Can you tell game characters from their silhouettes?

Video games have become so intertwined with modern society that even non-gamers can identify characters from a very well-known video game from their silhouettes alone.

Iconic characters like Pac-Man and Mario are recognizable even from afar just from their shape and design.

How well do you know your video game heroes and characters? Put yourself to the test by checking out this quick quiz!

Once that’s done, try out the newest addition to our selection of brainy games, Squeezy. Fair warning though, Wheezy Mode is definitely a challenge to complete!

Five game insights we think will pique your interest!

Do you ever wonder what it takes to design classic video game characters like Mario, Luigi, Mega Man, Link and more? Well, it turns out that there is more to creating video game characters than just making them look unique. Put too many details in, and they become harder to commit to memory. Put too few, they are at risk of being generic and forgettable. If you’re interested in the basics of what goes into designing these characters, check out this article.

Since we’re talking about classics right here, there’s nothing more standard than the usual 52-card playing deck. From your great-grandfather to you, everyone knows what the standard deck of cards has. Solitaire is a true classic, born around the 18th century, but FreeCell Solitaire has a nearer birthday. Check out our exclusive interview with the man who brought FreeCell to the world.

From that generation, the early 2000s I mean, came the advent of video games and their multiplayer appeal. Most of the best video game memories and stories of gamers come from this golden age of multiplayer video game innovation, and one of the most iconic multiplayer games that defined a subset of gamers—which is perpetually made up of both old and young players—is… Runescape.

You know what else connects past, present and future generations? Board games! While video games and modern gaming platforms have taken over the gaming industry, it doesn’t mean other ways of playing games are obsolete. In fact, there are many communities, some of which are so diehard niche, that continue to thrive and uphold board game culture for all ages.

That’s the power of video games. Aside from the many skills that you can learn that are transferable to real life, games also engrave lasting memories that imprint so strongly into your mind that you can even identify them from a cropped picture of a character’s shoe. 

While it seems that gamers of old and new don’t have much to play together, there are many choices for them to try out and explore. In fact, many family stories around the world detail how parents connect with their children through games that cater to both their age groups, like Minecraft and Stardew Valley.

And to that, we share a quote from Satya Nadella, current Chairman and CEO of Microsoft:

“I think that video games are a great kind of entertainment. They have replaced a lot of games people normally play with their friends and family.”

Thank you for reading this week’s newsletter! We’ve recently uploaded a new podcast episode about a very quirky game creator, so check it out if you’re interested in playing out-of-the-box games.

And if you want to learn more about what we’re up to at Hey, Good Game, you can find out more right here.

See you next Friday!

-The Hey, Good Game Team