A strange little side quest
The Year After belongs to a much longer story of play than a browser tab might suggest. Early computer role-playing games helped turn rules, inventories, exploration and character progression into systems that could support long-form digital adventures. And the history keeps stacking up: Nintendo's Donkey Kong arrived in 1981 and introduced the character first known as Jumpman, who later became Mario. It is a good reminder that simple game mechanics can carry a surprising amount of history.