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[title]Where do you go in London if you’re really into gaming? From Soho’s Las Vegas arcade, to an underground Japanese games centre in Manor House and an E-sports bar on Cally Road, the capital has a whole world of venues for games buffs that might not be obvious to the unknowing passer-by. But for those savvy to the scene, the Big Smoke’s gaming shops and arcades can be a gateway into a vibrant and tight-knit community.
Whether they’re sweating it out on the Dance Dance Revolution machine, or battling in a Yu-Gi-Oh! tournament, there’s still an appetite for connecting with opponents IRL, despite the fact that stay-at-home consoles are by far the most popular method for gaming in 2024. And with loneliness reaching epidemic levels in the city, independent gaming venues have held on to their pure goal of bringing people together for joy, over a shared a passion – something that’s pretty rare to find in London nowadays.
Funland London
Once upon a time, an arcade called Funland could be found inside The Trocadero, a magnificent palace of themepark rides, cutting edge arcade games, shops, fast-food joints and cinemas. After ‘The Troc’ closed down forever in 2011, Funland relocated to the Brunswick shopping centre near Russell Square.
‘The Troc used to be this amazing place, and it was centred around Funland,’ says Gabino Stergides, Funland’s chief entertainment officer. ‘After Funland at The Troc closed we converted a River Island into an arcade. And while most people would paint the walls dark and put dark carpets down, we left everything exactly as it was. It was a bit of a risk and a chance. But the feedback we’ve got is that it works really well.’
As well as being unusually bright and airy for an arcade, Funland has ‘London’s biggest collection of pinball machines’ and an impressive collection of Japanese dance machines.
‘We have a community of people who play the dance and rhythm games, which are made by a company called Vega. These machines from Japan and Asia have a very strong following. Players come to play rhythm games that aren’t available anywhere else in the UK.’
‘Our busiest day of the year is Valentine’s Day and has been for three years in a row. We had a lot of couples and quite a few singles this year. Next year we’re going to run a singles night.
‘We also have ties with Great Ormond Street and Coram’s Fields charities. Once every couple of weeks the nurses will bring down a kid or two who needs a mental boost. We’ll give them a private party at Funland.
‘Because of the cost of living crisis we’ve had to introduce new packages that gives people a fixed time rather than spending money on the machines. People need better value for money now.’
Stergides sees entertainment venues becoming more popular in London, but not necessarily in the form of arcades for die-hard gamers. ‘We’ve seen a huge trend in the 18 to 35 age group, they’re much more inclined to go out and do an activity,’ he says. ‘Often that will involve gaming because they’ve grown up gaming since they were five years old.’
‘These new venues like Boom Battle Bar, NQ64 and Fairgame, they’re all arcades but with drinking. The business is evolving into arcades for families, then barcades for adults. Gaming has gone mainstream. It’s no longer one game in the corner of the pub that everyone has to take turns to play.’
Las Vegas Arcade
Hidden below the theatres, Amorino gelatos, and Le Labos of the West End, this old school fun-zone is an unexpected gem for newcomers and a regular haunt for others – keeping the spirits of Pacman, Lost World, and Just Dance alive.
Las Vegas arcade has been a part of London’s after-school and nightlife since the nineties – and even managed to operate throughout the pandemic under the six-foot rule. Now, with so many gamers leaving the comforts of their bedroom consoles behind, it’s back to how it was pre-2019, just under new-ish ownership. Business as usual.
Las Vegas Arcade is now run by Game Nation. ‘We bought the place in 2019,’ says Adam Reich, Game Nation’s regional manager. ‘But we couldn’t change the name or take the sign down because the sign is iconic in London, and has protected status.’
Even at three in the afternoon on a random Wednesday, the dance machines are pumping music while players’ feet pound the pink, blue and yellow arrows into submission. The guys in the corner are treating Just Dance like the Gen Z equivalent of a lunch-break gym trip, armed with towels and tiny electric fans. The pool tables are fully busy too: the sound of billiard balls clacking into each other feels out of place among the flashing lights and K-pop dance songs. It’s sensory overload, in the best way possible.
‘This [place] does pretty good to be honest,’ says Stefan Tomlinson, Las Vegas Arcade’s manager. ‘We get a lot of regulars in here. Regulars, tourists, and newcomers stumble upon the place, finding it and thinking “wow, I didn't expect to find this kind of thing in the West End”.’
After the Trocadero closed down, this arcade became the last one of its kind in central London. According to Reich, they try to make sure they have something for everyone (hence the addition of pool tables). Quite a few of the games are from Japan, including Wadaiko Master and Jubeat. ‘Korea and Japan make most of the new ones,’ says Tomlinson. ‘We have a new dance one coming in, and three or four new arcade ones. A lot of customers like the old classics like “Street Fighter”. They’re very old, but still very popular.’
Playnation Croydon
‘I started Playnation with a mate 20 years ago,’ says Dan Grossett, owner of Playnation Games, a retro gaming shop in Croydon. ‘We started with this tiny shop, no bigger than an infant’s bedroom. It was just my collection.
‘I missed the old style gaming shops from when I was a kid. As a queer, geeky kid, they felt like places you were able to hang out and just be. I felt like there weren’t any spaces like that around anymore, so I wanted to build one.
‘We started doing mini tournaments. We were so small that the kids had to sit outside because we didn’t have enough room inside the shop.’
Eventually Playnation moved into a bigger space in a former hardware store and joined up with the Heart of Gaming arcade. Putting on regular and popular games events, like Yu-Gi-Oh! tournaments and Pokémon nights, over the past two decades the orange-painted shop has become a stalwart of the community and a precious space for young LGBTQ+ gamers.
‘We are to my knowledge the only Black-owned, queer-run gaming shop in the country,’ says Grossett. ‘We run stuff for LGBTQ+ kids. We even have furries come down for events. I try and keep costs for events as low as I can because it’s all about people being able to come down and enjoy the place. Most of the time people come back again.’
It’s not just rosy nostalgia that attracts players to retro games shops like Playnation, it’s the opportunity for a genuine community. ‘Before the pandemic it was a completely different ballgame,’ he says. ‘In 2018 the shop would be busy on a random Wednesday.’ Now, with fewer shoppers, Playnation is kept afloat by events, tournaments and movie showings.
‘[Our events] help us keep the vibrant community going, which is why retro gaming is so big. As much as I love video gaming, it’s all about staying at home.
‘There’s not enough of a physical community among the younger kids now. It’s all Fifa and Fortnite that’s downloaded. The days of games swaps in the playground are over. When I was a kid I used to go to the Trocadero a lot. You’ll never get that sense of wonder again.’
Sadly, according to Grossett, ‘arcades are shrinking’ and grassroots spaces are increasingly being taken over and sanitised by corporate companies. Playnation has been ‘turfed out’ of multiple venues in Croydon over the years thanks to building works and development. Now, Grossett is looking for another new space. ‘Croydon is a tumultuous area at the moment,’ he says. ‘I don’t have any illusions of longevity here. We’ll probably end up in Bromley or Crystal Palace. It’s tough out there right now.’
Despite this, the spirit is still going strong in London’s indie gaming bars and arcades. ‘It’s nice seeing that there are still people out there who love it enough to do it,’ says Grossett. ‘You can feel the love.’