A strange little side quest
Merge Duel may feel immediate, but the ideas around strategy games have been evolving for a very long time. Modern chess traces back to the Indian game chaturanga, recorded around the sixth century and built around pieces representing parts of an army. There is another connection worth keeping in the same mental pocket: Atari's Gran Trak 10 from 1974 is recognized as the first arcade racing video game. Not bad for a few facts hiding behind a Play button.