"No referees?!"

"No referees?!" Curling; Off-Ramps [Nice Replay]
2022.12.15
Photo of a woman in a wheelchair playing a game of curling. She’s using a delivery stick to slide, or “throw,” a granite stone into the field of play on the ice.

#268
2022.07.07

How much of the culture around a game is rooted in its design? That's one of the questions that comes up as Mark takes us on a tour of curling—an Olympic sport that's described as "chess on ice." We examine its origins, the Spirit of Curling, and some specific rules that may have a big impact on how players behave towards one another. Later, Stephen considers some questions about off-ramps, the parts of a game that guide players as they end a play session. Should we as designers encourage players to take breaks?