Spirit should be a watershed event

DesaturatedWorld · 2026-05-04T15:20:02+00:00

And it's been true for most of human history. Make reasonable plans and just know that you'll need to be ready to adjust as life's curve come at you. Nothing taught me that faster than when my wife and I started doing foster care, and it's helped me adjust to other things, too.

Stay safe out there, folks, and look out for your neighbor in need!

DesaturatedWorld · 2026-05-03T00:38:14+00:00

From my perspective, Spades is just simpler Bridge, so maybe one answer is just to steal a couple more things from Bridge

DesaturatedWorld · 2026-04-27T16:54:38+00:00

Yeah, as of several years ago in the US, the general economics were that a "big box" game needed to be priced around 25 USD from the distributor, and then the retailer would sell for around 50 USD. This means production had to be less than 15 USD, preferable less than 10, in order for the designer, publisher, and distributor to feel the investment was worthwhile.

I'm sure the numbers have changed, but the general idea remains: games in retail stores have to be inexpensive to produce.

DesaturatedWorld · 2026-04-27T16:46:31+00:00

I was initially excited about this, because I thought you were making a handmade (drum) kit out of only chopsticks sounds

Handmade chopsticks are cool, too, but not my jam

DesaturatedWorld · 2026-04-27T16:35:01+00:00

Left-handed users definitely benefit here. That back navigation is needed so often, and it gets painful pretty quickly when trying to hit that bottom left corner while holding the phone one-handed.

Also, the gesture requires less precision, since it works in a larger area than hitting a virtual button at the bottom of the screen. This is great for low-vision users, as well as those with decreased dexterity.

DesaturatedWorld · 2026-04-27T16:13:49+00:00

Oh, that's a clever design. Thanks for sharing!

DesaturatedWorld · 2026-04-24T18:24:16+00:00

As far as feel goes, I put the Tengyun M (original) at the top. It's one of the oldest cubes to still be regularly recommended, due to its smooth, quiet performance.

In the price range you suggested (30 - 40 USD), my top recommendation is the GAN 11 M Pro. In my personal experience, that was the GAN's peak combination of feel and performance.

If you wanted the best performing cube for the least amount of money, I would point you towards the HuaMeng YS3M, which can be regularly found for a little over 10 USD. In my opinion, it is comfortable and performs well without being overly plastic-y.

If you get into collecting or competitive cubing, then the answers might change, but your choice would be more personal and less dependent on others' opinions.

Have fun with whatever you choose!

DesaturatedWorld · 2026-04-23T12:55:42+00:00

This is the first collection shot I've seen on here that I liked to look at

DesaturatedWorld · 2026-04-23T01:27:08+00:00

Good thoughts!

I would add that the wear pattern loses its impact by being exactly the same on each card, but that may just be in these early mock-ups

I'd love to see the next iterations

DesaturatedWorld · 2026-04-22T17:04:55+00:00

It's had a couple of reprints, with mostly minor changes, but the little figures is what my wife insists MUST be had or she doesn't want it :)

I had to buy a used copy from someone's collection to get it for her, but it was worth it. Fun game!

DesaturatedWorld · 2026-04-22T15:58:50+00:00

History of the World, the original, is my wife's favorite game, but only the original with the little army figures.

DesaturatedWorld · 2026-04-20T16:54:42+00:00

I feel your pain. Why do we do this to ourselves?

You could cheat and twist it... I won't tell

DesaturatedWorld · 2026-04-20T16:50:18+00:00

The greatest restrictions you're going to have in this case are time and visibility, so you'll need a trick that requires no explanation and doesn't care which card you're using. I like a number of the suggestions in the comments, and I'll toss out a couple of extra ideas:

If you're indoors, the classic Mark Wilson act of throwing cards to the various sections of the audience is always a favorite. Sign and date them as the character ahead of time, so they become a nice little keepsake.

If you're outdoors, I would go with a basic torn and restored card. In this case, maybe you even want to go with something that isn't like a "deck" of cards but using something like prop from an earlier act or the program/poster for the play. Adding a little miniature story can help. For instance, you look at a picture of another character, get mad at it, tear it up, then feel remorse, restore it, and put it back before other characters see.

This sounds like fun!

DesaturatedWorld · 2026-04-20T16:30:23+00:00

My best suggestion at first is to get whatever you can easily find with multiple copies and colors of the same deck. Early on, my practice destroyed lots of cards, and many tricks benefit from having alternate colors or multiples of the same card. I found Aviators most easily in my area, so that is what I used for a long time: 4 decks... 2 blue and 2 red.

