A strange little side quest
A quick detour while Battle of Aliens waits for your next move: The word 'checkmate' is linked to the Persian expression 'shah mat', used when the king was trapped. A second detail makes the picture even better: In 1958, Tennis for Two used an analog computer and an oscilloscope to turn simple physics into a playable tennis-like demonstration. That history is one reason familiar mechanics can still feel new when they are recombined well.