It's nice to get out of the house and head off to enjoy something, especially when it relates to your favourite hobbies.
However, it can be almost impossible to plan the perfect outing to keep everyone happy - especially when it comes to gaming.
With so many different generes and formats, it's hard to pick even one medium liked by all, but it's definitely not impossible.
If you're looking for something game-related to do, Manchester is certainly one of the best places to be, as the city is very fortunate with the sheer number of gaming hotspots.
Here are some of our favourite gaming-themed venues in Manchester that are far too good to be missed.
NQ64
This bar filled with neon colours, retro arcade machines, and classic consoles will make any sociable gamer feel at home. With two locations in Manchester now, one in Peter Street and the other in the Northern Quarter, there’s plenty of chances to get your hands on some classic games like Pac-Man, Space Invaders, and Super Mario Bros. Visitors can also have a go on the Super Nintento Entertainment System (SNES), Sega’s Megadrive, and the Nintendo 64.
You can also sit back and enjoy arcade-themed cocktails like Pac’s A Punch and Princess Peach, or still to beers or ciders. No booking is necessary, and there’s no entry fee but you will have to buy tokens for the games. In Manchester you can expect to spend around £7 for 15 tokens, but some games will require two tokens to play.
The Peter Street site is open from 4pm-3am Monday to Thursday, and 12pm-3am Fridays to Sunday, whilst the Northern Quarter spot closes at 2am, an hour earlier.
Goodtime Games
This vegan/vegetarian board game cafe in West Didsbury is a big hit. Non-members can pay £2.50 an hour per person to book a table for up to three hours and play from the selection of games on offer. Opened in July 2020, as the first lockdown came to an end, the business has grown to include an in-store and online shop selling some of the games available to play.
Visitors can play as many games as they like during their time, and can enjoy vegetarian or vegan treats from local, ethical suppliers, delivered straight to the table.
The cafe is open from 11-10pm Tuesday to Thursday, 11-10.30pm on Fridays, 10.30-10.30pm on Saturdays, and 10.30-10pm on Sundays.
Pre-booking is recommended to avoid disappointment, with bookings taken on the Goodtime Games website or by calling the cafe on 0161 445 0175.
Virtual Hideout
This virtual reality hub in the city centre will give people an insight into the world of realistic immersive gaming. Although the experiences are quite easy to get used to, there’ll be a variety of challenges in each game - with someone to help guide you through in case you get stuck. There are several themes to choose from, with horror and sci-fi games, shooters, and virtual escape rooms available. Each experience can be tailored to suit the player, ranging from first-time introductions to VR all the way through to hardcore simulations for seasoned gamers.
Open from 10.30-6.30pm every day, the venue has up to five rooms available for use.
Each room can accommodate up to four players, with prices for hiring a room for an hour starting at £34 for one person, going up to £40 for four.
Visit the Virtual Hideout Manchester website for more information on the experiences available and to book a slot.
Point Blank Shooting
This virtual shooting range in Deansgate isn’t exactly set up to cater for gamers, but any FPS player will definitely appreciate being able to hold a weapon in their hands whilst shooting at pixels on a screen.
Shooters can choose from a variety of different weapons before taking up a spot at their own virtual range, spending either an hour or two going through various scenarios.
Groups of up to six people can book a slot online, whilst groups of seven or more will need to contact the venue to make a reservation.
Hiring a range during off-peak hours on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Sundays, as well as before 4pm on Thursdays, will cost £10 per person per hour.
Peak range hires after 4pm on Thursdays, and all-day Friday and Saturday start at £45, moving up to £60 for six.
From 12-4pm on Sundays, the venue hosts a bottomless shoot out, with 90 minutes of unlimited prosecco or beer, pizza, and shooting for £35 a person.
Visit the Point Blank Shooting website for more information and to book.
Arcade Club
You can’t finish a list of the best gaming hotspots in Manchester without mentioning Arcade Club. Although it’s located in Bury, making it slightly more difficult to get to from the city centre, the trip is well worth it.
With three floors packed full of the best gaming entertainment there is, it’s impossible to visit without finding something to enjoy.
The Bury site is the original Arcade Club venue, with the team now expanding into Leeds and Blackpool, and houses over 300 classic and modern arcade games, exclusively imported machines, and some classic and current consoles.
Rhythm games, racing games, dance machines, and pinball tables fill the space, along with the classic arcade set-ups, with new machines being brought into the site all the time.
The site is open 4-11pm on Thursday, 6pm-12am on Friday, 11-11 on Saturday, and 11-8pm on Sundays. Friday nights are exclusively adult-only, with over 16s allowed entry when accompanied by an adult. Advanced booking is recommended, as the venue is extremely popular, and more details can be found on the Arcade Club website .
All the machines are free-to-play, with an entry fee charged per person. Adult entry costs £16, with children able to get in for £8 each. A family ticket for two adults and two children can be picked up for £40.