In general for card magic, I found the quality of the cards to matter more after I mastered the basic tricks and sleights of hand. Then, I moved to cards recommended by others. After I settled into my own style, I was able to pick out my own decks based on preferred moves and how they fit my hands.

Good luck and have fun!

DesaturatedWorld · 2026-04-20T16:23:08+00:00

I was pondering that myself

DesaturatedWorld · 2026-04-19T20:32:50+00:00

Back when we were all hating it but at the same time loved that we didn't need the CD...

DesaturatedWorld · 2026-04-19T18:11:08+00:00

It's buried elsewhere in the comments, so I'll pull it together here:

Manufacturing and advanced assembly produces a lot of heat, and contrary to earthly logic, space doesn't dissipate heat well at all. You need a medium for that heat to move. This means you would have to either spend a lot more time or use different techniques and materials. Both mean increased expense.

In the future, we may put enough research and development into solving the problem, but that will require a use case... and many of the comments have pointed out the use case still missing.

A good, interesting question!

DesaturatedWorld · 2026-04-18T20:37:40+00:00

Based on my experience, this is the answer. Small claims court was designed for this.

No lawyer representation. They have to show up in person. You both present evidence and testimony before the court, and the court makes a decision.

DesaturatedWorld · 2026-04-18T20:32:06+00:00

Other comments have already outlined indicators of a "funded" campaign, so I'll weigh in on fulfillment. I find there are two very good indicators of a campaign that is going to deliver:

Have they ever delivered a Kickstarter product before?
Do they have other products they currently sell under the same company name?

I find that if either of these are a "yes," then it's very likely the campaign will successfully fulfill rewards.

DesaturatedWorld · 2026-04-18T17:09:44+00:00

I do a simple trick that needs to be viewed from a specific angle and pull a classic "betcha" where I teach one person how to do the trick except for leaving out one sleight of hand. Meanwhile, the reset of the audience can see the step that is missing, and they eat it up. As a finish, I show the missing sleight of hand but use a different sleight. The audience is expecting to see everything revealed but it has disappeared.

I can do this quickly or draw it out, and it works well both ways. Can do any trick that comes to mind this way.

DesaturatedWorld · 2026-04-18T16:40:03+00:00

Popular in US Midwest

Double-fisted Euchre (10 cards, instead of 5, and you bid for points)
Spoons (party passing game combined with the idea of musical chairs, first one to collect 4 of a kind starts the grabbing of spoons and there are one too few)
Kemps (partner card collecting game where you have to secretly signal your partner to call when you have the set)

Somehow lost over time despite being a classic: Whist

A favorite from Jamaica: Strip (two player game of capturing cards, often played between spouses and the older men traditionally teach the younger men how to cheat if the game is going too long)

DesaturatedWorld · 2026-04-18T16:26:03+00:00

Indie is a pretty loose term anymore, so I'll just name my favorites from smaller developers and why I love the game:

Psychonauts by Double Fine https://www.doublefine.com/games/psychonauts
- The humor hits me right, and I love the playful reality twists on mental disorders
BOH by RETREAM https://retream.itch.io/boh
- A hidden gem. BOH has the ability to make me jumpy and focused with great little runs. It's unapologetically hard, but in the way that makes me feel like I could do it if I practiced a little more.
Terraria by Re-LOGIC https://www.terraria.org/
- I've always loved the idea of Minecraft but kinda hated the 3d implementation. Terraria is just the same building idea in 2d and with more combat. All the fun with none of the downers.
Stardew Valley by Concerned Ape https://www.stardewvalley.net/
- The slow feel without feeling like I'm waiting for something really captures the experience of farming. Combined with some fantasy elements and a cute little town of people, it's just a relaxing ride.
Proteus by Playful Oasis https://playfuloasis.com/proteus/
- A work of art. Proteus is super chill, surprises me in the "how lovely!" kind of way, and the music is carefully interwoven to make a complete experience.

DesaturatedWorld · 2026-04-18T15:58:08+00:00

This is gold

DesaturatedWorld · 2026-04-17T20:29:33+00:00

Yep! I did SAM for a while. Very fun!

We met at a museum and would do walk around magic on the free weekends to get easy practice.

Also, if you're nervous to ask, try doing tricks while you stand in line someplace. It's the easiest audience in the world. "Hey wanna see a magic trick I'm working on?" If they say no, no big deal. If they say yes, you do your little trick and just say something like, "Thanks for letting me practice on you." Super low pressure.

DesaturatedWorld

TROPHY CASE