Darkfield's Arcade Review: dystopian video game drama is bold and inspiring

Photography Credit: Katie Edwards

14 February 2026 I 20:00 I The Lawn, Lincoln (Frequency Festival)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I PR - Invite

Willing to be immersed into an 80s dreamlike nostalgia with DARKFIELD? Presented with their signature shipping container experiences, ARCADE plunges audiences into complete darkness, using 360° binaural sound and sensory effects to bring the classic video game beyond the screen. Designed to unsettle, ARCADE understands its audience and excels in providing the ultimate escapism.

Lincoln readers may remember DARKFIELD's last visit to the Cornhill Quarter in 2024, with their production of EULOGY. Where this concept relied on speech recognition technology, your control of the narrative felt heavily restricted. ARCADE on the other hand, keeps a strong and fluid momentum with thousands of possible endings. You could be thrust into a war-torn country, join a mysterious cult or find yourself in a game show. It's up to you to decide...

Photography Credit: Katie Edwards

Given a pre-show briefing by a welcoming team of volunteers, you enter the shipping container and select your arcade machine. Despite having a screen in front of you, the entirety of ARCADE is delivered in total darkness. Almost as if you have stepped inside the screen, taking on the perspective of the confused protagonist, named Milk. Wearing headphones, you are equipped with a button to answer yes/no questions, and a coin slot to purchase one item in your story.

As a primarily audio adventure, everyone will engage with the material differently. I have aphantasia myself, meaning I cannot form mental images given the pitch-black setting. Yet the style of this show really works for me. The text is both investing and packed with rapid-fire decisions to maintain your focus. And their trademark use of binaural sound allows characters and sound effects to feel close, or further away, simulating believable conversations with dramatically convincing voice actors.

My individual plot felt heavily influenced by violence, featuring a large series of gunshots that make you flinch with their power. Under David Rosenberg and Glen Neath's artistic direction, this over-exposure to conflict acts as a timely commentary on our desensitisation to violence in the gaming industry.

Photography Credit: Mihaela Bodlovic

Adding to the multi-sensory experience, your narrative is enhanced by live effects, including sprays of water and cool, ambient air for outdoor scenes. For instance, one of my pathways saw my character fire a loaded gun, in which a sharp gust of wind was fired out of the machine and into my torso, recoiling from the shot. You feel the physical, visceral consequences to your choices, and it is exhilarating.

Embedding modern technology into our theatre, DARKFIELD embark into bold and inspiring territory. At approximately 25 minutes, ARCADE is essentially perfect for lovers of dystopia and Black Mirror-esque entertainment. After leaving the container, others talk about their version of events, and all decisions prove immensely different. My body was tense through the duration, and I am desperate to return to discover new outcomes in this addictive touring production!!

Lincoln Frequency Festival Tickets: https://www.darkfield.org/schedule/arcade-ventnor2025-tzfje

Further DARKFIELD Information: https://www.darkfield.org/