The past 17 months have been some of the worst for everyone. Fortunately for gamers, they had their favorite gaming devices to take their mind off everything around them. Whether it’s getting a new villager in Animal Crossing: New Horizons or trying to speedrun Hades, video games were vital in getting through an unprecedented time.

Over the weekend, Seattle’s PAX West became the first major video game convention to open its doors to the public since the pandemic kept everyone isolated. As expected, some people were skeptical about large events during this time. Others, however, wanted to have a sense of normalcy again in a socially distant manner.

While none of the major companies showed up, the show floor was filled with fantastic indie developers showing off their new games. After trying out games on the floor, many people headed to The Paramount for some special concerts. The lineup featured a unique group of musical artists: 88bit delivered video game soundtrack magic on the piano, Skatune Network gave some iconic video game tunes the ska treatment, EyeQ dropped bars while walking through the crowd, and Master Sword headbanged their way through the world of Zelda. Whether it was 88bit’s mesmerizing cover of the Marble Madness soundtrack or EyeQ’s emotional tribute to their friend, the crowd was fully on board for what was on stage. For many, this was their first live concert since lockdown took place.

While everyone wore face masks, one can instantly sense the joy of being around fellow gamers once again. Check out photos from PAX West below and check out our favorite games from the convention here.