The Life of Games

Kadon Enterprises, makers of some rather extraordinary geometric tiling puzzles (you can get a good taste of their conceptual deliciousness in their online Puzzle Parlor), is also the publisher of a surprisingly well-informed, clearly-written and entertaining e-journal called The Life of Games.

There have only been three issues so far, the last one written almost 4 years ago. And yes, encouraging them to produce more, and more often, is my not-too-hidden agenda in writing so glowingly about this little spark of puzzle edification. In the current issue, I was conceptually drawn, and intellectually quartered, by an article about a puzzle called Archimedes Stomachion - a tiling puzzle made of "14 tiles forming a 12x12 unit square, where each tile's area is a whole number." Then there's an article about "Lemma, a rule-making meta-game," which is a remarkably vivid revelation of the fundamental playfulness that underlines this company's passion and products.

I'd wax even more poetic, if it weren't for my computer, which is crashing with astounding frequency and diabolic unpredictability. I'm thinking, at least until I get a replacement (could be 2 weeks), my blogging efforts will become equally unpredictable, and probably far more reflective. I'm not sure what I'll be reflecting. I suppose it depends on what kinds of coffee they have at the local Internet Cafe.