News
-
The Strong National Museum of Play acquires Fantastic Arcade’s archive
The Strong National Museum of Play acquires Fantastic Arcade’s archive of indie games
Influential indie video game collection lives on in a new permanent home
AUSTIN, TEXAS and ROCHESTER, NEW YORK—
As part of its Indie Games Initiative—a commitment to preserving video games built by small, independent creative teams—the Rochester-based Strong National Museum of Play is acquiring the archives of Fantastic Arcade, a preeminent indie games festival held annually in Austin from 2010 through 2024. These archives include five custom-made arcade cabinets which The Strong will restore and exhibit: Alphabet, by Keita Takahashi and Adam Saltsman; Nium, by Moppin and Nemk; Wheels of Aurelia, by Santa Ragione; The Stakes Are Too High, by Fernando Ramallo; and Grass Stains, by Nina Freeman. The acquired archives also include photo and video documentation, festival ephemera, and other materials of historical interest.
“For more than a decade, Fantastic Arcade was a new games happening that straddled the spectrum between pop genre and the unclassifiable,” says Wiley Wiggins, Fantastic Arcade Creative Director. “This dependably included bizarro experiments and unforgettable talks that broke all known molds.”
“Fantastic Arcade is a landmark in independent game history and a celebration of the creativity of developers around the world,” says Andrew Borman, Director of Digital Preservation at The Strong National Museum of Play. “This collection of one-of-a-kind games—made to be played over just a few days—will now live on forever at The Strong. This collection will help us tell the broader story of indie gaming and be an invaluable resource to researchers, as well.”
Rachel Stuckey, Director of Digital Arts at The Museum of Human Achievement, says, “The games in this collection are custom pieces of art that wouldn’t exist without Fantastic Arcade and deserve to be out there getting played. We’re stoked that the Strong Museum is able to preserve them and share them with such a large audience. Fantastic Arcade’s influence on indie video game culture is important—it rules that its legacy of cultivating the weird and wonderful will be preserved in video game history.”
The Museum of Human Achievement, the Austin-based arts nonprofit which has stewarded Fantastic Arcade since 2019, now continues its support of indie games through Games Y’all, a monthly meetup for developers and players. On November 15, the spirit of Fantastic Arcade will live on through the Games Y’all Roundup, a celebration of indie games held at Austin’s Kick Butt Coffee.
About The Strong National Museum of Play
Founded in 1968 in Rochester, New York, by Margaret Woodbury Strong, The Strong National Museum of Play is a highly interactive, collections-based museum devoted to the history and exploration of play. The Strong is home to the International Center for the History of Electronic Games, which collects, preserves, studies, and interprets video games and related materials. With more than 60,000 artifacts and hundreds of thousands of archival materials, ICHEG cares for the world’s most comprehensive collection dedicated to the history of video games. The collection includes games and the platforms on which they are played, packaging, advertising, game-related publications, and other items that illustrate the impact of electronic games on people’s lives. The Strong’s holdings include materials documenting the work of some of the foremost individuals and companies in the history of the video game industry. The collections are made available to researchers from around the world and are featured in exhibits visited by more than half a million guests annually.
About Fantastic Arcade
Launched in Austin in 2010, Fantastic Arcade was an annual celebration of experimental and cult video games, featuring original games, networking and collaboration opportunities for indie game developers, off-the-beaten-path developer talks, and tournaments. From 2019 onward, Fantastic Arcade was administered by The Museum of Human Achievement, an Austin-based arts nonprofit. The final Fantastic Arcade was held in 2024.
About The Museum of Human Achievement
The Museum of Human Achievement is an Austin-based 501(c)3 nonprofit providing funding, infrastructure, professional support, and affordable physical space to under-resourced artists across all disciplines. Steeped in principles of collaboration, experimentation, inclusivity, and accessibility, MoHA fosters an empowered, resilient creative community in Texas and beyond. Since its founding in 2012, MoHA has partnered with 1,300 organizations to create new works; presented 5,500+ artists; and welcomed 250k visitors to its East Austin campus. MoHA has assisted 140 first-time grant recipients and distributed $1.6M to artists (70% BIPOC, 61% LGBTQIA). At present, MoHA houses studio and office space for twenty community arts groups and mutual aid organizations, as well as for local and visiting artists. MoHA supports more than a thousand artists annually through its programs and events, and it produces more than a hundred free public programs annually which integrate community vision, arts, and social practice.
