Maker Faire famously has something for everyone, including games that can’t be played anywhere else. It’s (among other things) a little like alt.ctrl.GDC, with one-of-a-kind game inventions either too daring, new, or ridiculous to mass produce. Here are just some of the exhibits I’m planning to physically and virtually play at this weekend. Note this is a very non-inclusive list, check out the full list of makers for much more.
Spacebar Arcade by Sam Mateosian
Not the only game machine at Maker Faire, but undoubtedly the heaviest, this machine feels colossal in person. Spacebar Arcade is a virtual reality saloon arcade set in the wild west of cyberspace. You enter this virtual world by way of a real-world 16-foot-tall arcade cabinet. Play on the “outside” using game pads and the giant screen, or don a VR headset to go inside the Spacebar with your friends and family. A physical arcade cabinet be big enough to go inside of, it’s the first of it’s kind, a glorious beast, and open for players at Maker Faire.
The Retro Roadshow
Attendees to The Retro Roadshow’s Maker Faire exhibition will get hands-on with a variety of vintage video game consoles and vintage personal computers, all of which will be playing video games with an auto-racing theme. By “Racing Through Time” on these classic computers and gaming consoles, attendees will experience the evolution of video game art, science, design, and technology over the past 50 years! Check out the booth from Maker Faire 2023, showing off Mario games through the years:
Waterlight Graffiti by Antonin Fourneau
If you are or have ever been a child, you understand why water guns are amazing. Now add in LEDs and graffiti, and you’ve combined three amazing flavors into a finalist for my favorite exhibit this weekend.
Waterlight Graffiti is an interactive light art installation that allows people to draw or write with water. When water touches the surface of the panel, it completes an electrical circuit, lighting up embedded LEDs. The result is a temporary, glowing artwork that fades away as the water evaporates, leaving no permanent mark. This project encourages creative expression and promotes environmental awareness by utilizing water as a harmless, renewable medium for street art.
Maker Faire will be the first time it’s available for the public to play in California.
Laser Maze by Benicia Makerspace
You’ve seen the movies where the hero has to weave through a security system with a field of crisscrossed laser beams or else the alarm goes off. Laser Maze by Benicia Makerspace is your opportunity to test your skills against a high-tech laser security system, just for fun. Skilled guests can navigate through it in a few seconds, but be careful, every time you break a beam it adds three seconds to your time.
Virtual Pinball Machine! by Jinxbot
Step up to the PinSim setup by Jinxbot and dive into the exciting world of virtual reality pinball. Players will use real flipper buttons, a ball plunger, an Xbox 360 controller, and an Oculus headset to play a variety of pinball games in a fully immersive VR environment. This interactive demo not only showcases the seamless integration of physical and virtual gaming but also invites attendees to envision creating their own PinSim unit.
Everyone needs play in their lives. It’s no fair that kids get to run just for enjoyment, while grown-ups aren’t allowed unless it’s tracked or quantified somehow. So for Maker Faire weekend, I say let loose, ignore the normal, and have fun for fun’s sake.
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