About this episode

The episode explores the mysterious arcade game Polybius and its urban legend surrounding player experiences and its sudden disappearance.

In 1981, a plain black arcade cabinet appeared overnight in a Portland, Oregon arcade. No logo, no artwork, just a name glowing in pale green letters: Polybius. Players reported migraines, memory loss, and night terrors, and mysterious men in suits came to collect data from the machine before it vanished without a trace. The story stayed buried for nineteen years until a single internet post turned it into one of gaming's most enduring urban legends. Head over to our Twisted Tales YouTube channel to WATCH this episode: https://www.youtube.com/@crimehousestudios Join Crime House+ to binge a special limited series on Murder: True Crime Stories for America’s 250th: The Crimes That Built America. These are the cases that created the FBI, gave us Miranda rights, sparked criminal profiling, and gave us America’s Most Wanted. Join at crimehouseplus.com or if you’re listening on Apple Podcasts, tap “Try Free” at the top of this show’s page. You’ll also get episodes of Twisted Tales ad-free and released one day early. 🎧 Need More to Binge?  Listen to other Crime House Originals Clues, Crime House 24/7, Serial Killers & Murderous Minds, Murder True Crime Stories, and more…

People in this episode

Host: Heidi Wong

Topics covered

• arcade games
• urban legends
• true crime
• Creepypastas
• gaming history

Keywords

• Polybius
• arcade game
• urban legend
• true crime
• Creepypasta
• gaming
• 1981
• Portland

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Crime House

Books & works: Polybius

Places: Portland, Oregon

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