-
FANTASTIC ARCADE is coming back with FANTASTIC ARCADE: Fun Size Edition!
We are excited to announce our much-awaited RETURN with FANTASTIC ARCADE: Fun Size Edition! on October 26th 2024 at The Baker Center.FANTASTIC ARCADE is a celebration of international indie and cult video games, supported by The Museum of Human Achievement, in Austin Texas.
Over the last 14 years we’ve:
- Featured 650+ games from around the world
- Hosted 111+ monthly events
- Commissioned 20+ original games
- Produced 100+ talks and game jams
- Developed an active community of developers, fans, and friends
FANTASTIC ARCADE: Fun Size Edition! is a one-day event that showcases a curated selection of groundbreaking talks and independent games. FANTASTIC ARCADE: Fun Size Edition! will be held at The Baker Center in Austin, TX. FANTASTIC ARCADE is curated by Games Y’all and produced by The Museum of Human Achievement. Hosting FANTASTIC ARCADE: Fun Size Edition! opens the door to return to Party Size events in the future!
FANTASTIC ARCADE is loved locally and globally, earning high praise from mainstream and enthusiast outlets, including the Austin Chronicle, Austin Statesman, Kotaku, Vice Magazine, Paste, and Rock Paper Shotgun. National Geographic named us a top reason to “celebrate the innovative Texas capital”. Publishers, developers, hobbyists, artists, and makers from every continent make connections at FANTASTIC ARCADE that would be impossible at more traditional events.
The Museum of Human Achievement is a community-driven space grounded in affordability, inclusivity and access for artists. MoHA’s vision is for an empowered, resilient creative community where each member has the resources to foster well-being, prosperity, and a self-determined future.
Games Y’all is a monthly event held at venues around Austin for indie devs, digital artists, and games fans. Games Y’all celebrates, amplifies, and supports the unique and underrepresented within indie games and beyond.
FANTASTIC ARCADE has been an intimate and unparalleled experience for 650+ independent game-makers and 1000+ dedicated local fans.This year we’d like to share that experience with as many new people as possible. FANTASTIC ARCADE is a program of The Museum of Human Achievement, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
-
Games Y'all - Call for Games!
Themed months have been a hit! This next call is a two-for-one.
VR Games & Experiences
Do you have a VR game or not-exactly-a-game VR experience you’ve been itching to show off? We want to see it! Loaner headsets and other equipment available, tell us what you need when you submit.School Themed Gamed
It’s back to school time, so send us your school themed games! Grade school, night school, driving school, liberal arts college, whatever - as long as it takes place at school or is somehow about school, we’re all about it.Deadline Saturday 8/21. Notification by 8/27. Event date 9/22.
Rolling Deadline
Have a game that doesn’t match those themes? We still want to see it. We are specifically looking to uplift smaller teams, smaller games, projects that don’t quite fit the “games” mold, and folks from marginalized groups.Questions? Email games@themuseumofhumanachievement.com
-
Games Y'all August Meetup - Impact Games!
We’re back at Batch on Friday 8/19 for impact games!
Games Y’all is a casual meetup hosted by Fantastic Arcade for indie devs, digital artists, and games fans held every month.
August 19th, 7:00pm-10:00pm
Batch Craft Beer - 3220 Manor Road, Austin, TX
Free admission, donations appreciated! Space is limited, RSVP please.This month’s theme is IMPACT GAMES! We’ll be playing meaningful submissions from our community (with the devs in attendance!) and other indie favorites with messages that extend beyond the screen. Come play games, hang out, and meet friends. Batch has beer on tap, an espresso bar, several coolers of other boozy and non-alcoholic drink options, maybe kolaches (until sold out), and Feisty Bites Vietnamese food truck.
Venue + COVID Details
This event is indoors and outdoors. Decent sized parking lot and bike racks.
We strongly encourage that everyone be vaccinated or have recently tested negative for COVID. Do not attend if you are experiencing symptoms. We’ll be in shared space, so can’t guarantee the vax status of regular venue patrons. Hand sanitizer and wipes for controllers will be available.Don’t forget to RSVP!
Questions? Email games@themuseumofhumanachievement.com
subscribe via RSS