A strange little side quest
Even a quick game like Ninja's Ladder War sits on top of decades — and sometimes centuries — of ideas. Modern chess traces back to the Indian game chaturanga, recorded around the sixth century and built around pieces representing parts of an army. The broader history adds one more wrinkle. Archery first appeared at the Olympic Games in 1900 and returned permanently to the programme in 1972 after a long absence. It is a good reminder that simple game mechanics can carry a surprising amount of history.
