Arcane – Hanna Rumowska

Arcane took the world by storm in 2021, shattering Netflix’s all-time records for most viewed show. It managed to reach people who have barely heard of League of Legends, much less played it.

A portion of this viewership expressed interest in playing this game that inspired the show they loved. There is much to love about Arcane, from its stunning art style, creative choreography, and complex characters. This is something that differentiates it from the original game, which has a less glowing reputation among players and those adjacent to them. League of Legends is infamous for vicious chat-rooms filled with slurs, a community built on toxicity and questionably balanced gameplay. When asked about the game in the wake of Arcane, the players’ anecdote quickly became: ‘you’ll enjoy this show better if you haven’t played League.’

And there is some truth to that. The extent of the characters’ personalities within League of Legends is contained within short excerpts in-game and the occasional voice-line. If you go digging, you can find Runeterra (the world of League) lore scattered around various Riot Games projects, but nothing filled with the rich detail you’d expect from Arcane. The characters don’t even remain consistent throughout.

Of course, League is not a story-based game. It is therefore not surprising that the lore surrounding these characters is an afterthought. There is more focus on creating a cool aesthetic and an interesting, ideally well-balanced, playstyle. Arcane is not an extension of League lore, but a reimagining of it to the potential possible in a story-focused medium. For example, Arcane deems it more interesting to have Vi and Jinx’s sisterhood a point of tension they are both aware of, rather than maintaining Vi’s obliviousness in the source material.

However, it is hard to think of League of Legends as lacking the potential for story integrated into its gameplay. One particularly exciting example falls early in the game’s lifespan. The 2015 ‘Bilgewater: Burning Tides’ story event had one of the playable champions removed from the game for a period after he seemingly died in an assassination attempt. League has ceased to organize such events since. The closest example I can think of is the 2020 release of the ‘Cosmic’ and ‘Dark Cosmic Lux’ skins along with a player vote as to which one prevails, none of which influenced gameplay.

It seems that League has deferred its storytelling capacity primarily to Riot’s other projects, the yearly cinematic on their YouTube channel, and, of course, TV. This is an exciting development, as Arcane is among the most captivating shows of recent years. I found season two poorly paced and more focused on setting up the next show. It struggles to complete its story of class disparity and trauma, but season one in particular is a masterclass in character-driven conflict.

Arcane uses its medium to the fullest, rich with a gorgeous, experimental style and a creativity rarely seen in combat scenes. The most stunning example of this is the fight between Ekko and Jinx near the end of the first season. The two fight to the death whilst atop the Bridge of Progress – the flashy connection between Piltover and Zaun that does nothing to actually unite their people. Ekko’s watch swings back and forth along with his resolve to kill the girl who was once his best friend. This is represented through flickering between her childhood self – Powder – and Jinx.

Arcane is perhaps best enjoyed without pre-established notions of what the characters ought to be, but that does not prevent it from enriching a League player’s experience. In fact, the Riot team has adjusted some of the in-game lore and designs. Most noticeably, Viktor’s recent champion refresh is in line more with Arcane. Of course, this move proves confusing as the lines between the canonicity and lack thereof of the show get blurred. I imagine this will continue to occur as Runeterra’s other regions get their own Fortiche shows in the future. Ideally, these will match Arcane in quality or even surpass it. For now, Arcane’s first season will forever remain a treasured memory to those who experienced it, myself included.

The Last of Us – Mia Lynam 

Spoilers for the game and series.

The first thing I noticed about HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’, after loving every second of the game, was the avid attention to detail. Everything about the 2003 opening sequence felt like a beat-for-beat rendition of the game, which is useful for those experiencing the story for the first time, and nostalgic for those who have played- and it was no less heartbreaking. The TV show handled necessary exposition well, creating new scenes at the beginning of each episode to give context that wouldn’t be found in a game format. Small references are littered everywhere throughout the show, you just need to know where to look. To me, the show was perfect both on its own and as an adaptation of the game. It didn’t need to have every game mechanic, it didn’t need to show each boss fight, because it’s not a game.

One of the most controversial choices for the show was to change the fate of Bill and Frank, who live in a fenced and booby-trapped home in Lincoln, Massachusetts. The TV show takes the biggest step away from the game, focusing on the relationship between Bill and Frank instead of the trapping mechanics and one of the most lauded action sequences in the game. Instead, creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann chose to explore a longer window of time, something that wasn’t possible within the game. Druckmann stated, “At the time, [the subtlety is] what helped get it in. It’s sad to say, but it would have been controversial otherwise”. This episode allows for queer love to be shown with great care and tenderness, and is a prime example of the strides taken within the past decade in the media industry. The frame of the open window at the end of the episode is not only a poignant and emotional ending to my favourite episode, but a nod to the starting menu of the game. Whilst the game and the rest of its adaptation are both phenomenal, this episode is one I’ll be thinking of for a long, long time.

One addition I would have liked to see for a side plot is that of the sailor, Ish. His part in the game is only ever revealed through notes that you can find as Joel. In Episode 5, ‘Endure and Survive’, the makeshift classroom area of the sewers is a reference to the same location in the game, where the final notes from Ish can be found. Ish’s fate is left unknown, which leaves the potential for more references, or even the character himself, to appear in Season 2.

‘The Last of Us’ did, however, minimise the biggest part of the game for many players: the infected. Many of the biggest fights were cut out, the Bloater (if you thought that was terrifying, wait until Season 2 comes out later this year!) was in a different section of the plot, and the generator scene, the most tense infected-related sequence, was removed entirely. Personally, this only heightened my experience of watching. If every fight was shown, every game mechanic was shown off, or Joel stopped to grab bottles and metal every two minutes, the pacing would be destroyed. Removing most of the filler action immerses new viewers as well as older players, regardless of what playstyle they had. The show takes the time to focus on the most important parts of the game: the survivors and the relationships they forge. In doing so, the show captures the essence of the story, the very root of the game. There needs to be a world worth living in.

