Secret Levels wants to put on a first-of-its-kind exhibition that elevates the artistic merit and cultural impact of video games — but to do that, we need your help.

NYC in Video Games 1986-1993

Have you ever noticed how many classic action games were originally set in — or at least heavily inspired by — the stereotypically violent streets of Manhattan? Just look at titles like Double Dragon (1987), Streets of Rage (1991), and Final Fight (1989), and you’re bound to notice some quintessential New York scenery, from underground subway stations to graffitied alleyways, and even riverside parks overlooking the Statue of Liberty.

But while video games were passing New York’s crime-ridden reputation down to a new generation, the city itself was changing. Initiatives like the 42nd Street Restoration Project and local Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), as well as increased arrest rates and other controversial policing policies, had a dramatic effect on NYC’s urban crime rate, dropping it by more than 56 percent by the end of the ‘90s.  

Inspired by the documentary Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003), “NYC in Video Games 1986-1993” will investigate the unique relationship between New York and the games that took place there, and how the city’s redevelopment coincided with the rise and fall of the “golden age” of American arcades. Our exploration will feature advertisement art and merchandise from select video games, along with a mix of photography and news articles of what was going on in New York at the time. 

Throughout this exhibition, you’ll discover how early video game development and NYC history are intertwined, and how the forces of gentrification and technology aligned to create the New York that exists today — one with a thriving present-day gaming community that includes indie developers, e-sports competitors, and more.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, media outlets and city government leaders alike seem obsessed with the “bad old days” of New York. Can we learn anything about today by looking at the New York of yesterday, even through the lens of a still-young medium like video games? 

Crowdfunding has proven to be a great way for artists to get funding for their projects. Many incredible games, books or films may have never seen the light of day without the funds and help they got from their early supporters

Funding will allow us to purchase and license items to display for the exhibit.  It will also allow us to rent a venue and design the space itself.  Join us in giving NYC and the beat'em up genre the exhibition it deserves!

Secret Levels is a risk averse organization, we do things well or don’t do them at all. Every project has risks, but Secret Levels is run by experienced professionals in project management and nonprofit development.  Its staff has expertise in areas of finance, fundraising, communications and database management.  

Secret Levels is a new arts organization based in New York City, with fiscal sponsorship provided by Fractured Atlas. Our mission is to study how video games and art intersect, and to explore the larger cultural impact of this emerging new medium.