Bristol’s 9 best gaming haunts

For the women and men that make up the majority of both the video gaming and board gaming crowd, we like nothing more than putting down the controller, stepping outside, and seeing what fun things the city has to offer – especially when those things are tied up in and inspired by the games we love.

Here, then, in no particular order, are the very best things you can do and places you can visit while out and about in Bristol with the gamers in your life:
1. Play board games and eat carrot cake at Chance and Counters.

This board game cafe is a hecking delight and a must visit if you’re in any way into dice and meeples. You stroll in, grab a board game from a huge and varied selection, and can play it for as long as you like, for a small cover charge, all the while sipping tea and eating cakes.

2. Have a barrel of laughs at Kongs.

An unassuming bar in King Street, but one that will have you monkeying around with classic arcade games of days gone by in no time. Challenge friends to matches of Street Fighter II over a drink or two in a friendly and super-playful atmosphere.

3. Sing your heart out at The Lanes.

Bowling, pool, great music and (if you’re feeling brave) some real-life Singstar in the form of the karaoke bar is what awaits you here. After releasing your inner rock star, treat yourself to some of the venue’s damn fine pizza too.

4. Re-live video gaming’s glory days at 8Bit Planet

A couple of entries in this list are essentially hobby stores that run regular events, and this is one of the best in Bristol. 8Bit Planet offers a selection of consoles and CRT TVs that are permanently set up to play retro video games on, just before you splash out on that copy of Faxanadu you always wanted.

5. Become a Planeswalker at Forbidden Planet

Friday Night Magic is a bit of a tradition among those that play Magic: The Gathering and, in Bristol, your best bet for a decent room of opponents is Forbidden Planet. The crowd is friendly and the staff are even friendlier, welcoming seasoned players and newbies alike.

6. Vanquish evil and shop ’til you drop at Excelsior! Comics 

Walking into the store is like entering Aladdin’s cave… if Aladdin’s cave were full to bursting with all kinds of brilliant board games and collectible card games. There are plenty of regular game nights too, as well as space to just sit and play some great games with your nerdy pals.

7. Deathmatch with your pals at Laser Fusion

If you’ve ever played a team-based first person shooter like Unreal Tournament, Team Fortress, or Overwatch, then picking up a laser gun and blasting your mates across a tactical arena filled with strategic shooting opportunities will be second nature.

8. Unleash your inner Ezio at FreeDog

This absolutely gigantic trampoline park is easily accessible from the city centre and the perfect space for all sorts of games and activities, including everything from free running into foam pits, to high intensity dodgeball and laser mazes.

9. Get wrapped up in a real-life point and click adventure at Puzzlair

You and a few friends enter a room, get locked in, and discover a scene filled with puzzles to solve and mysteries to unravel. That probably sounds familiar to anyone who’s played Broken Sword or Monkey Island, except doing it for real might be (whisper it…) even more satisfying than in a video game!

Peter Willington is a producer at Bristol games studio Auroch Digital. When not making games, he’s talking about them on his geek culture podcast Staying In and on Twitter.

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