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A place to play...
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Engage with community...
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Make great things...
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Learn about games...
About The Arcade Vaults
Sadly, as of March 13th 2023, we closed our doors permanently.
The Arcade Vaults was an exciting and unique venue and community in the centre of Cardiff for all things gaming. If you made games, played games both old and new, wanted to learn about games, or would just like to engage with the community in this amazing world of games, then this was the place for you.
At the heart of The Arcade Vaults and its community were you; the players and the creators. We believed that everyone should have the opportunity to play games and even more so, anyone should be able to make them and understand how they are made.
FULL STATEMENT
It is with a heavy heart that, after 5 long years and countless memorable events, The Arcade Vaults team and I have had to make the decision to close our doors permanently. These last few years have been incredibly challenging for us, just like many other businesses, but the unique nature of our not-for-profit community has made it even more difficult to keep going. Despite our best efforts to weather the storm, we have come to the realisation that we are no longer sustainable in the current climate. We've tried everything to keep the doors open, but the reality is that the stress on myself and the team, both financially and mentally, is no longer feasible.
Creating this magical space has been an incredible journey, and we take comfort in the knowledge that we've brought happiness to many people, created new friendships, and provided a safe haven for those in need. We forged strong bonds with other communities, hosted exciting events, supported each other through lockdowns, and even fought off burglars (not literally). We will forever cherish moments such as creating bizarre cocktails and shots, experimenting with delicious unfamiliar Asian food, attempting valiantly to get ancient games and consoles to work, losing battles with our printer, and so much more.
The quirky space we called home and our amazing neighbours in High Street and Duke Street Arcades (Hobos, Mooboos, New York Deli, Jacksons & Cora, Corner Coffee, Barker Tea Rooms, SWYD - please show them your support!) will be sorely missed. But most of all, we will miss you, our beloved supporters, old and new.
Please keep an eye out for future projects from some of our team members who will continue to be active in the community. As for the others and myself in particular - we will be taking a step back to work on ourselves and enjoy a more regular lifestyle. But you never know, we may run into you at some of the other amazing geeky places in Cardiff!
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, and don't forget to keep playing those games and making connections in this much loved community we all belong to.
Chris & The Team