLP Tools
  1. Non-human tools with personality are becoming more common, especially with AI support.
  2. Large Language Models (LLMs) are being explored for creativity and role-playing, showing potential to improve creative output when working together.
  3. Real human behavior can sometimes view humans as disposable tools, with ongoing layoffs in industries like tech and games.

TITAA #42: Liqueured Up in the SciFi Wild West

Things I Think Are Awesome • 275 implied HN points • 30 Apr 23
🎭️ Culture Literature Art & Illustration Science Poetry Games
  1. Monks in the Alps make a secret green liqueur involving a mysterious alchemical manuscript and 130 plants.
  2. Chartreuse monks are facing production cutbacks to focus more on prayer due to environmental impact concerns.
  3. Recent advancements in AI art tools, video and sound generation, and narrative agents offer exciting creative possibilities.
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Who's top of Steam Next Fest for October 2023?

The GameDiscoverCo newsletter • 255 implied HN points • 16 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Games Indie games Game Development Acquisitions
  1. The top games at Steam Next Fest for October 2023 were a diverse mix of genres and styles, with a focus on deep building and crafting mechanics.
  2. There is a discussion about the existence of an 'indie games bubble,' highlighting challenges in funding new games and market saturation.
  3. Game discovery news includes updates on Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Sony testing PC trophies for PSN, and Epic Games Store's new features.

On Scary Chess

Poczwardowski Notes • 177 implied HN points • 13 Dec 23
🎭️ Culture Games Learning Self-Improvement Mistakes Judgment
  1. Playing chess is not about intelligence but about practice and a systematic approach to learning.
  2. Chess is a game of skill and strategy, with no luck involved. It's a battle of brains where the better prepared player usually wins.
  3. Overcoming fear of judgment can lead to valuable experiences. Trying new things, like learning chess, can be rewarding and fun.

Quantum Quandaries

do clouds feel vertigo? • 19 implied HN points • 21 Jun 24
🔬 Science Quantum Computing Physics Education Technology Games
  1. Quantum Country is a great book for learning about quantum computing. It's easy to understand if you know some basic math.
  2. Thinking about problems in more than two dimensions can open up new ideas. It can be really helpful to have extra complexity in your thinking.
  3. There’s a board game called Entanglion that teaches quantum logic in a fun way. It's a creative way to see quantum concepts in action.

straight outta tartarus

visa's voltaic verses ⚡️ • 17 implied HN points • 27 Oct 24
🎭️ Culture Games Creative Process Philosophy Literature Narrative
  1. Losing is a natural part of the learning process. It's important to keep trying and learn from our experiences, just like in the game Hades where you often die but keep getting better.
  2. Your focus should be on the journey and process, not just the outcome. Celebrating small improvements, like getting better at a game or mastering a new skill, is key to building persistence.
  3. Finding deeper meaning in your creative efforts can lead to better results. Just like in a game, you have to be open to discovering hidden insights and emotions in your writing or projects.

TITAA #48: Magic Mirrors and Radios

Things I Think Are Awesome • 117 implied HN points • 31 Oct 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Literature TV Poetry Games VR
  1. Jean Cocteau's film Orpheus explores themes of inspiration and creativity through tech signals and mirror portals.
  2. Mirrors serve as symbols and characters in Cocteau's film, representing death and reflection.
  3. The post also includes recommendations for AI/art creativity, narrative research, and TV shows like Our Flag Means Death and The Terror.

Talk Paper Scissors

eieio games • 59 implied HN points • 23 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Games Software Mobile Innovation Collaboration
  1. There's a new phone game called Talk Paper Scissors, where you can play rock paper scissors with a stranger by calling a specific number.
  2. The game is played over three rounds, and after each round, you'll find out what your opponent chose and if you won or lost.
  3. It was fun to create this game and see people enjoy it, especially when they try to keep their moves secret from their opponent.

Recursive Chess

Infinitely More • 12 implied HN points • 19 Oct 24
🎭️ Culture Games Concepts Philosophy Art Education
  1. Recursive chess is a new twist on the traditional game where pieces must play their own mini-games before capturing. This makes each capture more complex and interesting.
  2. The rules of recursive chess are still being debated, with no clear answer on how to play. Different interpretations could lead to many unique gameplay experiences.
  3. Exploring the rules of recursive chess invites deeper discussions about game theory and the nature of games themselves, making it a fascinating topic for anyone interested in strategy.

TITAA #41.5: Agents and Rich Description

Things I Think Are Awesome • 78 implied HN points • 15 Apr 23
🕹 Technology AI Games NLP Game design
  1. The post discusses Segment Anything for creative tasks, social agents in game contexts, and new LLMs in the AI landscape.
  2. The content covers AI art tools, game design elements like agents and NPCs, and updates in the field of NLP.
  3. The author mentions increases in paid subscriptions, interesting topics like AI art copyright, and shares a variety of exciting updates.

