Pixel Busters
ENTRY
from £7.50
SETTING
Indoors
WHERE
Stoke-on-Trent
What it’s like
Free play arcade with Street Fighter cabinets, dance machines, Pac-Man and PS5s, open Saturdays with sessions to book.
This is a proper arcade in the old-school sense: Street Fighter and other fighting cabinets, dance machine games, Pac-Man and the classic cabinets, plus PS5s if the screens are more your kid's speed. It's free play once you're in, so the £7.50 ticket covers everything and nobody's feeding it coins all afternoon, which is the whole appeal if you've got a competitive nine-year-old and a sibling who just wants a go on the dance mat.
Saturday is the only regular day it's open, split into three sessions (12:30 to 3:30, 4 to 7, and 7:30 to 10:30), and worth knowing the late evening slot leans adult with 15-rated content on show, so it's not the one to book with the kids. Being a small venue, they recommend pre-booking to guarantee entry; turn-up-and-play tickets exist but are only sold on the day if there's room, which on a Saturday feels like a gamble you don't need to take. There's no food on site outside private hire, so eat before you come or plan on it after.
If you're after a birthday do, they hire out the whole venue exclusively rather than running parties alongside public sessions. Weekday hire runs from £150 for two hours (up to 20 players), a Saturday morning slot is £175, and Friday or Saturday evening hire goes up to £225 for two hours and covers up to 40 people, which is handy for a bigger group. You can bring your own food and cake to any private hire, and alcohol is allowed for adults at evening bookings if you flag it in advance, though not at morning parties.
Through summer the pattern changes and it drops down to Saturdays only outside of any special event or private hire, and a few dates run to a shortened single session, so the usual three-slot Saturday isn't guaranteed every week.
Facilities
Need to know
- Booking
- Pre-booking recommended and guarantees entry
- Parties
- Exclusive hire of entire venue, weekday from £150 for 2 hours (up to 20 players), weekend morning £175 for 2 hours
- Free play ticket covers every game, so there's nothing extra to feed the machines.
- Alcohol is allowed for adults at evening private hire if you mention it when booking, but not at morning parties.
- Check which Saturdays are running over summer, some dates are shortened to one session.
- Bring your own food to private hire, there's table space set aside for it and the cake.
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
£7.50 for a standard player ticket, and that covers free play on everything once you're in.
Do we need to book?
Pre-booking guarantees your spot, which matters here because it's a small venue. Turn-up-and-play tickets are sold on the day at reception but only if there's space, and Saturdays can fill up.
What are the opening hours?
Saturdays, split into three sessions: 12:30 to 3:30pm, 4 to 7pm, and 7:30 to 10:30pm.
Is the evening session suitable for kids?
The Saturday evening slot tends to be more adult-focused and can show 15-rated content, so it's not the session to bring children to.
Can non-players come along too?
Non-player tickets aren't available to pre-book and aren't guaranteed entry even if you buy one, so it's best to assume everyone coming needs to play.
Is there food on site?
No on-site catering for regular sessions. Private hire bookings are different, you can bring your own food or order a delivery, and there's table space for it.
Can we book a birthday party?
They do exclusive venue hire rather than shared parties. Weekday hire starts at £150 for two hours, weekend mornings are £175, and Friday or Saturday evening hire from £225 covers up to 40 people.
Is it open in summer?
During the warmer months it drops to Saturdays only outside of special events or private hire, and a few dates run a shortened single session rather than the usual three.
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