There are so many good things happening at Game on State, Media’s brand new arcade, that you’ll want to explain it all in one breath (it’s hard to do, we’ve tried!).

It’s an arcade, but it’s also a candy store. It’s old school—they’re renowned among gamers for specializing in classics—but it’s also cutting edge: they have a sweet VR set-up that was a hit with visitors when we recently stopped in.

And perhaps most noteworthy, the arcade was not just designed to be inclusive of people with disabilities, but from the get-go, the owners were committed to employing people with disabilities.

“Our mission from the beginning is that we wanted it to be a place for everyone,” said Aimee Rubin, who co-owns Game on State with her husband Eric. “That’s why we gave it the tagline ‘Everybody’s Arcade’—we wanted it to be inclusive of all people, no matter what their needs.”

The arcade opened its doors on October 30th, on Media’s iconic State Street. The owners wanted to create a place that would bring people back together—“now so more than ever,” said Aimee—and they wanted to create something with a feeling of nostalgia, filling the gaming area with arcade classics like skee ball, pinball machines, and bubble hockey.   

True to the owners’ founding vision, the arcade is also wonderfully accessible for people with disabilities. It contains arcade games designed to be wheelchair accessible, and they have a staff that already includes three neurodiverse individuals.

“The benefits are numerous,” said Aimee. “For us as an employer, for the customers, and for the people working. It makes our space a community that includes everyone.”

At Game on State, they really mean it. If you stopped in on the Friday before Christmas, you would’ve found Pedro, a CIS participant who uses a wheelchair and a voice machine, leading a “holiday story-time” reading. An hour later, the space was being used as an arcade again, with young people moving from game to game in the familiar din of pinball sounds, chimes and lazers. A couple nights later, the gaming room was filled by adults for a private BYOB party.

Whatever event it might be hosting at a given moment, Game on State has become a hub for inclusive community connection, and we’re excited for its bright future.