If you weren't already one of the 45 million people playing Fortnite, last week was when you heard about it. The game--which is really two games, one about building things while killing monsters and surviving as a group, the other about building things and killing each other--is now enough of a cultural smash that the nongaming press has decided it's time to explain it to its uninitiated readers. For the most part, it's identified why the game is such a hit--while overlooking its debt to the many, many similar games and industry practices that came before it. The free-to-play game, originally released in 2017 by Epic Games, has a kid-friendly color palette and (for a shooter game) a notable lack of graphic excess, making it a relatively safe entry point into the world of video games. In its more popular "battle royale" mode--the one you may have seen Drake playing--approximately 100 players travel via hot air balloon–lifted school bus to an island with quirky location names and a vaguely post-apocalyptic vibe.