Like most other parts of Ireland, Galway has a rich tradition of games. Many of them are Gaelic ones that are rooted in the history of the city and Ireland as a whole.
Some of those historic Gaelic sports are still extremely popular in the modern Galway. They have been joined by other types of games though, which are played on electronic devices.
Galway has fallen in love with online and mobile gaming just the same as most other places in the world. Its favourite games are a mix of the old and the new, but none of this should be surprising. The luck needed for games of chance has always been associated with Ireland and is something that inspires game developers.
Now let us explore a little further the blend of the ancient and contemporary that is gaming in Galway.
Starburst
Slot games are very popular virtually everywhere and Galway is no exception. Certain ones stand out from a crowded field as the most likely to be taken for a spin by residents of the city though – and Starburst is at the top of that list.
There is nothing too remarkable about that: it is one of the most successful and enduring online casino slots ever to land on the internet. Starburst is a game that is set in outer space and that has brightly coloured gemstones as its main reel icons.
It also has a valuable Wild icon, which is the one in full rainbow colours, able to make up winning lines by filling in for missing icons. Then there is the Win Both Ways feature.
This doubles the odds in favour of the player by enabling matching lines of reel icons to come from right to left on the reels as well as left to right. It is easy to see why people in Galway love this game.
Clive Barker’s Undying
Clive Barker is a celebrated horror writer whose works include The Hellbound Heart, a short story that the movie Hellraiser was based on. He then went on to write stories for video games, with this one being perhaps the best of them.
It is very big in Galway and the fact that it is set on the coast of Ireland may have something to do with that. It was not a huge global seller, but has done well in Ireland and it deserves to be better known.
It is a first-person shooter (FPS) game with graphics that recreate the wondrous coastal scenery of the Emerald Isle in detail. The game itself is a spooky treat full of short, sharp shocks.
Empire of Sin
Games that allow people to wallow vicariously in the criminal lifestyle always tend to be popular and Empire of Sin is another example of that. The setting for this game is Chicago during the 1920s era of prohibition.
That was a time when mobsters battled for control of illegal alcohol distribution. However, Empire of Sin is no brainless shoot-em-up. It is a strategy game where the aim is to come out on top in that deadly gangster rivalry.
It has fantastic visuals that drip with atmosphere as well as complex game-play. It was also created in Galway, by Romero Games. That local connection has helped to fuel its popularity in the city even more.
Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla
This is a game that has topped sales lists across the world and it is very big in Galway too. It is also another game that uses Ireland as a setting for much of the action.
It follows the invasion of Viking hordes into Ireland and Britain over a thousand years ago. The depiction of the country in medieval times is more real than the somewhat cartoon one that many Irish-set games offer.
Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla has marvellous Irish characters and incorporates many well known cultural landmarks within its bloody action-based storytelling.
Gaelic Football
Not all of the games beloved of people in Galway are digital ones. The traditional game of Gaelic football continues to attract very big crowds even in the modern day.
The rules of this game are often confusing for those not from Ireland as they mash up elements of American football, rugby, football and even basketball. Each side is made up of 15 players and the pitches used are very sizeable.
Gaelic football is an exciting, hell-for-leather experience that continues to be central to the gaming ecosystem in Galway. It is something that any visitor to the city should witness during their stay, as it is part of both Galway’s and Ireland’s culture.
These five games are the biggest among Galway gaming fans. They are proof that the tastes of gamers are diverse and encompass the new as well as the old.
