In Auburn, New York, a unique nonprofit organization is proving that video games can be much more than just a pastime; they can be a powerful tool for community building and youth empowerment. The Hideout Gaming Center, Inc. was built on a simple but powerful vision: to create a safe, welcoming place where young people can have fun, build friendships, and discover their potential.
Today, the organization uses gaming as a gateway to education, leadership, and personal growth for the youth of Auburn and Cayuga County.
The organization is spearheaded by a dynamic duo of native New Yorkers. Founder and President Daryl King drew inspiration from the strong sense of community he experienced growing up in local arcades, transforming that nostalgic concept into a modern hub for mentorship and development. He is joined by Co-Founder and Vice President Darryl Clark, who brings decades of experience in technology, media production, and entrepreneurship to the table.
As the founder of DC Arcades, Clark specializes in custom arcade design and firmly believes that gaming can inspire teamwork, confidence, and problem-solving. Together, they are committed to ensuring The Hideout is a supportive environment where every child feels valued and empowered to succeed.
The Quintessential Gentleman spoke with King and Clark to discuss their journey, the legacy of Black entrepreneurship in their town, and the profound impact of their work.
What inspired you both to create The Hideout Gaming Center? And what need were you hoping to fill in your community?
Daryl King: What inspired us was the kids. There was very little for kids to do in this town. My own kids weren’t as into the BTW program as much as they were when we first moved out here, so I was just trying to think of different things for kids to do. Darryl had built an arcade machine, which he does for a living, and I was like, “What do you think about opening up a game room?” It was just a thought originally, and he’s like, “Why not? Well, let’s do it.” That got me thinking about my old neighborhood. The way we grew up, arcades were really popular, and there was an arcade right on my block called Junior’s. All the kids used to go there. I used to notice the power that this man had just because of the video games, this man had power; you couldn’t disrespect him without the whole neighborhood getting on you. I think every kid dreamed of having all those video games. So I was thinking about that, and I was like, let’s put together a modern-day sort of arcade.
Why was it important to create specifically a game center, rather than something like a game truck?
Darryl Clark: We saw more of a need for kids to come together in community. We could have easily done a game truck, but that moves, it keeps going different places. We wanted something centralized, where all the kids can come to a safe place, an inclusive place. It didn’t matter how old you were. We wanted all the kids, Black, white, whoever, to be able to come together into a safe environment and either make new friends or solidify the relationships they had, learning how to interact with each other, learning how to lose, learning how to win properly. We wanted all of these things kind of mixed up in one area, and we wanted to do it based in our community, just to give these kids somewhere safe and inclusive for them to be.
Cayuga County is the chosen home for Harriet Tubman after gaining her freedom. How do you see your work continuing that legacy of Black entrepreneurship in the area?
Darryl Clark: I think the biggest thing is to continue with our growth in the Black community and unity in the Black community. Whether it’s just myself and Daryl or other Black business owners in the area, we try to collaborate wherever we can. So I think continuing that legacy of unity and building, and doing something positive for the community, helps maintain the legacy of Harriet Tubman here, especially being here in the town.
What has been the most memorable moment you’ve both had since starting The Hideout in 2018?
Darryl Clark: I had my moment the other day, honestly. It was during an event we had. All the kids had left, and one girl ran back in looking for me. I’m like, is everything all right? Yes. And she gave me a big old hug and she looked at me and said, thank you for starting The Hideout, we really love this place, we love you. And then she ran out. It almost brought a tear to my eye, because those are the moments that make you realize that what you’re doing is the right thing, no matter the trials and tribulations, all the hard work that goes into it, the problems that we run into. It makes it all worth it when you see a kid actually appreciate and understand and love what we’re doing.
Daryl King: Mine had to be when this one child’s mom used to donate about thirty dollars every month, like clockwork. Her child was autistic, so when she used to bring him in, he used to act up a lot. There were times when he ran out the door, ran into the street from her, and everything. But the more he came to The Hideout, the more he started opening up and meeting new friends. At first, he was real standoffish. He wouldn’t deal with nobody, and like I said, he was running out of The Hideout and just acting up a lot. But the more he came, the next thing I know, he’s coming in and knows me by my first name. He met other kids, and he stopped running out of The Hideout. He started to have fun, and it became a safe, comfortable place. We kind of helped him socialize better, and that meant a lot to me. That really meant a lot to me.
Is there anything we haven’t talked about that you’d like people to know about The Hideout Gaming Center?
Darryl Clark: It’s for everyone; that’s one thing we want people to know. Black, white, Chinese, big, small, tall, we’re inclusive. Come down, adults too, big kids too, we’re big kids, that’s why we started it. Come down, see what we’re about, stick your head in, just come in and say hi. We don’t turn anyone away.
Daryl King: And I’ll say this too, money is not an issue. A lot of times people will look at our prices, which are very affordable, but we still have those certain people, times when it’s hard, that can’t afford it. I try to encourage them to still come anyway, because nine times out of ten, we’ll let your kid get on the game. We don’t turn anyone away. It’s actually free to hang out here, we just charge for the games, and that’s pretty much just to keep the lights on.
Learn more about The Hideout here.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Darryl Clark & Daryl King and Nathan MacLachlan with DSLR Productions
