Rotherham set for groundbreaking first ever video game festival

Plug In and Play, a collaboration between the National Videogame Museum and Children’s Capital of Culture, is a free, action-packed trail of digital and analogue games for all the family.

The trail will pop up across Rotherham during half term from Thursday, October 31 until Saturday, November 2 with venues including All Saints Square, Riverside House, Forge Island, and Grimm and Co.

Children at Redscope Primary School in Kimberworth and Waverley Junior School were able to put the games, which they had previously helped to co-design during sessions with gaming experts from the NVM, through their final paces.

David Hayward and Alex Johansson, creative producers for Plug In and Play, said: “It was great to see the children putting the games, which they helped to design along with pupils from Canklow Woods Primary School and Rawmarsh Ashwood Primary School, through their final tests.

“In July, the children were challenged with changing the mechanics, characters and concept of a selection of retro video games and it was amazing to see what they came up with.

“Their ideas were the inspiration for the eight games on the Plug In and Play trail and, thanks to the latest input from Redscope Primary School and Waverley Junior School, we know families are going to love playing their way across Rotherham this half term.”

Rotherham’s first ever videogame festival will enable players to go beyond the screen to reimagine classic videogames in real life – from cleaning up the River Don through ‘Frog Tipping’ at Rotherham Minster, to saving the queen bee at Forge Island.

Rotherham Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for social inclusion and neighbourhood working, Cllr David Sheppard said: “With less than two weeks before the trail goes live, it’s fantastic that the children who helped our partners at the National Videogame Museum to design the games got to give them the final once-over.

“Thanks to their feedback, this groundbreaking event is set to be a huge success for Rotherham as we warm up for our festival year.”