Best Swindon Arcade Experience

The small town of Swindon in Wiltshire is not merely a historic and cultural attraction but also a great place for arcade gaming fans. From traditional gaming machines to cutting-edge virtual reality, Swindon caters to a wide range of gamer tastes. In the following article, we introduce you to the best arcades in Swindon, big events and competitions. as well as some entertainment alternatives.

High Score Arcades at Brunel Shopping Centre

Source: High Score Arcades Instagram

High Score is the leading brand when it comes to arcade entertainment in Swindon.

One opened up in 2023 at Brunel Arcade Swindon Shopping Centre and the address is - 14 & 15 The Plaza, The Brunel, Swindon, SN1 1LF. Bear in mind that they don’t work Monday to Thursday. and their Friday working hours are from 16:00h to 20:00h. On Saturdays they work from 10:00h to 20:00h, and if you want to visit on Sundays you can come between 10:00h and 18:30h. 

High Score Arcade Swindon has pinball machines, racing games, shooters, and dancing podiums. The general admission ticket for one hour is £11.95 and all of the games are free to play. You can also call them on 0208 102 9312 and book an event like a birthday party for example. The price in that case will be £16.95 per person.    

Arcade-based Alternatives: Gaming Tournaments and Board Games

There are numerous board game events in Swindon, and you can even join online if you wish to participate. One of the best ways to find them or organize them is through meetup site. Another reason to monitor this platform is to see if there are big tournaments lined up. In August 2023, a big board game event was held at Swindon Supermarine Stadium.  It lasted the whole day and accommodated more than 130 attendees, some of whom camped outside.

Among the featured games was Blood Bowl, a spell-binding fantasy football set in Games Workshop’s Warhammer universe. These events also show the generosity and community spirit of its guests. The mentioned tournament raised £14,000 in aid of charities, which is a great success for Swindon. 

Pokémon Trainer Club

If you are a fan of the Pokémon franchise and are looking for consistent gaming tournaments, then you are in luck. Every other Sunday you can come to Incredible Comic Shop at 21 Brunel Plaza and participate in a big Pokémon event. The entry fee per player is £2 and you can compete in Pokémon TCG or bring your Nintendo to battle or trade Pokémon with other guests. These events last from 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM.

Second generation “Casino” Sites

Innovative providers have blended popular arcades with the casino experience. They have opened the era of gamified casino sites in online gaming. What makes these operators stand out is their Curacao license, which allows them to accept crypto payments. 

More importantly, they are non Gamstop casino sites, which means they accept players who are under self-exclusion. They offer customers the chance to play a wider selection of games and claim bonuses not found at Gambling Commission-licensed casinos. These are called instant win or arcades and they include titles like Chicken, Dino Crash, Minesweeper, Plinko, Aqua Rings, and others. 

Even if they work outside of UKGC and Gamstop self-exclusion framework, these sites still have their own responsible gambling tools and self-exclusion directory.  

Arcade Tournaments For Real Money

At the moment, arcade tournaments don't currently exist in Swindon. But if you wish to play and possibly win real money you can go to Merkur Slots place. The place works 24/7 and the address is - 38 Bridge Street SN1 1BP, Swindon. There you can play the following slot arcades:

• Eye of Horus - Egyptian-themed slot with 5x3 layout, expanding wild feature, and free spins round.
• Fishin’ Frenzy - Low stakes slot game with a gamble feature that allows you to double your wins. 
• Luck ‘O The Irish - Another 5x3 slot with 10 paylines and a mystery symbol that can bring about good fortune. 

Just like in any other gambling establishment make sure you don’t spend money you cannot afford to lose, and carefully manage your bankroll.

VR Arcade Experiences

Source: nxtgenvr Instagram

For those who wish to experience the thrilling marble of next-generation VR in Swindon, NXTGEN VR is the place to be. The address is Unit 20 Enterprise House, Swindon, SN2 2YZ and they only work on Saturdays from 11 AM to 7 PM. Another important thing to note is that you have to make an appointment in order to play here.  

The VR session for one person costs £15, and you get to play on a single station. If there are more of you then party booking might be a better choice, it costs £220 for 2 hours for up to 8 people. On top of VR stations, the company also has a so-called Rage Room, which is an ideal way to blow off some steam. Pick a weapon of your choice and smash a slew of items in your surroundings. Rage Room session costs £30.  

NXTGEN VR has a solid selection of VR games that include titles like:

• Fruit Ninja VR
• Galactic Rangers VR
• Hyper Dash
• Blade and Sorcery
• Dragon Slayers
• Escape F1rst
• Rotten Apple 
• Affected: The Manor
• Angry Birds VR: Isle of Pigs
• Fear of The Dark
• Pistol Whip
• RevolVR 3

As you can see there is plenty of adrenaline-pumping action and head-scratching puzzles. The level of immersion and experience is unmatched, so feel free to give it a try.