Hello all! I’ve just released the humorous game “6.022×10^23 Pick-Up” (pronounced “Avogadro’s Number Pick-Up”).

To mark this momentous occasion, I will spew my long-winded musings about the game and its release.

The Game

For those unfamiliar with the rules, check them out for free here!

But the basic gameplay is as follows:

• Everyone measures out 18.1 grams of water
• Spill the water
• Clean up the most water in 5 minutes

The primary form of interaction with “6.022×10^23 Pick-Up” is actually just to read the rules and laugh. That’s good! That was kind of intentional, and it presents quite well that way. The game is playable, though. During iteration, I settled on 5 minutes as the longest one would ever need for the timer.

18.1 Grams?

It’s worth noting that 18.1-ish grams of water is really not much water. It is a mole of water, which is the chemist’s way of measuring the number of molecules, so I figured it was most in line with the humorous name of the game.

I’m sure the game is much easier to score with more water.

And that’s okay.

Answering the Allegations

I’m aware this dresses like a math game, but I swear it doesn’t play like one! Measuring with a digital kitchen scale is about the worst it gets.

Unless you have the patience to count all 6.022×10^23 molecules of water. In which case I’ll allow it, but just for you.

Inspiration

It’s a twist on the game “52 Pick-Up”, which is one of those practical jokes I imagine might be effective on a young child.

The rules for “52 Pick-Up” are as follows:

• Get your mark (usually a child) to agree to play “52 Pick-Up”
• Delay actually explaining the rules
• Remove 2 jokers from the deck, if present
• Toss all the cards onto the floor
• Explain to the child that the game involves picking up 52 cards

Side effects may include:

• feeling bad
• apologizing
• picking up for the child

The astute observer may notice that this is not a good-natured game. This is essentially a recipe for disaster. No child is generally interested in cleaning, especially in circumstances of trickery. When inflicted upon a peer, I imagine it’s much funnier.

Having done neither, I am merely left to speculate. But I balk at the idea that “52 Pick-Up” is particularly enjoyable for anyone involved. Fully understanding that recreationally lying to children is a critically important part of that child’s development, this seems like the least fun way to do it.

As far as “6.022×10^23 Pick-Up” goes, it shares very little in common with the above prank, except being a cleaning game, and mostly being a joke. Being a good-natured game not based in deception, you don’t have to leave your moral compass at the door to initiate play.

Which is good.

You may notice the “Blender” and “Krita” tags.

I looked up the proper measurements for the Van der Waals radii and bond length and hydrogen bond length and stuff and 3d modeled them in Blender, cropped everything on Krita. The fun stuff.

I was informed by one of my acquaintances that there are a number of sites that science teachers use to get pictures of molecules. I recognized at least one as a textbook brand, but my memory seems to have evaporated since then.

Unwilling to spend more than a couple hours searching, I can’t find many of these resources.

I’m really happy with the way the renders turned out, so I’m cool with it.

And yes, I insist on having low-poly models. I feel like it fits.

Closing Remarks

I look forward to doing this again.

Learning again that cleaning truly is better with friends,

– Leif Games