The Polybius arcade game from Portland, Oregon in 1981 … is it a myth, secret mind control experiment, or just an urban legend? The mystery of Polybius is one of gaming’s strangest stories and the Wondering Monsters Podcast is diving deep into it.
We answer questions such as:
In this episode, we uncover the strange origins of the Polybius legend, from rumors of mysterious men in black collecting data from arcade machines, to theories about CIA mind control experiments like MK-Ultra. We also dive into the cultural panic of the 1980s, when video games were feared as addictive, dangerous, and even capable of altering behavior.
You’ll hear how Polybius became the “haunted arcade machine” that refuses to fade away, inspiring countless recreations, pop culture references, and conspiracy theories. Whether you believe Polybius was real, a government project, or just one of gaming’s greatest hoaxes, its story reveals the perfect blend of paranoia, nostalgia, and mystery that keeps people fascinated decades later.
Get ready to have fun in this episode — but be careful, those who come for the video game may just stay for the mind control!
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Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction to the Polybius Urban Legend
3:00 - What kind of game was Polybius?
7:49 - Video game obsession and sleep deprivation
10:07 - Binaural sounds and how they work / altered states
12:33 - 80s government paranoia
14:10 - Games getting a bad rap
16:30 - Pinball, gambling and organized crime
17:31 - Mind controlling video game, could you do it (Part 1)?
20:30 - Dark fear of mind control ; A brief modern history of games
24:54 - Hypnotism, mind control, changing a person
27:58 - Environmental manipulation
31:16 - Mind controlling video game, could you do it (Part 2)?
34:02 - Polybius end game
35:53 - Ranking
43:20 - Call to action: Play Tempest
46:30 - Diminishing dopamine levels, reward prediction error
50:08 - Next time and outro
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