Polybius, the Arcade Game That Never Was
Legend says a mysterious arcade game appeared in Portland in 1981, made players ill, and was visited at night by men in black.
What was reported
The story, which surfaced online around 2000, says that in 1981 a strange arcade game called Polybius appeared in a few arcades in suburban Portland, Oregon. Players became hooked and suffered nightmares, headaches and memory loss, and men in black suits were said to visit the machines to collect data.
Then, the story goes, the machines vanished without trace.
Explanations offered
No machine, code or record from the time has ever been found. Researchers think the legend may draw on real news from 1981: two players fell ill at Portland arcades, and FBI agents investigated gambling on arcade machines in the area. It has since inspired real games named Polybius.
- When
- Said to be 1981
- Where
- Portland, Oregon, USA
- Witnesses
- Online storytellers
- Status
- Urban legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.