Stories

Highlighting the magic behind people, places, science, and art.

The Small Worlds of Michael Davydov

The Small Worlds of Michael Davydov

The miniature artist captures moments of whimsy by encasing houses in nature in small jars.

The Alien Lego Cubes of Zachary Steinman

The Alien Lego Cubes of Zachary Steinman

The Lego sculptures, these intricate cubic studies of shapes and patterns, are made on a nightly basis ... and are disassembled shortly after.

Chris Ramsay Unwraps All 25 Mystery Decks

Chris Ramsay Unwraps All 25 Mystery Decks

Watch Chris Ramsay unbox 25 Mystery Decks!

Paula Scher Designs Playing Cards

Paula Scher Designs Playing Cards

Just Type is a modern reinterpretation of classic playing card design and a tribute to the different ways in which the spirit of type can be modified.

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The Absurd Genius of Joseph's Machines

The Absurd Genius of Joseph's Machines

Instagram artist Joseph Herscher builds absurd Rube-Goldberg machines for life’s most mundane tasks.

Backgammon

How to Play Backgammon

What makes backgammon so compelling is its balance of chance by incorporating dice rolls, and strategy. It’s also very easy to learn and can scale in difficulty depending on who you’re playing; so,...

Tension Carved Into Wood, a Q&A with Gibus

Tension Carved Into Wood, a Q&A with Gibus

French sculptor Jean-Baptiste Boutin carves guttural truth from wood, freezing tense moments in a forever state.

The History of the Slinky

The History of the Slinky

Some of the greatest inventions in the world happened by accident. Silly String, Play-Doh, and ... the Slinky. Even stranger? The inventor himself.

Julia Ibbini Evolves the Language of Arabesque

Julia Ibbini Evolves the Language of Arabesque

She's spent the past five years applying her own visual language to these ancient motifs, painstakingly crafting biomorphic paper sculptures.

Celebrating 9 Years

Celebrating 9 Years

On August 13, 2013, we launched Art of Play with over a hundred different decks, which was incomparable at the time. It was a brilliant idea, but sales suggested otherwise.