Polybius: Fact or Fiction?

In the early 80’s arcades were the place to be for young kids. Pac-Man, Dig-Dug and Asteroids were favorites of fans the world over. Around this time, however, there were repeated incidents of people playing too much, or even becoming addicted to the games. Notable instances of players becoming ill from too many video games caused minor stirs. However, one urban legend holds that an arcade game called Polybius existed at this point in time that caused much more severe side effects. The legend holds that Polybius caused addiction, nightmares, memory loss and more.

Today, we’re taking a closer look at the legend. Was there ever really a game called Polybius? What could have inspired the legend, if there wasn’t such a game? And, most importantly, could a video game cause such negative side effects?

Photo Credit: AllGamers

Polybius: The Legend

The legend of the Polybius arcade machine first appeared online around the year 2000. The game was purported to have only been available in the Portland, Oregon area for about a month in 1981. When it was released, it is said that it proved highly addictive. Players would line up around the block to play it, and fights would break out over who would play next.

The next part of the legend turns much more sinister. Following a session of playing Polybius, gamers are reported to have developed severe paranoia, night terrors and amnesia. Worst of all, those suffering from the effects of Polybius would even suffer from extreme hallucinations. The legend also holds that men in black suits would come into the arcade to examine the Polybius cabinet. This led to the speculation that Polybius had some connection to MK Ultra or some other CIA or FBI experiment.

Following a month or so of existence in Portland arcades, the game is said to have vanished. Legend holds that Polybius had gathered the data it was meant to gather, and as such the agency that created it recalled it.

The Hunt for the Truth

This tale was first published on coinop.org in 2000. Research into the existence of the game has turned up no mention of such a game in the 1980’s. To be sure, such a video game would have likely elicited some type of response from local media in Portland. Instead, no mention of a game with that name is found until the 2000 coinop.org article.

That said, the urban legend could have grown in Portland surrounding a series of unusual events in 1981. The first even was the unusual occasion of two different gamers falling ill on the same day. The first was a man who collapsed after developing a bad migraine while playing the game Tempest. The second was a young man who played Asteroid for 28 straight hours in an attempt to beat a high score. However, before he could post the high score, he fell ill with stomach pain and had to call off his attempt.

Roughly a week after this happened, the FBI raided several arcades in Portland, suspecting the owners of running gambling rings. Is it possible that these events led to the creation of the myth? After all, kids and gamers can be superstitious! Considering the world hadn’t been introduced to the internet or cellphones yet, paranoia of this type travels fast.

We May Never Know

While there is no concrete evidence to suggest Polybius existed, it’s impossible to dismiss entirely. If it truly was a top-secret government project, it certainly wouldn’t be public record. As for the actual events that could have inspired the tale, who’s to say those events weren’t connected to the cursed arcade cabinet? Sure, it’s unlikely… but what if it really did exist?