Digital Eclipse's The Making of Karateka

November 3 - December 15, 2024
Hours: Sundays 1-5pm
General Admission $8 (Ages 13+), Kids Admission $5 (Ages 5-12), Free Admission for Kids Under 5

40 years ago, Yale student Jordan Mechner created the martial arts action game Karateka on the Apple II in his dorm room. The game quickly became a bestseller and influenced a generation of gamers with its groundbreaking rotoscoped animation and cinematic storytelling. Last year, the preservationists and historians at Digital Eclipse developed a playable interactive documentary about Karateka that includes rare design documents, early game prototypes, interactive timelines, and audio and video interviews. 

On the occasion of its 40th anniversary, Chicago Gamespace is proud to hail Karateka, its legacy, and the game's newly uncovered history by Digital Eclipse with the presentation of The Making of Karateka. Visitors may play Karateka itself, while also exploring its interactive documentary, and learn about how Kareteka was one of the first games to include cinematic scenes, a moving original soundtrack, rotoscoped animation, and a Hollywood-style love story. 

Presented in partnership with Digital Eclipse.