A strange little side quest
The mechanics around Strategy Defense have roots that stretch far beyond modern browsers. The word 'checkmate' is linked to the Persian expression 'shah mat', used when the king was trapped. The surprising part is how quickly the next milestone followed. Pac-Man went on sale in 1980, and its creator Toru Iwatani famously linked the character's shape to a pizza with a slice missing. That long chain of experiments is part of why strategy games still feels fresh when a game finds the right twist.
