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Shandur, Pakistan

Shandur Polo Field

At an altitude of 3,700 meters, this is the highest polo field in the world.
Park Ridge, Illinois

Scrabble Grave

A board game enthusiast's love for the game, memorialized forever.
‘The Travellers’ Tour Through the United States’ is the earliest known board game to depict a map of the U.S.
maps

America's First Board Game Was an Idealized 'Travellers' Tour' Through a Young Nation

The 1822 board game, the first to feature a map of the United States, was forgotten for nearly a century.
Matthew Wynn Sivils July 29, 2024
The first ever crossword puzzle was published in December 1913 on the 'Fun' page of <em>The New York World</em>. Since then, millions more have been published around the world.
games

How Crossword Creators Make our Favorite Word Games

We sat down with crossword editors to talk Viking words, pizza rat, and the joy of wordplay.
Adrienne Raphel May 30, 2024
Discover the mad science of a mad-scientist escape room.
games

World-Competitive Escape Rooms Are Darker, Scarier, and More Scientific

Are you an explorer or a killer?
Jennifer Billock April 25, 2024
games

Podcast: Two Places And A Lie (Live)

We play two truths and a lie—Atlas Obscura style.
The Podcast Team April 12, 2024
Nevada’s Basque community began with sheepherders, who settled here in the late 19th century.
museums

Searching for Nevada’s Most Off-Beat Places and People

You haven’t really explored the Silver State until you’ve gone off the Las Vegas Strip.
Balderdash takes on Mad Libs in our contest of word game supremacy.
games

Atlas Obscura’s Ultimate Word Game Tournament

From Password to Mad Libs to Wordle, we pit our favorite lexical pastimes head to head. 
Adrienne Raphel March 29, 2024
One Gary Con vendor was selling these dragon dice holders. Also known as dice jails, these holders "detain" unlucky dice.
games

Dungeons & Dragons All Started In This Tiny Wisconsin Town

Since 2008, Lake Geneva has hosted Gary Con, a convention honoring the hometown hero who created the beloved game.
Tea Krulos March 28, 2024
The Easter egg tree custom, pictured here in Saalfeld, Germany, has gained some ground in the United States.
graveyards

7 Unexpected Easter Traditions

Why hide eggs when you can hang them on a tree?
April White March 22, 2024
The latest version of clue includes a more diverse cast that some observers have noted codes as queer.
games

From Family Game to Cult Film to 'Thirst Trap,' Clue Has Been Through It

The latest glow-up of the iconic board game draws on a wealth of cultural touchstones.
Adrienne Raphel March 5, 2024
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 02: An aerial view of graffiti spray painted by taggers on at least 27 stories of an unfinished skyscraper development located downtown, with Cryto.com Arena visible (LOWER R) on February 2, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Construction of the $1 billion Oceanwide Plaza luxury real estate development stalled in 2019 after a China-based developer ran out of funding leaving the three-tower project uncompleted. The project is located across the street from the Crypto.com Arena where the Grammy Awards will be held on February 4. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
abandoned

Wonder Is Everywhere: Vanilla Queens, an Ancient Arcade, and More From Around the Web

Get a peek into what we’re obsessed with right now.
April White February 16, 2024
Contract bridge is known to have a dedicated, sometimes intense, community that enforces its codes of conduct.
games

How the Pandemic Brought Cheating to the World of Competitive Bridge

The game's culture cares deeply about its codes of conduct, but online play rewrote the rules.
Adrienne Raphel February 1, 2024
JChristopher
Tarpon Springs, Florida

Replay Amusement Museum

Play over 120 retro arcade games and pinball machines at this throwback museum.
Monopoly was first introduced to America in 1935, but its roots go deeper.
games

The Hidden Worlds of Monopoly

From Atlantic City to high fashion to Karl Marx, the most recognizable board game has had serious cultural impact.
Adrienne Raphel January 5, 2024
Published in the January 4, 1957, edition of <em>Collier's</em> magazine, "Christmas Party" was a murder mystery novella written by Rex Stout where oddball detective Nero Wolfe has to figure out who killed an esteemed furniture designer.
murder

How Christmas Murder Mysteries Became a U.K. Holiday Tradition

In these Christmas tales, Santa has a very low survival rate.
Eleanor Davis December 15, 2023
There's a lot about air travel we just don't think about. For instance, why are the seat belts like this?
games

9 Surprising Stories About Air Travel (In Case You're Delayed)

Why are airplane seat belts so weird? And how many words can you make from airport codes?
April White December 15, 2023
A fast gift doesn't have to be a sloppy gift.
victorian

Last-Minute Gifts for Curious People

It’s never too late to inspire fascination about the world.
Danielle Hallock December 7, 2023