‘ARCADE’ (Venue 26, until AUG 26th)

“Thanks to smart sets, soundscapes and sensory effects, it all feels unsettlingly real.”

I was a kid in the 80s and have fond memories of the video games of that era. They might look terribly basic to today’s youth, but at the time they were new and exciting. We played Pac-Man, Frogger, Space Invaders, Donkey Kong and the like over and over, bashing away at the simple controls as we climbed levels and knocked one another off the leaderboards.

So, I was intrigued by the prospect of Darkfield’s Arcade at the Edinburgh Fringe this year. Billed as drawing on the 8-bit aesthetic of the 80s, it offers the chance to “enter the world of the game and choose your own unique journey.” My expectations were quite high. I’ve been to two previous Darkfield productions – Séance and Flight – and enjoyed both. This team specialises in innovative 360 degree audio experiences. Shipping containers are transformed into highly immersive theatre spaces where you find yourself a participant in a Victorian séance, or strapped into a cramped airplane seat as a passenger on an unconventional journey. Thanks to smart sets, soundscapes and sensory effects, it all feels unsettlingly real.

Arcade sticks to the formula with its shipping container venue, but this is a much less passive experience. With Séance and Flight you take a seat, and take it all in. Here, you’re literally at the controls. Each audience member (player) takes their place at a different arcade machine. You’re given headphones and instructions to press a button to respond to yes or no questions and pointed towards the coin slot where you can use tokens, when prompted, if you choose. The room is then plunged into total darkness, and the game begins.

I won’t comment too much on the actual content. Spoilers could influence your decision-making, and indeed by all accounts the story varies significantly based on the choices you make – choices that have immediate consequences. For me, suffice to say I witnessed an unpleasant murder, played guitar in a band and may have inadvertently joined a cult.

The narrative does feel a bit disjointed at times. It isn’t always entirely clear who’s doing what, and why. But – much like the video games of my youth – the ‘why’ doesn’t always really matter. Arcade is totally immersive – characters seem to approach from all directions, barking instructions in your face, or whispering questions in your ear. It’s creepy and disorienting, standing there in the dark trying to decide which voice to trust.

Arcade is not the nostalgia trip you might expect. It’s pitch dark in every sense and there’s little real connection to the retro, 8-bit world of the 80s. But it’s also thought-provoking, creepy fun. If you’ve never been to a Darkfield production before I suspect you won’t have experienced anything quite like it. If you have, you’ll have an idea of what to expect, but that won’t help you pick the right path.

Get your jean jacket coats on and try it for yourself!