Kings, queens, gamers and everything in between, envision a weekend where cosplay enthusiasts, board game lovers, console lovers, retro games and lots more can all meet, connect and share the same excitement. Wait, that’s you? Sounds like you need to check out the annual Rapture Gaming Festival and book your spot ASAP!
NetworthPick were honoured to receive invitations to attend the event, especially since none of the team had even heard of it before. However, Alex, Ruby, Jack and Cameron jumped at the chance to explore the gaming delights that were on offer, along with the various pop culture displays that attract a certain kind of geek chic.
Taking place at the Historic Dockyard in Chatham, along with taking precautions with COVID guidelines, the Rapture Gaming Festival continues on a great trend of celebrating gaming and the community surrounding it. Entire zones were decked out for the competitive gaming scene on both consoles and PC, with the usual top tier games on display like Super Smash Bros Ultimate and Fortnite taking centre stage. The gaming bus was packed with interested players of all ages looking to explore the advent of classic SNES/Amiga games. Teams of robot engineers battled it out in the Robot Arena, and tabletop gamers had their own dedicated section to explore the diverse realms of fantasy, board games, card games and lots more besides.
Alex, despite her non-gamer status, had this to say about her first time at the festival: “Wow, what an amazing experience! …Firstly, I was so happy that, after 5 months of working remotely with my team, I got to meet some of them in person and they didn’t disappoint with their funny, creative and genuinely kind personalities. It made the day even better; a great day is always better with great company.”
“My favourite moments at the gaming festival were properly seeing all the amazing cosplays, and trying out archery. I was terrible at first but got the hang of it eventually (made the team laugh so win-win right?). Also dancing away to the DJ! Amazing tunes and we all got some cute glitter tattoos to help support small businesses. Was so cool to check out the robot arena, gaming bus and finish the day off with buying some delicious sweets. Truly was a brilliant day, and when you love your work it doesn’t feel like work at all.”
Cameron said “It was a really good day out. It was nice to meet part of the team for the first time as we had all been working from home prior to this and never got the opportunity to meet in person. The day was filled with all kinds of things to try and see from gaming rigs and collectables to DJ-ing, nerf shootouts and archery but for me the highlight was the gaming bus. The gaming bus was really fun. I got to try some old retro games and compete with the rest of the team at trying to beat each other’s scores. I got the opportunity to speak with some of the participating hosts and learn how they got started in their fields and develop their passions and skills. Was an amazing experience and will definitely go again.”
Ruby, a retro game collector and artisan of the medium, was blown away by the variety and breadth of what was on offer. “The venue was only equipped for 25% capacity, but despite this apparent reduction there was so much to witness and take part in. I used up two batteries and a whole charge of the camera equipment just trying to document the variety that was on display. It felt incredible passing by cosplayers in outfits that took countless hours to make, and each and every one of them were more than happy to pose for photos.”
“The queues for both retro and modern gaming experiences were proof enough that the passion is prevalent amongst people of all ages. Young teens playing Fortnite right next to gaming veterans revelling in the nostalgia of CRT TVs was a beautiful unified sight to see and take part in! Being amongst friends and colleagues who also appreciated the same things only added to the enjoyment; definitely something for families and friend groups to get involved in.”
Jack, a video game fan and Graphic Designer is pleased by stunning visuals and artistic game creation. “I learnt a lot today, I met one of the creators behind the Buzz Junior games which was interesting. Buzz was a PS2 game that I spent much time playing growing up. The whole day was a great day out for all gamers and non-gamers, which is what we really wanted at our first event since the restrictions have been lifted. My highlight was interviewing Game Designer and Professor Steve, who was there on behalf of Midkent College, presenting the Games Art, Animation & VFX Production courses they have to offer. However, most important of all, I had a great experience at my first ever gaming festival. Rapture, I’ll see you again next year.”
The Networthpick team made so many great memories that weekend, and are only disappointed that they didn’t have the time to see everything. So many new people were available for a fun, interesting, engaging and unique experience. The team are naturally full of gratitude for the invitation, and are happy to report they’ll all be attending next year; hopefully by that time the Rapture Gaming Festival will be able to run at full capacity and download plenty of new content for 2022.
If you’ve been reading this article and felt motivated to attend, be sure to seek out the Rapture Gaming Festival for yourself and/or all the future events that have been promoted here. So don’t be afraid to listen to your inner gamer! Get involved and who knows, we may just see you at the next great gaming festival!
Be sure to keep your eyes on Networthpick, as we’ll be publishing in-depth articles and experiences about some of our favourite stalls/events/cosplays/games and so on!
Ruby is an independent content creator, editor and writer who loves sharing insight into video games and discovering new things.
Alexandra is a junior account manager, who also has her own small business called Petals and Pearls. She has a creative mindset and has a passion for dance.
Cameron is a junior marketer who enjoys roller-blading and playing video games.
Jack is a graphic and Content Designer with a passion for creative work . In his spare time, Jack likes to spend time creating digital art and playing video games.
