A strange little side quest
A quick detour while Clone 2048 waits for your next move: Alexey Pajitnov created Tetris in 1984 after drawing inspiration from pentomino puzzles, then simplified the idea around shapes made from four squares. And then there is this: The word 'checkmate' is linked to the Persian expression 'shah mat', used when the king was trapped. That long chain of experiments is part of why puzzles still feels fresh when a game finds the right twist.