Summer 2024 Edition

Our summer travel issue is a photographic journey through the physical spaces where gaming culture thrives. Over six months, our team visited gaming cafes, arcades, tournaments, and community centers across Tokyo, São Paulo, Berlin, Lagos, Melbourne, and Brooklyn, documenting the diverse ways people gather around games.

In Tokyo, we explore retro game bars where salary workers unwind with classics from their childhood. In São Paulo, we spend time with a fighting game community that has turned a street-level arcade into a cultural institution, mentoring young players and hosting international competitors.

The issue includes long-form photo essays capturing the atmosphere of each location: the neon glow of screens, the concentration on players' faces, the casual conversations between matches. Accompanying text provides context about local gaming culture, economic factors, and the individuals who keep these spaces alive.

We also examine how gaming spaces reflect their communities—from Lagos' internet cafes serving as gateways to global gaming culture, to Melbourne's inclusive board game cafes creating third spaces for diverse groups. This issue celebrates the universal language of play while honoring cultural specificity.