The team at Numskull Designs have eagerly been awaiting this day, by bringing the myth and urban legend of Polybius to life through the launch of a new Quarter Arcades Kickstarter campaign.

What is Polybius?

Shrouded with numerous conspiracy theories Polybius was a video game cabinet that featured in a number of arcades in the early 1980’s around the city of Portland, Oregon, U.S.A. The controversy stems from speculation around its mysterious gameplay mechanics, which allegedly included a number of subliminal, hypnotic and colourful shapes that would brainwash players. Through the annals of gaming lore and history numerous articles and gaming journalists have reported on the rumoured machine’s existence and it has even made cameo appearances across a swathe of pop-culture’s most popular shows and movies.

Now, in 2020, Numskull Designs are launching a dedicated Kickstarter to bring Polybius to its Quarter Arcade range!

Why a Kickstarter?

Typically, the Numskull Designs Quarter Arcades are produced in collaboration with brands that own their own arcade games and we then sell these cabinets onto retailers. We’re given a license to produce the product and we then crack on with it.

Kickstarter allows us to gauge interest in this product, and deliver quickly to the hardcore retro fanbase that want it. Given that the community has largely kept the name, mythos and legend of Polybius alive, we thought that this style of campaign would be the best way to ensure that this product actually comes to fruition.

So, what are the features?

The cabinet itself has been developed using images available in the public domain, playing up to and adding an aesthetic based on that of the legend. As well as the cab itself, it also comes packaged in this black box mysterious packaging playing up to the story behind the conspiracy, making this feel like a really top-secret mysterious item.

A more detailed run-down of the cabinet’s design and the functional features of the Polybius cabinet are available on the Kickstarter page.

What do you get for backing?

We are aiming to make this a real collector’s item and we’re offering a sliding scale of rewards… Check the rest of the project page out for more information about how many of each of these are available.

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