Queer, Disco, and 80’s Inspirations

Studio 54 Dance Floor

The team for the student game Boogie Beyond drew inspiration from celestial themes, as well as the queer disco scene in the 70’s and 80’s; we wanted to bring that magic to our game. These clubs were for all sorts of people in the queer community, especially the transgender community who had led the way to making these safe spaces. We were inspired by various clubs in New York, such as Stonewall and especially the glamorous Studio 54. Disco music and dance inspired our team, but also the style of Vogue and the Ballroom scene. These styles were a big part of the queer community because of the ways people could have open artistic and identity expressions. The team was inspired by these clubs and culture, and we wanted our game to invite our audience into this glamorous yet campy world.

The music in these spaces had grown into a culture of its own, which became an iconic blip of the past, that we view from our Gen Z perspective. While our team obviously couldn’t go back to the 80’s to these legendary clubs, our team was able to do field work by taking trips to our local gay bar, Scooter’s. Our team had fun and researched how clubs from the 80’s had left an impact on our modern culture. Studio 54 was a luxurious and glamorous space that had helped many in the queer community have a safe space to express themselves. Another club we had taken inspiration from was the Stonewall Inn, which was important historically as a queer club. With so many legendary looks from this era, we were inspired by both the over-the-top glamor of couture fashion and jewels, to the comedic chaos of the camp queens - and of course we couldn’t leave out those extreme shoulder pads fit for the gods.

Overall, we wanted to bring the queer disco scene to Boogie Beyond through our characters and environment. We wanted our players to experience the fun and excitement of being at a club in this era. Our team wanted to bring the nightlife back to the forefront, and choosing virtual reality was a great way to put players into this glamorous and campy environment. Through our research, we wanted to bring glamor to our environment by including elegant styles of furniture, and the feeling of luxury into the scene. For our character designs, we wanted to stay true to the fashion by including styles such as shoulder pads, very couture styles, and exaggerated camp looks. Additionally, by using VR, players get a first-person experience of the dance culture and extravagant styles of queer disco. We hope to invite the players to follow along in this era, which has such a lasting impact on our trends today. Our team was excited to have the opportunity for players to be able to connect to that era through our game. After all, “boogie never dies.”

Scooter's Bar in Eau Claire, WI