Gaming ink

The passionate world of gaming tattoos and the people behind the ink

By Heather Wald

Community and culture

As the buzz of the tattoo needle rings out, a lifelong commitment is about to begin. Some get tattoos for the aesthetic pleasure of having it on their skin, others do it to show their love for a person, subject, or thing, and many go ahead with getting one because of the meaning it holds for them.

If tattoos and video games have one thing in common, it’s that both evoke passion, love and scorn from person to person. Whether you view video games as a waste of time or a worthy pursuit, or you view tattoos as a work of art or a way to ruin your skin, both have the power to bring hope and comfort to the lives of many.

The world of video game tattoos unites gamers and tattoo fans across the globe, and passionate communities celebrating gaming tattoos have surfaced more and more in recent years.

One burgeoning community of gaming tattoo fans have come together on the video game tatts Instagram account run by Alex Kong, which now has a following of over 165,000 people. What started as a way for Alex to share tattoos by artists all over the world has now lead to a printed book funded on Indiegogo, featuring video game tattoos by various tattoo artists to celebrate the culture and community the tattoos inspire.

“A few years ago, I had the idea of sharing photos of my video game tattoos to see what people thought. I also wanted to see what other tattoos people had of their favourite video games and characters,” Alex explains on Indiegogo’s fundraiser page for the book, “the community of Videogametatts began to grow and I have since had the pleasure of sharing some phenomenal work by artists all over the world. The dedication by artist and client alike has been outstanding.”

Chris Morris in his new studio, Tales and Fables (courtesy of Chris Morris).

Chris Morris working on a Disney-themed design (courtesy of Chris Morris).

Healing process

Games can help people in a multitude of ways, and even though they certainly aren't a replacement for real treatment or healthcare, many tattoo tributes to games stem from the fact that they helped people get through difficult times.

Chris Morris has been a professional tattoo artist for five years, and has just opened his own tattoo studio in Cardiff called Tales and Fables. Chris is well known for his video game, comic book, and Disney inspired tattoos.

During his time tattooing, Chris has seen first-hand just how cathartic many of his clients find getting tattoos of games or characters they love.

“It’s quite common that people use the tattoos as a way to symbolise closure,” Chris explains, "it’s this permanent, physical reminder to them that they've been through something and they’ve gotten out the other side of it."

Chris says that for many, tattoos become a focal point for their emotions and everything they've been bottling up, so when they see the end result, it can often be quite overwhelming.

"It’s interesting how getting a tattoo and seeing it almost puts a full stop at the end of what they’ve been through," Chris says, "it’s over and they can move on."

Many do get tattoos relating to a game simply because they love it, and Chris believes that tattoos act as a link to the feelings you had when you connected with a certain game or character.

"They’re just links to the feelings you get, whatever it is that makes you like that character and makes you want to get them on your body. It’s just linked to those feelings every time you see it."

Piercing deep

I myself have been heavily influenced by many games, and one game that helped me through a tough time was Night in the Woods.

Mae, the protagonist of the game, resonated with me and validated the feelings I was experiencing. The fictional feline became an anchor for me to hold onto whenever I felt like I was sinking, and I couldn’t think of anything more encouraging than having her physically with me.

Having the tattoo done was not only a way to gain some symbolic comfort, but it also signified the hardships I had conquered. The tattoo became more than just a tribute to a game, it offered reassurance that whenever I doubted myself, I could think back to everything I had achieved and overcome.

On my journey to getting the tattoo of Mae, I was swept up in a passionate world of gamers who also committed to having a game they hold close to their hearts tattooed on their skin for various reasons. Throughout one constant aspect remained true - the tattoos demonstrated how much the games meant to each person.

Tattoo by Chris Morris

Lifelong passion

It's more than just a game

The impact games can have is reflected in every gaming tattoo. Whether it was just because someone enjoyed the game and its meaning resonated with them, or it got someone through a difficult time, every tattoo has a story to tell.

“Final Fantasy VII was the first game I played that was something meaningful to me. It had a story that pulled me in. Before that I'd played stuff like DOOM, Tomb Raider etc which were fine, but just excuses to shoot stuff. FFVII was my first glimpse of games as something more.” - Ian Stokes

“This Triforce right here, while not perfect, was my first one many years ago. I got it because I love the games and the virtues the symbol represents. ‘Sic Parvis Magna’, further down, is a nod to Uncharted 4 and means a lot to me in terms of my journey in life.” - Jerome Ortmann

"I decided to get them because gaming has been a huge influence on my life. It's inspired me to write and brought out my creative side more than anything has. It's always been a big part of me, and I like having a reminder that it's always there. Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy have always been my favourite games because the stories and the characters are so well thought out and unique.” - Izzy Gibbard

"Majora’s mask is probably my favourite game of all time, I got it on my hand to celebrate my self-employment going so well, it was a way of committing to always making my own way as it were. Artorias is part of a greater theme on my leg, he's a broken character psychologically, but tried to do the right thing. I've always been fascinated with the human mind, so my left leg has a bunch of characters representing different aspects of the mind as a result.” – Jason Coles

“For me my Shadow of the Colossus tattoo is both an expression of the love for a game I adored as a child, but also a vaguely symbolic thing of filling the only patch on my arms not scarred with something I love, as well as it being the weak point symbol from the game and my own.” - Chris Smedley

Acceptance

The fervent world of gaming tattoos also shows a slight shift in the way we view games today, and the communities surrounding the tattoos bring with them an acceptance and celebration of playing games.

Tom Enright is a Twitch streamer who used to work in the games retail business for over 10 years. Tom, who hopes to get his first tattoo someday, thanks games for helping him overcome his shyness, and believes that the tattoos demonstrate more acceptance towards gaming as a hobby than it used to be when he was younger.

"I think it's quite interesting to see how many people have gaming tattoos nowadays," Tom said, "gaming had a much geekier stigma attached to it in the 90's, and I would imagine a lot of people may have toned down their love for games for fear of ridicule. I did around people I didn't know."

Chris Morris also believes it's generally more accepted to be passionate about games and comic books, and says it could be down to it becoming even more mainstream in recent years.

"Everyone’s got things they’re really passionate about. There’s more understanding generally about being a fan of video games and comics," Chris says.

The passion and love for games has given rise to many communities who want to show the world their connection to a certain game or character in a permanent, creative way.

Whatever the reason is behind getting the tattoo - be it a symbol of love or overcoming hardship - the tattoos demonstrate just how meaningful games can be to those who play them.