As of May 2024, Plymouth’s gaming scene welcomed a fresh new hub that’s capturing hearts and joysticks alike. Austin Wood, who returned from the U.S. with his family, has transformed his passion for gaming into a community-centred venture that prioritises values over profits. Introducing Continue? arcades – a nostalgic journey where classic gaming meets modern ethos, redefining entertainment in the city.

In 2015, Plymouth resident, Austin Wood decided it was time for a change and made the journey across the sea to the United States. Living in places like Texas, California and the latter part of his stay, Florida. Austin, an outdoor enthusiast, was living the dream, working for non-profit organisations and field trips which meant his office every day was the great landscapes of Florida. It wasn’t until Austin and his wife welcomed to the world their first son that he felt the pull back to the U.K.

“What can I do here that I really like doing?”

Returning back to Plymouth, it soon dawned on Austin that there wasn’t much work that could be done outdoors all year round. But not one to let that deter him, Austin went back to the drawing board to discover what else he really liked doing.

Whilst the concept of “free play” is new to Plymouth, the U.S. has many arcades with just that. With his enjoyment of gaming and discovering a gap in the Plymouth market Austin had a lightbulb moment.

Searching for the right place was crucial, originally wanting to be part of the redevelopment at the bottom end of the Plymouth City Centre, he made the business decision to find a spot near the hustle and bustle of the city. Within this time, in April 2023, Austin was throwing around some ideas for the name with his brothers, never knowing it would turn into the brand it has. Continue? stood out as simple, meaningful, relatable and something that if designed correctly would be instantly clear what was inside. As well as his brothers to bounce ideas off, the rest of his family have been on hand to support him all the way through, some of them now working in the arcade.

Continuing the search, Austin viewed premises like Nandos, Debenhams and The Barcode which didn’t fit the bill. That’s when he stumbled across the vacant Dream’s showroom on Royal Parade. As soon as Austin walked through the doors, he instantly knew that this was it, this was Continue? arcades. Split over 2 floors with the addition of a mezzanine, the location would provide the perfect foundation for the retro gaming lounge.

With an incredibly quick turnaround from finding the venue in April 2023 to opening the doors in May 2024, Austin got to work by creating a business plan, carrying out market research and finding those all-important games. Around 100k was invested in the city centre to get this project ready to open its doors. Without using outside investments or loans, Austin used his own funds from beginning to end. When speaking with him he made it clear how much he loves Plymouth and how much he wants the city centre to be back at the heart of such a wonderful city. He hopes others take the risk and invest in the city centre area too.

“An idea is just an idea and you never know how it's going to turn out, so it's super nice that this idea is loved by people. It continues to blow my mind.”

With the success of the opening weekend in May 2024, Austin expressed how incredibly touching and heartwarming it is that people have really resonated with the arcade. Making the conscious choice to open its doors in the May half-term, Austin and the team saw hundreds of people from children to 60+-year-olds flood the gaming stations. However, as the user experience is at the forefront of Austin’s vision, there is a 100-person capacity to ensure that customers won’t be queuing for games and that everybody can have an enjoyable time.

The opening times are 11:30 am - 9:00 pm Sunday - Friday and extending until 11:00 pm on Saturdays. Austin’s vision for Continue? is a clean, classy and welcoming venue for all ages to enjoy. Making a conscious effort to hold a place for people to come and play some games, have a couple of drinks if the customer desires but this isn’t a place for rowdy and drunk behaviour, which is why he’s chosen not to include a plethora of tables, glasses or large drink fridges. 

“I've recently had a family spend about 7 hours here! There's games for the parents and the kids - it's great.”

When it comes to the business itself, Austin really liked the aspect of unlimited play, which is one of the unique attributes of Continue?  Looking at the local competitors, they charge £15 - £20 in exchange for 1-2 hours of gameplay, whereas at Continue? gamers can play until their heart’s content for just £12 for adults and £9 for children. Not only that, gamers can hydrate themselves with a selection of cans of soft drinks, premixed cocktails and spirits, ciders and IPA’s. Whilst the executive decision not to offer food to preserve the cleanliness of the machines, you can fill your boots with unlimited warm popcorn for the extremely reasonable price of £2.80.

“I despise the money-making aspect of arcades and sneaking in gambling for children with penny machines and ticket collecting. I want this to be about the user experience rather than the price point and that's why £12 just felt right.”

By mixing the classic golden gamer games like Pacman, Donkey Kong and Streetfighter to name a few with modern games entices a wider market. A place perfect for a first date, family days out, friendship group meetups whatever the age or even plays as a welcoming host for those wishing to spend a day to themselves. There are about 50 gaming stations including consoles and pinballs with around 800 games to sink your teeth into.

Now, whilst some enjoy the carefree gaming experience, some enjoy the competitive aspect, which is why in July this year, Austin introduced its first Tournament, StreetFighter 4. It’s free for potential champions to enter with the winner taking home a Two Week Pass for 2. This is hopefully the first of many Tournaments, so watch this space. If Tournaments aren’t your thing, then you can still work your way onto the High Scores board displayed in the gaming lounge and also on their website.

Even though Continue? is still in its infancy, the success so far has been admirable. Austin has already set the wheels in motion to expand to be able to offer rooms for hire, whether that’s for corporate events, birthdays and more. There are also plans in the not-too-distant future to cast the net further afield and look at making his mark in places like Taunton and Exeter as this business venture is easy to franchise.

“Dad, is it my turn yet?”

Now a father himself, Austin knows how precious time is with family and just the importance of human interaction itself. A lot of people play games from the comfort of their own homes, perhaps after they’ve finished work or school. As children get older, some may relax by shutting themselves away day after day to play games in their room, Continue? is such a great place for parents to interact with their children and play head-to-head or teamwork games. Likewise, for adults, Continue? is an incredibly welcoming place and offers a nice place to play your favourite games with like-minded people around. 

So it’s game over for boring weekends and time to reload to the golden gaming era and reintroduce yourself to your inner child.

For more information or to book online head to their website www.continuearcades.com