This title presents a new look at digital gaming and the aesthetics of play. ""Play Redux"" is an ambitious description and critical analysis of the aesthetic pleasures of video game play, drawing on early 20th-century formalist theory and models of literature. Employing a concept of biological naturalism grounded in cognitive theory, Myers argues for a clear delineation between the aesthetics of play and the aesthetics of texts. In the course of this study, Myers asks a number of interesting questions: what are the mechanics of human play as exhibited in computer games; can these mechanisms be modeled; and, what is the evolutionary function of cognitive play, and is it, on the whole, a good thing. Intended as a provocative corrective to the currently ascendant, if not dominant, cultural and ethnographic approach to game studies and play, ""Play Redux"" will generate interest among scholars of communications, new media, and film.

Who doesn't want to escape to the beaches of Southern California or to a cabin deep in the forests of Northern California? Danielle Kroll, author of Pacific Coasting, creates two original illustrations for these fun puzzles. They are must-haves for her fans, for lovers of California and the West Coast, and for anyone who wants to have fun piecing together a stunning puzzle at home, with friends and family, or give one as a gift to those they love. Featuring: 1,000 full-color interlocking pieces Art print with puzzle image Finished puzzle is 18 7/8 x 26 3/8"

Learn how to play bridge with this simple step-by-step guide. While good bridge classes are, of course, of great value, this book is itself the complete tutorial. It will help you to learn properly without other help and give you a solid foundation on which to start playing this absorbing game. Work at your own pace Understand the key basic principles Learn about the Acol system of bidding Discover how to play a hand, both as declarer and in defence

"You need this Millennial Loteria for your next game night." -Latina Magazine "Loteria cards got a genius millennial makeover." -The Chicago Tribune OMG, can you even? Millennial Loteria is a hilarious and insightful parody of the classic "Mexican Bingo" game called Loteria, but this time, it's like way more millennial. Born from the viral Instagram account @MillennialLoteria, this game reimagines La Dama as La Feminist, El Catrin as El Hipster, and Las Jaras as La Hashtag. Filled with nostalgia and ironic humor, it's guaranteed to make your next fiesta be lit AF. So grab your bitcoins, get a couple of your fave followers together, and prepare to yell "Yaaaaasssssssssss, Millennial Loteria!" Each set includes: - 46 cards - 10 boards - 80 bitcoin tokens - and a collectible Millennial Loteria pin!

OVER 15 MORE OF ROBLOX’S BEST GAMES INSIDE FOR YOU TO EXPLORE Discover everything you want to know about more of the greatest games on the Roblox platform, from all-time classic multi-player survival games to awesome new role-playing quests. Learn tips and tricks to impress your friends, discover secrets hidden in your favourite games and unearth epic new adventures to play together.

A distress beacon from a desolate section of tundra sends the heroes on a rescue mission in the biting cold. They find a lone vesk survivor in the wreckage of a starship prowled by a menacing insectile stowaway: a component of the dreaded Swarm! The heroes trace the creature's origin to a frozen gas giant in the same system, where a mutated Swarm colony has begun to awaken from a strange hibernation. Will the heroes brave the floating organic lair to stop the Swarm from contacting the greater hive mind? "Icebound" is a Starfinder Roleplaying Game adventure for four 7th-level characters by Jason Tondro. This adventure continues the Horizons of the Vast Adventure Path, a six-part, bimonthly campaign in which the heroes are at the forefront of exploring and charting a newly discovered world filled with mystery. This volume also includes a dossier on the Veskarium spy agency known as Directive-9, technology repurposed from the Swarm, and a selection of deadly alien threats. Each bi-monthly full-color softcover Starfinder Adventure Path volume contains a new installment of a series of interconnected science-fantasy quests that together create a fully developed plot of sweeping scale and epic challenges. Each 64-page volume of the Starfinder Adventure Path also contains in-depth articles that detail and expand the Starfinder campaign setting and provide new rules, a host of exciting new monsters and alien races, a new planet to explore and starship to pilot, and more!

What are the greatest opening ideas in chess history? This is a fascinating question that would undoubtedly spark endless debate and discussion amongst all the experts and enthusiasts of the game. From the invention and development of openings which are now considered to be mainline, to the wealth of stunning one-move novelties which have convincingly overturned previous expert assessments, there is certainly a plethora of brilliant ideas to choose from - everyone will have their own opinion on this subject!In this book, Christoph Scheerer looks back though chess history and at modern times in order to create his own list of favourites. Selecting from hundreds of candidates, Scheerer examines factors such as creativity, shock value, effectiveness and endurance in order to decide which ideas are most worthy of inclusion. Read this book and discover the stories behind the most powerful opening ideas of all time, and how you can utilize and learn from these ideas to improve your chess. *An entertaining guide to the best ever opening ideas*Written by an opening expert*Ideal for players of all levels

In this highly original and instructive test yourself book, grandmaster Chris Ward invites readers to solve a selection of carefully chosen puzzles. In this, the second book in the 'It's Your Move' series, the positions are aimed at club players who are looking to hone their skills in order to climb further up the chess ladder. The reader is given a choice of five plausible plans for each position and has to decide which is the most likely to succeed. The answers then identify the most promising plan and explain why the other choices are less attractive. (5 3/4 x 8 1/4, 144 pages, diagrams)

The northern lights are nature's spectacular light show. This gorgeous deck, put together by author Tom Anderson, features some of the most beautiful photographs of the aurora borealis ever captured. Anyone who appreciates nature will love having these playing cards for their favorite games.

