In the past I used to be incredibly interested in what’s known as “creepypasta” online. Basically, these are just scary stories, but ones that generally were sourced from other online users who had a penchant for writing creepy stuff. That’s where I first came across word of Polybius, an arcade machine capable of inducing stress, depression, or even suicide from those who played it. Because of its connection (in my mind) to so many other interest-created urban legends, such as Slenderman, I chalked everything about it up to fiction. Not just the supposed disastrous effects of playing, but of such a machine’s existence at all.
But maybe it was real! The Polybius Consipracy is an upcoming film made to discuss the urban legend of Polybius. To me, if the machine never existed to begin with then this would be an incredibly brief movie… but it seems the purpose is just to drum up a cool new angle to continue the spread of this unique urban legend, as well as cast a focus on gaming-centered legends in general. Of course, that ambiguity is what makes tales like this powerful. You never know quite what’s real and what’s hearsay.
The most surprising thing about The Polybius Conspiracy Kickstarter is not its unique subject matter. To me, it’s the fact that they only launched a 23 day campaign. Although the early days drew in a great deal of funds, they’re starting to slow. Here’s hoping they can manage that $100,000 without a few extra funding days as buffer.
Track the progress of the Polybius Conspiracy Kickstarter in our Campaign Calendar.
