Underground Arcade Collective
Our table at Artscape 2019. Photo credit: John D. Moore
Underground Arcade collective was a small group of indie/hobbyist game developers consisting of myself, Stephen Thomas, and John D. Moore. We sought to promote our DIY attitude towards media creation, especially video games, by showcasing our collection of "garage games" and distributing zines with free and accessible game making tools, courtesy of Stephen.
We collectively showcased our games from 2017-2019 at Artscape, Comic Con for Kids, Cecil Con, Colorspace Labs' First Friday Indie Arcade, and Charm City Meadworks, and I returned to Colorspace Labs as a solo exhibitor in 2021. At our peak, we would showcase 12 of our games at once!
High Score Hall of Fame
One thing that set us apart from other tables at the events we attended, besides the zines and decorative birthday balloons, was our high score board. Anyone who got the top score for a game during the event got something from our prize box: trading cards I didn't want, CDs with our games on them, or, most alluringly, a copy of John D Moore's book.
We wish to immortalize those who have proven their mettle. The top scores for all games at all events (starting July 2018) are as follows:
| GAME | NAME | SCORE | EVENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. Creepinscare's Pumpkin Patch Match | Calvin | 8600 | Colorspace Lab's First Friday Arcade November 2019 |
| Arbeejeetyet? | Carlos | 719 | Comic Con for Kids October 2019 |
| Astro-Path | Phil | 8600 | Charm City Meadworks August 2019 |
| Aaargh! Condor | Mr. Older | 1490 | Artscape July 2019 |
| Bloodjak II | Dom | 11,070 | Artscape July 2019 |
| Fungilluminati | William | 13,230 | Artscape July 2019 |
| Koi Puncher MMXVIII | DDD | 62 Koi in 2 Minutes | Artscape July 2019 |
| Monster Truck Power Fantasy | Dom | 47,600 | Artscape July 2019 |
| Soul Eater | Liz | 6728 | Artscape July 2019 |
| Star Kid | Kai | 5443 | Artscape July 2019 |
| Bloodjak | Jordan | 3926 | Artscape July 2018 |
| Diablow | Calvin | 15,505 | Artscape July 2018 |
| Mutant Hightway | Caleb | 1483 | Artscape July 2018 |