I have always loved arcades. I think there is really nothing like going to one, playing a bunch of cabinets, and hanging out with cool people. Recently, I’ve had the opportunity to try out a new-to-me arcade game called Killer Queen, and I need to talk about it.

Killer Queen: Gaming in a New Community

Lets be honest here: I started Killer Queen because a dude that I think is cute suggested I come play with him. When I got there, I realized it was a whole thing, and this very much wasn’t a date. But I had to learn to play this game, so I had no time to deal with feelings; it was video game time.

Killer Queen is a 10-player, 2 cabinet indie arcade game. There are 5 players on each team (gold and blue), made up of 4 Workers and 1 Queen. The Workers can only move and jump, but they can also turn into Warriors, who can fly. The Warriors and Queen can kill any of the other players by either running into them from higher up or behind. If a Warrior is killed, they are respawned as a Worker again.

There are 3 ways to win Killer Queen. You can kill the opposing Queen 3 times, ride the snail into your goal, or fill your hive with berries. Because you need help whichever way you want to win, you need to be talking to your teammates the whole time. This really took me by surprise, because most arcade games are smaller collaborative efforts or versus. But 5 v 5 is a big game!

I have only been to a couple league nights to play Killer Queen, but I’ve made some incredible friends. Heck, we even played a TON of Killer Queen at MAGFest at the top of the year, and I met even more friends through it. One of the things that I found while hanging around the cabinets (both at MAGFest and at the league) was that many folks don’t know what the game is about. And instead of making fun of them, everyone was super collaborative and kind, showing new players how the game works.

Killer Queen: Gaming in a New Community

I think I’m pretty dang lucky to be learning more about this rad game and playing it with friends. It is so important to try new things, because it’s a great way to join communities! Honestly, I hope we all get to join some rad new communities in 2020.

Author

Emily is a 20-something Slytherin and all-around Fangirl living in Baltimore, Maryland. She has a degree in Media and Communications from SUNY Adirondack, where she started her nerd blog, Fangirls Are We. When not at her desk, Emily can be found curled up with the latest in YA Fiction, or instagramming her vast collection of bath products.

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