games

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry drives to the hoop during Thursday's game against the San Antonio Spurs. The Warriors won 112-101.

The Golden State Warriors Are On The Brink Of History — Will They Go For It?

9:30pm April 08, 2016

by Laura Wagner

If the Golden State Warriors win their last three games of the regular season to reach 73 wins, they'll break the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls' record for most wins in a season.

South Korean Go champion Lee Sedol (right) poses with Google DeepMind head Demis Hassabis. On Wednesday, Sedol will begin a five-match series against a computer.

How Google's Neural Network Hopes To Beat A 'Go' World Champion

5:39pm March 08, 2016

by Geoff Brumfiel

On Wednesday in South Korea, a Google AI program will take on a top-level player in the ancient game of Go. Here's what you need to know.

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Don't have a "functioning postal code"? Aid workers can download and print Jaded Aid from the field. NPR's Goats and Soda team played a round using the downloadable deck.

Could A Vial Of Bono's Tears End Poverty? In This Card Game, It Can

10:00am February 14, 2016

by Malaka Gharib

Frustrated aid workers can find laughter and solace in Jaded Aid, which pokes fun at the bureaucratic business of global development.

In a recently surfaced recording of a 1939 radio interview, James Naismith, describes how he invented basketball in 1891.

In His Own Words: How A Gym Teacher Invented Basketball In 1891

2:54pm December 16, 2015

by Laura Wagner

In what may be the only recording of his voice, James Naismith describes how he created basketball to occupy his stir-crazy students during a snowy winter in New England.

Zynga CEO Mark Pincus gives a presentation in 2011.

National

Once The Cream Of The Crop, Zynga Zigzags To Adapt To Mobile

11:01am April 12, 2015

by Laura Sydell

Zynga's former CEO is back, less than two years after leaving the company he founded. The company had a smash hit with Farmville on Facebook, but has struggled to stay current in new markets.

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Dealer Omar Abu-Eid adjusts a stack of chips before the first day of the World Series of Poker's main event in Las Vegas last July. Humans still reign in most versions of poker. Whew.

Look Out, This Poker-Playing Computer Is Unbeatable

9:20pm February 09, 2015

by Geoff Brumfiel

Forget chess. Poker may be even harder for a computer. But a software program has now "solved" a variant of Texas Hold'em, the bot's creators say. And nothing can keep it from winning.

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A view of the rewards screen on the Mango Health app.

Health & Safety

Take Your Medicine, Tap Your Phone And Collect A Prize

6:10pm October 17, 2014

by Alison Bruzek

Apps offer games and rewards to keep you taking your prescription medicine. While rewards may not be for everyone, they could give some people a helpful motivational boost.

The game Never Alone tells the story of a young Inupiaq girl, Nuna, and her companion, an Arctic fox, as they go on a quest to save her village.

Native Stories From Alaska Give Gamers Something To Play With

3:42pm August 25, 2014

by Heather Bryant

The video game Never Alone draws on a traditional Inupiaq story and the actual experiences of native Alaskan elders, storytellers and youth.

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