Bridge is a superb card game, perfect for keeping your memory sharp, played by millions around the world. This Fast Fact Finder is a guide and summary to the basics of bridge for the beginner and novice player, enabling players to check quickly important points in bidding and play. It is designed to be used in conjunction with Basic Bridge and Acol Bridge Made Easy, both by Ron Klinger. 'Many games provide fun, but Bridge grips you. It exercises your mind. Your mind can rust, you know, but Bridge prevents the rust from forming' Omar Sharif

Based on the hit card game that has sold millions of copies around the world, the Unlock! Escape Adventure Puzzle Book provides a new way to enjoy the popular Unlock! Escape Adventure series. Immerse yourself in this colourful escape-room experience, which can be enjoyed either at home on your own or with a group. There are three adventures for you to challenge yourself against, each with their own charming narrative: Enter a secret underground lab to recover a mysterious and important serum that has the potential to drastically change the world! The dastardly Professor NoSide has trapped you in his lair! With the help of a friendly mouse, can you free yourself in time to foil his evil plans? Your friend Professor Tempus has disappeared, just as you arrived to experiment with his time machine. Can you solve the mystery before our timeline is damaged forever? Are you up to the challenge? You will have to use all of your wits, logic and skill to solve these puzzles, escape and SAVE THE WORLD!

If you grew up in the 80s or 90s there's a good chance you've played Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo Entertainment System. More than 30 years after its release in 1985 the side-scrolling platformer remains one of the best-selling video games of all time. Maybe you can hum the theme song, and you've found the secret warp pipe in World 1-2, but have you ever actually beaten the game? If so, how long did it take you? Hours? Days? Weeks? In late 2016, an American gamer known online as "darbian" rescued the Princess Peach in 4 minutes and 56 seconds. This is video game "speedrunning" and darbian is one of the best speedrunners around. Speedrunners use their knowledge of the game and quick reflexes in an attempt to complete video games in the fastest time possible. In this book you'll learn about the history of speedrunning, the techniques involved, and what it takes to play games fast in ten interviews with star speedrunners like darbian.

Play Cards and Learn to Identify Birds in the Northeastern United States! Anyone who enjoys nature, wildlife, and the great outdoors will love these cards for playing your favorite games or to use as flash cards. Inspired by Stan Tekiela's popular Bird Identification Guides, this gorgeous deck of playing cards features stylized photographs of 54 of the most fascinating bird species in the Northeastern states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont, as well as Washington, DC. Each card depicts stylized photographs of such birds as the Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, Bald Eagle, and more--so you can begin to learn what 54 different species look like. Card Features 54 of the most notable bird species Stylized photograph on every card Ideal for card games or as flash cards Play games like blackjack, poker, rummy, and solitaire while learning more about birding. Get Birds of the Northeast Playing Cards for yourself, and you can also give this deck of cards as a fun and thoughtful gift.

Most popular Russian puzzle book ever published. Marvelously varied puzzles ranging from simple "catch" riddles to difficult problems. Lavishly illustrated with clear diagrams and amusing sketches. Edited for English-readers, while retaining warmth and charm of original. Inexpensive edition of first English translation. Introduction by Martin Gardner. 425 line illustrations. Solutions.

The Kan is an ideal choice as an opening weapon against 1 e4, as it is one of the easiest variations of the Sicilian to learn and play. This is because, unlike some variations of the Sicilian, you don't need to memorize loads of opening theory in order to be successful. The Kan is relatively theory free in the traditional sense, and success is more likely to occur through the understanding of development systems and a deep study of the tactical and positional ideas for both sides.In this book Johan Hellsten draws upon his vast experience in the Sicilian Kan, revealing his secrets and showing how Black can adopt this opening and play it with confidence. He provides the reader with a dependable repertoire, demonstrating what to do in the main lines as well as how to deal with White's tricky alternatives. *Detailed coverage of an easy-to-play Sicilian*Includes answers to all of White's main options*Written by a renowned Kan expert Johan Hellsten is a Grandmaster and a former Swedish Champion who has represented his country in numerous Olympiads and team tournaments. He has enjoyed many tournament successes and has won individual gold and bronze medals at the European Team Championships. He is currently employed as the chess teacher at the Universidad de Tarapaca in Arica, Chile. This is his first book for Everyman Chess.

