Ready Player One: High Score arcade opens in Newbury tomorrow (Friday)

Family-friendly venue filled with dozens of arcade games

NEON Pac-Man signs light the way into Newbury’s newest entertainment venue – High Score.

A family-friendly amusement arcade on Cheap Street, High Score is packed with more than 60 arcade games – ranging from modern favourites like Guitar Hero, air hockey and motorbike racing to old-school classics like Space Invaders and pinball.

One wall is dedicated to a huge screen for Street Fighter, while the venue also boasts the world’s largest version of cult classic Pac-Man.

High Score – opening tomorrow (Friday) – is under-18 friendly with no drinking or gambling.

Customers book a one-hour session online and all machines will then be free to play, while the facility can also be hired out exclusively for events, such as for birthday parties.

There are also online leaderboards for some games like pinball and basketball, enticing regulars back to compete to get the highest scores.

The venture – located in the former Prohibition bar unit – has been launched by Corporate Amusement Services (CAS), which usually provides arcade games for hire but has branched out due to a drop in demand during the pandemic.

CAS director Aaron Gilbey said he was excited to bring something new and different to Newbury, particularly after the impact that coronavirus has had this year.

He said: “For our staff, as a business, this has been a really uplifting and rewarding project for us to be involved in.

“And I think outside, talking to people, it’s something exciting and positive to lift the doom and gloom of this year.

“We think it’ll be fantastic for Newbury. Newbury needs something and we think we’ve got it.

“For the Christmas period, families will be thinking we can go out as a family unit and do something fun.

“Because the games are free to play, you can experiment and explore games that perhaps you wouldn’t normally have played.

“Whether you’re seven or 70, male or female, a gamer or non-gamer, we’ve got something for you and so you can say ‘I enjoyed my time in there’.”

Safety protocols have been put in place to protect against coronavirus, with all the machines cleaned between sessions and visitors asked to sanitise their hands when they enter.

Mr Gilbey continued: “Tomorrow’s already fully booked for the evening slot, which is great, and then Saturday and Sunday is about 50 per cent.

“I think people are still quite nervous with Covid and whether we’re the right environment, and part of our talk before sessions will be asking people to stay in your bubbles inside and respect social distancing.

“A lot of it is common sense.”

An hour-long session is £9.95, with a 25 per cent discount for a family of four.

Children under five go free, while under 12s will require an adult. Only adults can make bookings.

Fellow director Micky Brown added: “It’s exciting. We’ve done a lot of focus groups already and followed those up with questionnaires and the feedback has been 100 per cent.

“This has been great value for money.

“We’re all really pleased about creating some jobs and bringing something new to the town.”