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ARCADE

 
Victor Black Review by Victor Black 4 Published: 28 Aug 2025 Pleasance Dome Show Dates: 1 Aug 2025-25 Aug 2025

Darkfield is a company worth keeping an eye on. They are creating some groundbreaking immersive experiences that place each audience member at the centre of their own narrative. Arcade is an experience unlike any I’ve had at the Fringe before, and must be experienced in person to truly appreciate what they have created.

You’re guaranteed to leave wanting to go straight back in and do it all over again

The venue is a shipping container on Potterrow lined with arcade machines. On entering, we are briefed that this is a mostly auditory experience in which you are immersed in darkness, guided through a story with headphones, and given the choice to answer “yes” or “no” with the push of a button, as well as to insert coins at various points to drive the story in a Choose Your Own Adventure style.

Arcade transports you into a dystopian world where you play Milk, navigating life-threatening decisions through a series of storyline options. I believe the ultimate goal is to get on a boat to safety, but the two times I played it I ended up with a treacherous doctor, or being celebrated at a fateful post-assassination party. Playing through twice really helped me appreciate how much has gone into creating this world, and the many ways that simple decisions can play out. It has as much replay value as seeing your favourite improviser or variety line-up multiple times during the Fringe, and you’re guaranteed to leave wanting to go straight back in and do it all over again.

The world they create is dark and as well imagined as you could hope within the 20-minute runtime, with dramatic dialogue and unpredictable shifts in action with each decision you make. At times there is a bit too long between decisions, and as everyone’s story needs to terminate at the same time, conclusions can be abrupt.

The tech is flawless, with excellent sound quality that takes full advantage of stereo, flashes of light and sprays of water when someone is shot near you. I think there was a wind effect too, though it was mild. There are probably opportunities for more of a 5DX experience – perhaps future iterations could include vibrating floor panels, smells or even an electric shock handle to further enhance the immersion.

Darkfield have been ambitious with Arcade, and succeeded in their mission to create a memorable story with plenty of paths, brought to life with high-quality machinery that pushes the potential to its limits. It’s short and runs throughout the day, so keep an eye out for both the event and the company in future festivals, as you should be able to fit it in between shows. But make sure you leave enough time in your schedule for a second visit.

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The Blurb:

DARKFIELD presents ARCADE: an interactive narrative that uses the nostalgic aesthetic of 1980's video games to explore the evolving relationship between players and avatars. Over 30 minutes in a completely dark shipping container, this choose-your-own-path experience will fully immerse the players using 360-degree binaural sound, sensory effects and a bespoke DARKFIELD ARCADE machine for each player. Players will be asked existential questions about free will and consciousness in a world where some may win and some may lose...