Viktor Korchnoi is a chess legend. In a career which has spanned over 60 years, he won countless grandmaster tournaments, was a four-time Soviet Champion, a multi-time World Championship Candidate, and twice fought for the World Championship in famous battles with his adversary Anatoly Karpov. Throughout his career Korchnoi continually refined his style and he was as comfortable in defence as he was in attack. He was happy to provoke opponents, accept sacrifices, defend precisely and then ruthlessly exploit weaknesses. In this book, former American Open Champion Cyrus Lakdawala studies his favourite Korchnoi games and examines Korchnoi's skills in the key areas of attack and defence, initiative, exploiting imbalances, accumulating advantages and endgame play. He demonstrates clearly how we can all improve by learning from Korchnoi's play. Move by Move provides an ideal platform to study chess. By continually challenging the reader to answer probing questions throughout the book, the Move by Move format greatly encourages the learning and practising of vital skills just as much as the traditional assimilation of knowledge. Carefully selected questions and answers are designed to keep you actively involved and allow you to monitor your progress as you learn. This is an excellent way to improve your chess skills and knowledge. *Learn from the games of a chess legend *Important ideas absorbed by continued practice *Utilizes an ideal approach to chess study

It was the chess legend Philidor who wrote: 'The pawns are the soul of chess', and yet it is these modest infantrymen who are always the first to die for the cause. Pawn sacrifices are incredibly common in chess games, and yet for some unknown reason they have been rather neglected in chess literature... until now.In this pioneering work, Timothy Taylor carries out an in-depth study of this significant subject. Using an abundance of instructive examples, Taylor uncovers the secrets of pawn sacrifices, highlighting the many reasons for their success, indicating the ideal situations in which pawn sacrifices work, as well as showing positions in which they are not so effective. The ability to handle pawn sacrifices is one of the most important skills in chess, and enhancing this skill will undoubtedly improve your understanding and results. This book will show you how to do this. *An enlightening and entertaining guide to pawn sacrifices*Covers essential tactical and positional ideas*Written by a battle-hardened professional player

This book explores video games as important cultural artifacts and as sources of powerful, compelling storytelling. It begins by considering the fundamental structures of video games-including immersion and player agency-and deepens the exploration of such elements by considering how each plays a role in storytelling. The book moves from the theoretical to the practical by considering numerous modern games and the stories they tell through careful, considered analysis of each title's story. Games considered at length include the Mass Effect series, BioShock, The Last of Us and many more. The book also explores genres like the visual novel, which are less frequently considered in video game study. What emerges from this book, which appeals to academics, game enthusiasts, and the general public, is the importance of considering video games as serious and important sources of storytelling exploring complex thematic subjects like identity, morality, and the impact of player choice.

Mike Sexton once asked Chip Reese, "The guys you play against are tough. What separates you from them?" Chip replied, "You're right Mike. They are tough. In fact, when they play their 'A' game, I'm really no better than they are. The difference is that they also have a 'C' and 'D' game, whereas I don't. They become weak players when they steam and just about all of them do. My edge is that I don't steam." (Life's a Gamble, D&B 2016). If you've ever wondered if the psychological aspect of poker is important, that should provide the answer. One of the greatest players of all times is attributing his success to the fact that he has better psychological control over his play than his opponents. The good news is that, actually, there is nothing mysterious about Chip's ability. To do the same you simply have to adhere to specific strategies and guidelines. This book will tell you what they are and explain why they work. These strategies, implemented into your everyday routine, will substantially increase your performance and improve your mental state. Peak Poker Performance will show you how to:* Create an unbeatable mindset* Pursue excellence during downswings* Eliminate procrastination* Improve your motivation* Master your emotionsPlus much, much more Dr. Patricia Cardner has worked with hundreds of poker players, at mid-stakes and high-stakes levels, both through private coaching and online training. With the help of Jonathan Little, Patricia moves on from her first book, 'Positive Poker' and uses the very latest research to take you to the next level so you too can achieve better results on the felt and in life.

Featuring interviews with the creators of 35 popular video games-including John Madden Football, Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3, WCW/nWo Revenge, and RBI Baseball-this book gives a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of some of the most influential and iconic (and sometimes forgotten) sports video games of all time. Recounting endless hours of painstaking development, the challenges of working with mega-publishers and the uncertainties of public reception, the interviewees reveal the creative processes that produced some of gaming's classic titles.

Video games are a complex, compelling medium in which established art forms intersect with technology to create an interactive text. Visual arts, architectural design, music, narrative and rules of play all find a place within, and are constrained by, computer systems whose purpose is to create an immersive player experience. In the relatively short life of video game studies, many authors have approached the question of how games function, some focusing on technical aspects of game design, others on rules of play. Taking a holistic view, this study explores how ludology, narratology, visual rhetoric, musical theory and player psychology work (or don't work) together to create a cohesive experience and to provide a unified framework for understanding video games.

The Rules of Winning Chess provides you with the key fundamentals of the game, principles that you can easily learn and remember, and that will help you to achieve both greater understanding and enjoyment of chess.