For many current and former East Siders, the mid-’90s was a hub for mom-and-pop businesses and different subcultures and businesses living next to one another. One punk-guitarist-turned-video-game-developer wants to recapture memories of the area—and the era—in his next game.
Cream City Chaos: Origins is a PC game developed by Rich Altenbach, the guitar player of Murder Generation and creator of the Cream City Chaos arcade machine. It’s a virtual love letter to the Upper East Side neighborhood set in the year 1994.
The game takes place on a semi-open world map anchored by a digital version of the North and Farwell intersection, featuring popular businesses such as the Oriental Theatre, Phase II skateboard shop, and Landmark Lanes. Altenbach said he is also modeling former hot spots such as Oriental Drugs, Wax Stax record shop, and Abu’s Jerusalem of the Gold.
Players assume the role of a teenager who is transported in from the suburbs and is shaped by the environment and prominent subcultures of the time. Visiting different in-game locations rewards the protagonist with a new item to wear, such as a pair of checkerboard Vans after attending a ska show.
There will be some story arcs and collection minigames in the spirit of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, and completing those will grant unlockable prizes, Altenbach said. He’s been researching and modeling East Side businesses block by block, using shared memories and photographs from places such as the Milwaukee County Historical Society.
The game map is mostly limited to the area between the Oak Leaf Trail and the North Point Water Tower. Altenbach said he’s been able to dig up photos of the Wax Trax storefront, the former Ford factory on Kenilworth, and the Bangkok Orchid awning to help create the game world.
Altenbach said he was originally inspired to develop the Oriental Theatre location, where he had spent much of his teen and young adult years in the mid-’90s.
“With the number of different lifestyles focused on that area, especially for a teenager, there was plenty to do. That was the only part of the city where you could get exposed to all that,” Altenbach said. “It really opened my eyes.”
Altenbach reached out on the city subreddit for inspiration and photos of the East Side in the ’90s. Cream City also has a landing page that allows users to share photos. The game will be released on Steam and is available to be wish-listed ahead of release.
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