Carcade: A Mobile Arcade – Shepherd Express

Once Tommy Ludan successfully converted his Nissan NV200 van into a mobile gaming center, Carcade was born. “I thought about how fun it would be to go to a Brewers game and play Mario Kart or go up to Lambeau and play Madden,” Ludan says. “I wanted to recreate that vibe of going to a friend’s house and being like “I got next!” where everyone gets to chime in and play.”

Ludan may pull up with the van to an event, whether it be a massive convention, a casual evening at the bar or a kid’s birthday party, and invite folks to play anything from retro favorites to modern hits, specializing in multiplayer interface so everyone gets a turn. He always tries to bring games that fit the occasion. “If somebody says they really like some obscure game, I’ll do my best to find and bring it,” he adds.

With Carcade, players face off on TVs mounted to the van’s rear. The van is both the prototype and product, as Ludan explains, “I’m always finding ways to improve it along the way, from putting bigger TVs in to going greener; I’m putting in a battery tower that’s rechargeable with solar panels on top.”

Growing up, Ludan gamed heavily with his brother, who was close in age. “Once we got a Nintendo, it was always part of my life,” he recalls. “I always had an affinity for playing those multiplayer games where when friends came over, everyone got a chance to play.”

NBA Jam

He first developed the idea for Carcade while in law school studying for bar exams. After the firm he was with closed, Ludan fully invested into Carcade, debuting it at Midwest Gaming Classic 2018 and officially rolling it out to the public the following year. The first game ever played on Carcade was NBA Jam. Ludan attests Mario Kart and Halo are Carcade’s two most-requested games.

At first, Ludan parked the van at places like Milwaukee Night Market, The Explorium Brewpub and local soccer games. The bright red neon logo on a big screen, combined with being able to be set up impromptu, helped get Carcade noticed quickly. “Early on, I really had to emphasize that it’s another form of entertainment and socializing with friends, the same way karaoke or trivia is,” he mentions.

Once things started opening back up from Covid, Ludan teamed up with the Milwaukee Turners on socially responsible outdoor gaming events. Nowadays, Carcade sets up at Midwest Gaming Classic every spring while participating in recurring charity events like Brew City Bowl, Rally Round and Tundra Bowl. Each month, Carcade raises money for a different community organization by way of its LudioFor program. To get in touch, visit the Carcade website. Ludan concludes,“Thanks for playing and keep coming out to play!”