Games as Training

David Friedman’s Substack • 143 implied HN points • 13 Sep 23
🚌 Education Learning Skills Games Teaching Programming
  1. Games like bridge, chess, and Diplomacy can be viewed as training exercises for skills like coordination, tactics, strategy, and commitment.
  2. Playing games can help develop real-world skills like finding your way around environments and accomplishing goals.
  3. Some games are designed specifically to teach skills, such as computer programming or the principles of mutual advantage over conquest.

J-3 offsuit and the Monster Ballads Poker Game

Matt’s Five Points • 179 implied HN points • 10 Dec 22
🎭️ Culture Games Relationships Leisure Memories Traditions
  1. Home poker games can turn into special experiences filled with laughter and friendship. They create memories that last beyond the games themselves.
  2. The atmosphere and community in a poker game often matter more than the actual cards being played. Serious conversations can happen in a fun, relaxed setting.
  3. Even if a poker game ends or changes, the bonds formed and the memories created can be revisited and celebrated years later.

Work, Abuse, and Unwinnable Games

72 Degrees North • 39 implied HN points • 14 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Work Abuse Games Relationships Capitalism
  1. Life can sometimes present unwinnable situations where moving on is the best option.
  2. People may engage in unwinnable games like pursuing unattainable goals in relationships or falling into abusive patterns.
  3. Corporate work under capitalism shares similarities with abusive relationships, using small rewards and big punishments to keep workers captive.

Vol. 1, Issue 9 - The Legacy of Pokémon (Part 2)

Johto Times • 99 implied HN points • 06 Apr 23
🎭️ Culture Games Media Entertainment Subculture Nostalgia
  1. The author shares a personal story about becoming a Pokémon fan, looking back on their early experiences with the games. It's nice to remember where we started, especially if others can relate to those feelings.
  2. Niantic is changing how Remote Raids work in Pokémon GO, making them more expensive and limiting how many you can use daily. This change could affect players who enjoyed playing from home during the pandemic.
  3. A new Pokémon trading card set featuring the original 151 Pokémon is coming out, which includes Kadabra for the first time in years! It's exciting for collectors and fans of the original Pokémon artwork.

Are the Denver Nuggets a Public Team?

House of Strauss • 24 implied HN points • 29 Feb 24
🎾 Sports NBA Viewership Games
  1. The Denver Nuggets surprisingly had four games reaching a viewership of 2 million this season on cable, which is a rare achievement in today's media landscape.
  2. Viewership for NBA games on ESPN and TNT can be challenging to reach the 2 million threshold, but the Nuggets achieved it multiple times.
  3. Reaching 2 million viewers on cable for NBA games is not common, making the Denver Nuggets stand out for their significant viewership numbers.

On attack, defence and the beautiful game

The Jolly Contrarian • 19 implied HN points • 01 May 23
🎾 Sports Strategy Analysis Risk management Games Complexity
  1. Different values are placed on attack and defence in sports like football based on the asymmetry of payoffs between the two roles.
  2. Defenders focus on conservative, coordinated actions to maintain the status quo, while attackers take big risks to improve the position.
  3. Infinite games, characterized by complex systems and unpredictable outcomes, require the ability to adjust, react, adapt, and capitalize on opportunities in a changing environment.

Athletes Play Coordination Games – Coordination Part III

Living Fossils • 6 implied HN points • 13 Mar 24
🎾 Sports Athletics Games Rules
  1. Sports are a way for humans to measure and compare abilities, leading to the motivation to compete and demonstrate skills.
  2. Different sports have different rules to solve coordination problems - the rules must be agreed upon to accurately measure abilities.
  3. Penalties and fouls in sports serve two main purposes: maintaining the integrity of the game as a measurement tool and deterring harmful actions.

Applications of induction

Infinitely More • 5 implied HN points • 13 Mar 24
🚌 Education Mathematics Games Induction Numbers
  1. Induction is about the impossibility of minimal counterexamples, and it comes in various forms like common induction and strong induction.
  2. Flexible use of induction is key - choose the valid form that best fits your proof.
  3. Differentiate between examples and proofs - examples can provide insight but don't prove universal statements.

The World as Data

Donkeyspace • 4 implied HN points • 22 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Film Internet Art Games Cities
  1. Rambalac's Tokyo walk videos provide a unique cinematic experience that is meditative and haunting.
  2. Backrooms videos and Rambalac videos offer a different take on anti-cinema, creating a vacuum for personal reflection.
  3. MonsterTrack bike race videos on YouTube blend high-speed excitement with the joy of extreme sports, offering a game-like viewing experience.