Derby's New Arcade Is Everything We Wanted It to Be

Continue Arcades has officially opened its Derby venue on East Street, bringing its hugely popular free-play arcade concept to the city centre. Instead of constantly reaching for your wallet every time you fancy another game, you simply pay for entry and enjoy unlimited access to an enormous collection of arcade machines for the duration of your visit.

It’s a brilliantly simple idea, and one that makes exploring the venue feel completely different to a traditional amusement arcade. Rather than worrying about how much every game is costing, you’re free to wander, experiment and rediscover old favourites alongside games you’ve never played before.

One of the biggest surprises is just how broad the collection is. Whether you grew up in the golden age of arcades, remember spending weekends in seaside amusement centres, or you’re introducing your kids to the games you played growing up, there’s something here that’ll grab your attention. Racing games sit alongside rhythm games, shooters, sports games, pinball machines and genuine arcade classics, while a dedicated retro gaming corner lets visitors dive into console favourites from years gone by.

We also need to give a special shout-out to Guitar Hero Arcade, which was easily the busiest machine every time we walked past it. There always seemed to be someone waiting for their turn, whether they genuinely knew what they were doing or just fancied living out their rockstar fantasy for a few minutes. Naturally, we had to have a go ourselves. We very quickly discovered that we’re absolutely awful. It turns out confidently shredding on a plastic guitar while missing half the notes isn’t quite as impressive as it feels in your head. We still had an absolute blast though, and judging by the queue behind us, we definitely weren’t the only ones.

The venue doesn’t stop at the games either. Food and drinks are available throughout the day, including pizzas, hot dogs, loaded fries, milkshakes, frozen drinks, pick ‘n’ mix, bottomless popcorn and cocktails, making it dangerously easy to settle in for far longer than originally planned.

At a time when people regularly ask for more things to do in Derby city centre, Continue Arcades feels like a genuine addition rather than just another business opening its doors. It’s affordable, different and appeals to just about every generation, whether you’re chasing nostalgia, reliving childhood memories or introducing someone else to them for the first time.

Check out the full list of games below: