Glasgow arcade fights anxiety with calm games and quiet sessions
During those times, video games are made quieter, some of the flickering screens are turned off, and the arcade's capacity is reduced from 16 people to 10.
The sessions were designed as safe spaces for people who have issues with auditory and visual overstimulation, such as neurodivergent people, and anyone else who would like to enjoy video games in a calmer environment.
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Andrew Lindsay-Faulkner, 39, is the company director of R-CADE Ltd. He started the business in 2018.
'The first year that we opened, we realised that there were a lot of carers and mentors that were coming down, and they wanted to bring down their mentees and the people they look after,' he said.
'We started doing quiet sessions so that they would have their space to themselves.'
First located in a smaller unit, R-CADE expanded to a larger space in 2022. Home to more than 2300 video games, the store is now part arcade, part board game café.
Yet recent years have been tough for the company. Rising energy costs, rent rates, and government taxes, as well as the ramifications of Brexit and the pandemic on the cost of imported goods, have limited R-CADE's spending budget.
'We've had a tough couple of years, just sort of trying to survive,' said Lindsay-Faulkner.
But managing to host inclusive, soothing gaming sessions continues to be important for the director.
'I don't think that it's ever going to be unnecessary,' he said. 'There's always going to be people who need that space. I'm just happy that we can provide it.'
Lindsay-Faulkner's (below) own experience with anxiety also influenced his decision to create quiet gaming sessions.
'I've had anxiety in the past. I know that feeling well, and I never want anybody to actually feel that sort of pressure,' he said.
The number of people in Scotland who experience two or more symptoms of anxiety has been on the rise, from 9% in 2008 to 17% in 2022, according to the 2022 Scottish Health Survey.
Anxiety can also be related to experiencing sensory overload and feeling overwhelmed, according to the NHS.
Lindsay-Faulkner is aware that video games provide a needed break from stress and worry for many people.
'We're so disillusioned with the world around us currently, and we have a need to escape that. I feel like video games – and not just video games, whatever your passion is – is the best way to get away from the things that we have to deal with,' he said.
'A lot of people on the spectrum actually adore video games. It's a really good focus point for them. It's something that they can talk about for hours and hours and not feel judged, which I think is incredible,' he added.
Many different people have come to the quiet sessions, some of them for years. The space is visited by people with anxiety, attention deficit disorder, autism spectrum disorders, and people who have issues with claustrophobic spaces. Any carers who accompany them can come for free.
'It's nice for them to experience the games together. Being able to offer that to people who work for some amazing charities is something that we can give back,' Lindsay-Faulkner said.
Summers are usually one of the busiest times of the year for the arcade, as families are more available to come during the week. This coming autumn, the company hopes to be able to launch a new expansion.
'If we were to get a bigger space, then I would love to have a dedicated area that would be constantly for people on the spectrum, people who have issues with overstimulation,' he said. 'Having a permanent area that we could put aside would be phenomenal.'
R-CADE is not the only business in Glasgow which offers these quiet spaces, according to Lindsay-Faulkner.
'It's a big part of the alternative community or anybody that's into geek culture, like comic books, video games, board games, or just collectibles. Our businesses are very in tune with people who have issues with overstimulation,' he said.
'I feel like more businesses should be like that as well.'
As a long-time collector and lover of video games, Lindsay-Faulkner is clearly proud of the space and the community he has built over the years.
'My favourite thing is probably watching people walk into R-CADE for the first time and the look of wonder in their eyes when they look around,' he said.
'It's all about community, at the end of the day. A lot of people ask me, 'has it not ruined video games for you? Has making it your passion, your entire life, not ruined it?'
'No, not at all! As long as I remember why I'm doing it, then it's all good,' he said.
R-CADE is open Thursday to Friday from 12pm to 10pm, and Sunday from 12pm to 7pm. Their Quiet Time Sessions are on Thursdays at 12pm and 1:10pm, and are bookable on their website
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