Game On Cornwall
“Our mission is to weave a community of Gamers together, free from stigma, gatekeeping and exclusion. To champion geek culture is our ultimate end. Our mantra: “Gaming is for all” expresses the heart of our duty on a daily basis, and the commitment we share in encouraging every Gamer to bring kindness, tolerance and altruism into their community space.”
The mission statement on their website describes the atmosphere of Game On perfectly. Always welcoming, they treat every single person who comes through the doors as their friend.
The entrance has a small ramp leading into the retail space and the Game On bar. You can find a huge array of American and Asian snacks and sweets, merchandise from movies, games and anime and an assortment of trading card games such as Magic the gathering, Pokemon and Yu Gi Oh! With wide aisles and staff on hand to help it is fully accessible to those with mobility difficulties or vision impairment. The shop area is open plan to the cafe so it can be a little noisy at times, this varies depending on how busy the cafe is. The display cabinets for the trading cards are glass so can be viewed easily and the shop has a dedicated member of staff to help with anything you may need.
Leading on from the shop area is The Game On bar where you can get hot and cold food and drinks. The tables have plenty of room around them and can easily accommodate a wheelchair. This area is perfect for a battle in a trading card game of your choice!
At the rear of the store are the retro and Esports gaming areas, which are set up and ready to play. These areas are more peaceful than the rest of the space and can be perfect to relax either solo or with friends to test your skills or chill out playing some retro classics (They even have a Sega Megadrive!). Again accessibility has been well thought out, as it is across the whole of Game On Cornwall.
On the right of the store is a Very Important Gamers room, this is a paid for space to host parties, get togethers with friends or just spend time relaxing. The layout accommodates easy access and because it is a paid for space it is yours for the time you book it.
The Tabletop Tavern is a separate room, an immersive space for Tabletop Role Playing adventures. The room has low lighting and atmospheric decoration with a large table in the middle to host up to 8 people (7 players and a Dungeon Master). Being separated from the cafe and shop it is much quieter and when inside it feels like you have travelled to a far away land where you can fully become your character. I took part in their D&D taster sessions and can say from personal experience that their Dungeon Master is fantastic. As complete beginners he made us feel comfortable learning the ropes in an exciting and supportive environment.
Quiet sessions are being organised this year where lights will be lowered and noise kept to a minimum so keep an eye on their social media for news on this as well as the hotel opening this year. The hotel will have level access from Bread Street at the rear and if the accessibility is as well thought out as the shop downstairs it will be a wonderfully accessible asset for Penzance.
All in all I have been really impressed with the owners and staff’s vision of accessibility for all in the gaming world and how they have made every effort to make that a reality.
