IKEA stores are sprawling labyrinths of functional furniture and giant plush bears. Whether it be for its meatballs or delightfully named cabinets, this store is undeniably iconic. This reputation has even extended into video games via some unusual crossovers. Some of these collaborations are gaming furniture, but a few are particularly strange. Most recently, the storefront partnered with Mario Party, and playable versions of the game appear in several storefronts in IKEA China.
Generally speaking, these bizarre crossovers are not that surprising, as the offbeat nature of the cooperative experiments perfectly mirrors the store's playful and engaging design sensibilities. While the crossovers may not be surprising, their scope is impressive. IKEA's permeation into video games is not just led by the store itself, either. There are also plenty of unofficial game adaptations of the store, demonstrating the popularity of the functional furniture outlet. IKEA has often allied itself with video game fans, even going as far as to claim it was "democratizing the gaming experience" with its line of inexpensive gaming furniture.
Not only are there unofficial game creations about the store, but a few made by IKEA as well. There is also a long history of game-themed furniture runs at IKEA, with Tom Nook tables, minimalist gaming chairs, and even a paper PS5 model gracing the store over the last few years. It's pretty much impossible to predict what IKEA will do next with video games, but it certainly is fun to look back on its history of gaming crossovers.
Mario Party in IKEA China
IKEA's most recent gaming foray is a partnership with Tencent and Nintendo. The furniture retailer installed Mario Party showrooms all over its Chinese branches to promote the newest game in the franchise. This likely comes as part of Tencent's Chinese distribution deal with Nintendo. Chinese markets can be difficult for foreign creators to enter, so this publicity stunt is probably geared toward increasing sales of the newly released Super Mario Party in China.
IKEA VR
Before looking at the unofficial IKEA video games, it is worth considering the company's original titles. In a bizarre move, IKEA released a five-minute free VR game in 2016. The IKEA VR Experience allows users to maneuver around a meticulously realized IKEA kitchen, with some limited interactivity. Players can open drawers, place pans on the stove (but not cook from them), and even dispose of vegetable peelings. If that level of excitement is not enough for some gamers, there are even options to play as a child or a "tall person." Although not massively diverse in terms of gameplay, the game does have a "Mostly Positive" rating on Steam out of 317 reviews as of this writing.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for IKEA VR Experience's 2017 sequel, IKEA VR Pancake Kitchen. While the two may have similar naming conventions, the second instalment in the IKEA gaming universe ups the ante with the inclusion of actual cooking - and players can also explore a child's perspective of the kitchen while setting the table. The game allows for up to four pans in operation at the time, meaning the quadruple-wielding pancake creator has a lot on their plate. Apparently, the game does not stack up to the prestige of titles like Overcooked and Cooking Mama, with a "mixed" rating on Steam as of this writing.
The Instagram IKEA Card Game
IKEA's history does not only cover furniture, fun gadgets, and gaming, but also social issues. For International Women's Day 2021, IKEA launched a digital card game aimed at raising domestic work inequality awareness. Arguably, this game was actually more interactive than some of the IKEA VR kitchen games, and included questions about different household chores and how many hours a week people spend doing those choices. The company teamed up with singer and activist Zara Larsson to deliver this product, which aimed at gamifying the discussion to make it more accessible.
Home Improvisation: IKEA's Instruction Manuals Deconstructed
Home Improvisation: Furniture Sandbox is another VR IKEA experience, but this one is unofficial. If players found the strict instructions of IKEA's official games too overbearing, this game will likely satisfy that creative itch. Users get a choice: create precise, beautiful, usable designs or think of something wild. The game simulates having to build DIY furniture without instructions. Alternatively, it gives players a glimpse of the delicious freedom of ignoring the manual of a LEGO set and doing anything with the pieces. Home Improvisation is fascinating for just that reason: what a player chooses to do with its toolset reflects much more on that person than the game itself.
SCP-3008's Game
SCP, or "Secure, Contain, Protect" is an internet subculture of telling scary, but semi-realistic horror stories online. These stories appear all over the Internet, but one starring a particular Scandinavian storefront also got a video game adaptation. In the story, poor lost souls try to enter an IKEA and are instead transplanted into a horrific interdimensional space. A game version of this story, one emphasizing the twisting horror of IKEA's winding corridors, also exists. Created by Thaumiel Games, the title involves players exploring the EKIA store. Throughout the game, users have to build furniture forts, munch on meatballs, and survive the attacks of mutated staff. It's a relatively fun survival horror game, even if most of that comes from the unique and silly setting.
IKEA's Gaming Furniture Crossovers
It would be remiss to talk about IKEA and gaming without remembering the various pieces of IKEA gaming furniture the store has created. Most notable of these is possibly IKEA's move toward "democratizing the gaming experience" in partnership with ASUS' Republic of Gamers. IKEA provided a minimalism to this partnership that is often missing in even the best gaming gadgets, and ASUS brought expertise and prestige within the peripheral space.
What's even better than tasteful Swedish gaming equipment is an Animal Crossing-themed IKEA fashion catalogue. Piggybacking off the incredible success of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, IKEA used the game to recreate some of the store's furniture and showed off some real reproductions of in-game items. All told, these examples showcases the IKEA's incredibly high regard worldwide as well as the power of clever cross-brand promotions.