TMC On The Barcade Experience: The Ultimate Boozy Childhood Playground
Have you ever heard of the term ‘barcade’?
If you haven’t, a barcade is exactly as it sounds: the combination of both a bar and an arcade all wrapped up in one convenient location. Barcades usually favor stocking more classic retro games than modern ones—think pinball machines, old Daytona racing games, and other classic arcade staples in the 90s—while serving you snacks and your favourite boozy beverage of choice on the side. For me, the barcade is the arcade’s older brother, cooler and more refined while still loving the same things, with a penchant for alcohol after growing up.
While barcades seem like a novelty concept considering how most trends come and go in today’s brand of living, The Men’s Cave team beg to differ.
The barcade experience appeals and interests us because it represents how we as adults never really grow up and are simply kids at heart with more adult-like tastes. It caters to the notion that you don’t have to be in a specific age group just to be able to enjoy games that you used to love—and still do—as a child.
This is the same type of spirit The Men’s Cave has constantly strived its best to capture within the products and services we provide for our customers. It’s also this spirit that drives our enthusiasm to help people create their own one-of-a-kind ‘man cave’ that will allow their homes to be both a place of respite and enjoyment.
Therefore, it feels fair that we look along the same vein at barcades since it provides a similar experience but in a more public setting. Perhaps a man’s cave is just your own private and personalised barcade within the reaches of your own home? The notion is difficult to dispute.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1000"] Beercade Headquaters in Chicago.[/caption]
The barcade is pretty much a childhood playground with alcoholic treats and finger food!
Much like a man cave, the barcade provides sanctuary for the young at heart while giving you a fun and relaxing place to chill and just be yourself regardless of whether you’re there with company or not.
For many of us at a certain age, drinking becomes less of a rite of passage into adulthood—the first time you get to drink legally as an adult—and more of a pastime, a way for people to socialise and forget their worries for a temporary moment. It is what replaces the joy of gaming as we grow up because it’s deemed as ‘more appropriate’ for the working adult. However, the TMC team disagrees on such a thing, which is where the barcade comes in.
As the name suggests, alcohol and games are things that can both go hand-in-hand, especially as we grow older. Growing up doesn’t mean we have to let go of one thing for another and the barcade concept is proof of that, having thrived over the past few decades and is still going strong. It’s not reshelling your childhood memories to you but rather, barcades allow you to continue enjoying the same things while catering to the older you.
Fun tip for you: Barcades are probably the only place where drunk driving is allowed and actually encouraged by both friends and family (as long as it’s within the premise!)
Still, not all barcades are created equal. Some only provide specific types of retro games instead of having a more general range, while others might put more emphasis on their alcohol section and provide drink pairings with the games they have to allow for a more immersive experience. Regardless of the different types of barcades there are, one thing’s for sure: No barcade is complete without a wide plethora of classic childhood games! Even if you’re unsure of what kind of barcade would suit you, there’s at least the guarantee that you’ll have tons of fun trying out all the games and drinks each of them will have to offer.
If any of this has managed to tickle your interest, you can check out this list of barcades in Singapore to visit or plan your next social gathering at: click me!
However, do bear in mind that the barcade is a concept that isn’t tied down to a specific location. By the end of the day, the most important thing about a barcade is not in having a fancy location or all the latest gadgets, it’s the joy and memories you make while you’re there, combining an adult palette for booze and an unwavering love of video games and other classic childhood games.
April 20, 2020
