Employees from across the Brigham take a moment to unwind with video games during Press Start events on the Pike.

A hospital is probably the last place where you would expect to battle monsters and magic, speed through exotic racetracks or see heroes and villains face off in the arena. And that is precisely why the creators of Press Start — a pop-up event series that invites staff to take a break and play video games — believe it has resonated so strongly with their Brigham colleagues.

“We work in what can be a stressful environment, and gaming is a fun activity that can help you to relax and decompress from work,” said Franco Lichauco, an Office Services technician. “It’s a great way to escape from reality a little bit.”

That sentiment resonated with James Wiggins, an American Sign Language interpreter in Interpreter Services, who stopped by the inaugural Press Start event last August to play an old childhood favorite, the arcade game Galaga.

“Just in the five or 10 minutes that I played the game — once I was done, I felt so much better,” said Wiggins, who has since rediscovered an old video game system to enjoy at home. “It was exhilarating and felt amazing.”

Launched last year by the Office Services team, Press Start events bring a variety of video game systems to the Pike for employees and passersby to enjoy. From classic titles on Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis to games on newer platforms such as the Nintendo Switch and Meta Quest virtual reality (VR) headset, there is something for everyone.

Researcher Ganna Palagina, PhD, of the Department of Neurology, had fun playing Mass Effect in addition to trying out VR gaming at the first event.

“I’m interested in using virtual reality in my research, which is on eye movements in various neurological disorders,” she said.

Based on the reception so far, the Office Services team is excited to bring Press Start back to the Pike on Friday, Feb. 9.

“You’d be surprised how many gamers are in this hospital,” said Angel Ayala, manager in Office Services “It’s a great way to deter employee burnout, help with relaxation and bring out the joy in people.”

The Office Services team got the idea to expand gaming to the wider employee audience after seeing how it helped their own team bond.

“We’re all gamers, and we were very interested in learning how to play Dungeons and Dragons,” Ayala said. “I thought it would be great for us to play for team building, and everybody loved it. We realized it would be great to expand gaming to more people.”

Press Start is a spinoff of the team’s media carts service for patients. The mobile, custom-made carts — which any staff member can request on behalf of a patient or family — can be equipped with a smart TV, video game systems and a mini-computer.

As gaming is often a social event, Office Services staff are also available to play multiplayer games with patients to enhance their experience — acts that have left a lasting impression on the team.

“I remember bringing up one of the media carts to a patient. He had actually brought his own Xbox from home, and after I hooked everything up, their caretaker invited me to play a match of soccer with the patient on his Xbox,” Lichauco said. “You could see how happy that interaction made him.”

Press Start returns to the Braunwald Tower 2 mezzanine on Friday, Feb. 9, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.