Be a border agent or a border crosser

The inclusive gaming series Raiders of the Lost Arcade returns with the opportunity to try out a curated selection of games which explore different ways that video games can illustrate diverse narratives, aspirations, and life experiences.

On Tuesday, April 16 from 2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. in the Hill Library Fishbowl Forum we will focus on games and narratives which explore migrant, refugee, and citizen stories. We will be playing a curated selection of games for platforms including Steam, Playstation 4, and Nintendo Switch. Participants will be invited to rotate through our gaming stations and to explore how Libraries' resources can support leisure gaming, video game design, and can promote critical discourse for members of the gaming community. Gamers of all interests and skill levels are encouraged to play, ask questions, and connect with each other. Snacks will be provided.

Among the games we will feature will be “Papers, Please,” in which you play an immigration inspector in the fictional communist state of Arstotzka in the early 1980s. Inspired by developer Lucas Pope’s frequent trips through airport customs and immigration, the game has a player inspecting people’s documents and permits to make decisions about whether or not they can enter the country. But the immigration rules you’re enforcing keep changing, and eventually X-ray scanners and fingerprinting technology come into play.

“Papers, Please” partly inspired the creation of another game we’ll play called “Borders,” which simulates a border crossing from Mexico into the United States. Created by designer Gonzalo Alvarez, the game is partially based on stories of his parents’ border crossings. As a player, you try to avoid encounters with Border Patrol agents and overcome dehydration and other environmental hazards.

Raiders of the Lost Arcade is part of the NC State University Libraries Making Space event series.