‘The Last of Us’ is the pinnacle of adaptation. It eases all types of audiences in, immerses them, and shows them what is truly important about the world whilst giving the gamers a show.

Roblox – Jasmine Davies

Roblox offers an incredible variety of fan-made games, with many inspired by popular TV shows. From action-packed adventures to immersive role-playing worlds, here are some of the best and most popular experiences you won’t want to miss!

Shrimp Game

If you’ve spent any time on TikTok, you’ve probably come across clips of Shrimp Game – a Roblox adaptation of Netflix’s Squid Game. This game recreates the show’s intense challenges in a more light-hearted (and far less lethal) way. Players compete in mini-games inspired by the series, such as Red Light, Green Light, where they must sprint toward the finish line but freeze when the giant doll turns around or risk elimination. Another challenge is the Dalgona Challenge, where they must carefully carve a shape out of honeycomb without cracking it. The Glass Bridge challenge adds a nerve-wracking test of luck, as players must cross a glass bridge while hoping they don’t step on a breakable panel. With its recognisable challenges and high-stakes gameplay, Shrimp Game is an exciting social experience – just be wary of alliances forming behind your back!

Hell’s Kitchen

As soon as I saw this game on the Roblox homepage, I thought it would be easy. After all, how hard could a cooking game be? Well, I learned the hard way when I became the first one eliminated – not exactly my proudest moment, especially considering that Roblox is mostly played by kids. In Hell’s Kitchen, players step into the role of chefs, racing against the clock to cook the perfect dish. But if they mess up, a voiceover of Gordon Ramsay himself will make sure they know exactly how badly they’ve failed. In my case, I left food on the stove too long, only to hear him shout, “You’re burning it!” To add to the chaos, there’s even a bonus round where players have to find the lamb sauce – a nod to one of Ramsay’s most infamous TV moments. This game is a hilarious mix of stress, competition, and classic Hell’s Kitchen quotes. If you think you can handle the heat, step into the virtual kitchen!

Total Roblox Drama

Based on the Canadian animated series Total Drama Island, this Roblox adaptation brings reality TV chaos to life. Just like in the show, players must navigate social dynamics by forming alliances, whether for strategy or survival, to last longer in the game. They also compete in mini-games ranging from obstacle courses (obbys) to mental challenges, where winning can grant immunity. At the end of each round, players vote someone out, leading to tense eliminations. The game captures all the backstabbing, unexpected twists, and social manoeuvring that make reality TV so entertaining. Whether you’re a mastermind strategist or just trying to survive, Total Roblox Drama delivers a fun and chaotic experience that mirrors the real thing.

The Traitors – Ash Sutton

The Traitors has taken both the internet and the TV industry by storm throughout January 2025. The show, hosted by Claudia Winkleman (what a woman), which also has versions in Australia hosted by Rodger Corser (what a man), and America, hosted by Alan Cummings (what a legend) is based off a Dutch tv show of a similar plot called De Verranders which premiered in 2021. What people may not know, is that all four of those TV shows are loose adaptations of a popular Russian party game Mafia.

Mafia, also known as Werewolf, was created in 1986 by Dimitry Davidoff with the intention of being a classroom game much like Heads Down, Thumbs Up. The game uses deduction to try to discern the ‘Mafiosi’ from the ‘Villagers’ much like the TV show’s aim to uncover the ‘Traitors’ from the ‘Faithful’. The game follows a near identical premise to the BBC show, in which the game is split into two phases. The first phase ‘day’ allows both teams to interact and form relationships with each other, giving the innocent chance to sniff out the murderers. The second phase ‘night’ allows the traitors to kill an innocent of their choice. Of course, the incentive is wildly different, with the party game simply being a game of survival, while the show introduces a prize pot of up to £250,000 for the winners.

It would be an understatement to say that BBC has dramatized the premise a bit. Setting the murder mystery in a grand castle in the Scottish Highlands, 25 complete strangers manipulate and lie their way to the finish line. The show is packed out with Missions, a money-earning technique for the entire team to work together for a short while to add cash to the prize pot. The missions are a mix of quite mundane party games, to seriously creepy adventures, none of which appeared in the first draft of Mafia. The show is also known for its twists and turns from a production point-of-view, all seasons have seen a small group of contestants instantly kicked out of the game, another feature that would have been deemed immoral and unfair in the original game.

As the years have gone on, Mafia has developed a much larger cast of roles than the original binary opposites. Introducing roles such as the ‘Seer’, ‘Doctor’ and ‘Vigilante’ among many others, it makes the game all the more complex as innocents can all of a sudden murder in revenge, revive the dead, or know things they shouldn’t much earlier on in the game. The 2025 season of The Traitors began to introduce some of these additional roles, giving contestant Francesca the ‘Seer’ power in which she was able to find out the true identity of one of her fellow contestants. The ability was introduced going into the final episode, and there has been much controversy as to if the BBC’s use of the role actually jeopardised the game, as in Mafia this role exists from the beginning and allows the player to use it at any point in the game. While the show’s introduction added the tension, the original intention seemed to up the stakes of the game leaving the probability of using it successfully a lot lower.

There is a reason as to why The Traitors has become such a phenomenon, and I, myself, have found myself deep in the hole of remakes. It only makes me sad that Mafia hasn’t been a game of popularity throughout my teenage years, so instead I indulge myself in BBC’s fabulous attempt at revitalisation.

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