The ultra-complex card game that will take over your weekend
Image: Cath Virginia / The VergeHi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 27, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, hello, you’re awesome, and also, you can read all the old editions...
![The ultra-complex card game that will take over your weekend](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Ig5UGYUVaDqvkrEuHYSfOD46vJg=/0x0:2040x1360/1200x628/filters:focal(1020x680:1021x681)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25300980/2024_02_23_Installer.png)
Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 27, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, hello, you’re awesome, and also, you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage. Oh, and send me some recommendations! The more the merrier!)
This week, I’ve been playing Assassin’s Creed Nexus on the Quest 3, reading about obsessive ramen makers and Noah Kahan’s journey to TikTok superstardom, finally watching Dune so I can be ready to see the sequel, also finally watching Patriot, and trying desperately to learn to make crispy Brussels sprouts.
I also have for you a mega-viral new camera, a better way to manage your smart home, a new book about Twitter, and a whole bunch of awesome games to play this weekend.
And I have a question. What’s your favorite food-related stuff on the internet? I’m talking recipe apps, cooking blogs, creators you like, shows you can’t get enough of, those silly people who exclusively cook rage-baitingly bad stuff, anything. We’re going to do a whole food-internet issue here in the next few weeks, and I want to know everything you like. (Thanks to Michael for suggesting this, too. This’ll be super fun!)
(As always, the best part of Installer is your ideas and tips. What are you reading, playing, watching, charging, transmogrifying, or building right now? Tell me everything: installer@theverge.com. And if you know someone else who might enjoy Installer, or you want to get it in your inbox a day before it hits the web, you can subscribe here.)
Installer
/ A weekly newsletter by David Pierce designed to tell you everything you need to download, watch, read, listen to, and explore that fits in The Verge’s universe.
The Drop
Screen share
Francesco D’Alessio might be the only person on the planet who has used more productivity apps than I have. He has a website, Tool Finder, dedicated to the best of them and is perpetually reviewing new stuff on the Keep Productive YouTube channel as well.
I asked Francesco to share his homescreen because, in part, I wanted to see if he uses a nutty number of to-do list apps. (Alas.) I also wanted to see what had actually stuck for him; when you’re using new stuff all the time, it’s a big deal when something actually manages to become a part of your life and routine. So anything on Francesco’s homescreen had to really earn its slot.
Here’s Francesco’s homescreen, plus some info on the apps he uses and why:
The phone: iPhone 15 Pro.
The wallpaper: A picture of my wife and little ones, blurred, as I review a lot of productivity apps.
The apps: Spotify, Camera, Amazon, Apple Health, Huckleberry, Whoop, Messages, Todoist.
People expect me to have every single productivity app. I’ve reviewed over 750 in the last 10 years. I use very little. I think people think the car salesman sometimes drives all the cars. I do, but I keep to a basic few. That’s really the key to productivity apps.
I also asked Francesco to share a few things he’s into right now. Here’s what he sent back:
Crowdsourced
Here’s what the Installer community is into this week. I want to know what you’re into right now as well! Email installer@theverge.com or message +1 203-570-8663 with your recommendations for anything and everything, and we’ll feature some of our favorites here every week.
“Pocket Card Jockey on the Nintendo Switch is one of the best versions of solitaire.” – Steve
“99% Invisible has a deep dive podcast on The Power Broker with a new episode out each month. It’s a biography on Robert Moses, ‘the man who built New York,’ doubling as an interesting look into why the city is as it is. The intro episode features Conan O’Brien.” – David
“I am coming up on my 600th consecutive day where I play a round or two of It’s Literally Just Mowing. Yes, I am in my 50s.” – Jeff
“Street Fighter 6 is on sale, and I bought it because it has a new control scheme that feels more like Smash Bros. with standardized movesets so you don’t have to learn individual combos. I don’t think you can use every special move this way, but it’s a way easier on-ramp since I haven’t played since SF II.” – Ian
“That Borderlands trailer…” – Matt
“Been going old school lately with Fruit Ninja. The difference between the free version on my kid’s Fire tablet and the Classic Plus version in Apple Arcade is amazingly stark. No ads, no pushing in-game currency, nothing but PLAYING THE GAME. REVOLUTIONARY.” – Martin
“This week on the pod, you made a comment about smart watches only ever being a giant computer on your wrist — which I completely agree with. Although Garmin has one (the Vivomove Trend) in their current lineup that looks really nice! I really like how they integrate the LCD with the watch.” – Daniel
“A new season of a UK quiz show called The 1% Club started up, and it tests your logic skills with puzzles and abstract thinking. Really fun show!” – Bob
“Everyone has a week to play (or replay) the Final Fantasy VII remake before the new one comes out.” – Andrew
Signing off
Apple launched a new app, Apple Sports, this week, which I find completely fascinating. It’s either a simple thing with a good idea — just tell me the score of the game and let me move on with my life — or a signal that Apple is ready to get really deep into the sports world. And maybe the betting world. But we’ll see where it goes.
Right now, though, Apple Sports is missing a lot of stuff. Which gives me a good excuse to tell you about my favorite “just tell me the score” thing: Plain Text Sports. It is ultra-simple, blisteringly fast, shows scores and stats from all over, and leaves you alone. I have it bookmarked on every device everywhere (always in dark mode), and I can’t recommend it enough.
See you next week!