With International Games Week taking place next week, NC State is starting the celebration a few days early this Thursday, with an all-inclusive video game event series called Raiders of the Lost Arcade in the Fishbowl Forum at D.H. Hill Library. 

Raiders of the Lost Arcade, part of the NCSU Libraries event series Making Space, aims to not only allow people to immerse themselves into the world of video games, but also to introduce them to video games as a means of storytelling, empathy-building and developing community on campus. There, students will have the opportunity to try out games on many different platforms, including Steam, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4.

Nicola Andrews, event organizer and librarian at D. H. Hill, elaborates on the opportunities that Raiders of the Lost Arcade provides.

“It’s an informal drop-in session where people can try different video games that range from indie creations to more mainstream releases, but which uphold marginalized perspectives and explore social issues,” Andrews said. “We also hope the event encourages people to discuss what they’re playing. It also counts as participation for the University Scholars program. So if you’re looking for an interesting mix of hands-on gaming and opportunities to reflect on current issues, please join us.”

The games that Andrews and other event organizers selected for this event were all chosen for different reasons, ensuring that each game will appeal to people on numerous levels. Some games contain raw storytelling and challenging problems to figure out while others contain beautiful art; there will be something for everyone to enjoy.

Eli Padden, a second-year studying history, is looking forward to attending Raiders of the Lost Arcade for a variety of reasons.

“A lot of people only look at most games from the surface and never really consider the depth behind them or what they mean in a real-world context,” Padden said. “I’m pretty excited for this event because it sounds like it’s going to put a whole new perspective on gaming for everyone who attends.”

As Andrews explains, an event like Raiders of the Lost Arcade is important to have on a college campus because it combines supporting a very popular hobby with raising awareness about social issues.

“Originally, Raiders began as part of efforts to make our Game Space at the D. H. Hill Library more inclusive for women and non-binary folks,” Andrews said. “As it has grown, Raiders has become part of our Making Space event series, which aims to present the perspectives and expertise of minoritized peoples, encourage diversity, equity and inclusion within STEM. Sometimes, I’ll run Raiders with a theme. Last time, the theme was ‘GLBT Experiences,’ and it was our most successful event so far; I was really happy to see people connecting with queer narratives and finding themselves represented in creative and nuanced ways.”

Andrews also spoke about the theme for Thursday’s iteration of the event.

“This time, the event is part of an early celebration of International Games Week, so we’ll have games which illustrate several themes including GLBT, indigenous, immigrant and veteran-lived experiences,” Andrews said. “We’ll also have a couple of casual games to lighten things up, and we’ll have plenty of snacks, so I hope folks will pop in and see what it’s all about.”

Raiders of the Lost Arcade provides an opportunity for everyone who attends; it could provide one student with the opportunity to unwind by playing Nintendo Switch between classes while providing another student with the opportunity to educate themselves on social issues through the lens of digital storytelling.

This event is free to attend and will be held on Nov. 1 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. People of all interests and skill levels are welcome to stop by.