Game Arena

This is a tough review for me because clearly this is a locally owned small business who cares about the quality of their guests experiences. I did not have a good experience but I'm confident that these issues can and will be resolved. So with optimism, I share this review.I was looking for a unique daddy date for my 3rd child who thanks to Covid(sucks) has missed out on two birthday parties(20% of his birthdays). I saw a Groupon that allowed you to play for several hours for cheap. My son(10) called to verify what games were available and was told "we have all of the major titles". That's also when I realized that kids don't make phone calls. It was like learning to drive for him. I digress. When we arrived there was a special even better than the Groupon so I bought 30 hours or so for future visits. The staff was kind and at our request gave a tour. The problem began when we tried to play. There were fewer titles than we expected and we couldn't get logged in. Technical problems are to be expected but after 20 minutes, the staff member said "it's been doing this all day"....Oof. You knew about the issue when I called earlier...Additionally, and this makes sense, we needed logins for the games themselves. Which we don't have. 45 minutes in we had played a couple of rounds of a first person shooter that we were wildly outmatched in. And it was the only game we could get logged in to.My son was a trooper. Each time it became evident the game he wanted wasn't working he would say "let's try this one dad" and unfortunately, no go. Eventually I had to pull the plug and scramble to find something else. Full refund and bailed.That one experience was brutal. But I just don't think that it's conducive of the typical experience.If you are an avid gamer in the genres they have, with your logins, on a good server day. You will have a 4-5 star day I'll bet my bottom dollar. Alas, not us. Alas, not us.

Nice to see some LAN centers/cyber cafe back in Columbus. Facility is very spacious and clean. Super friendly staff and the systems are all respectable with GTX 1060 video cards.Food area looks good too. I didn't have a chance to try and of the air fried dishes, but I can say that the Orange Creme bubble tea was very legit. $7 an hour to rent a system, or higher price points at a discount for 6+ hours. Nice to know hours roll over between visits so you're not buying fresh if you didn't use all your credits up on a previous visit.

YOOOO, THIS PLACE IS THE JOINT!!! We've taken the kiddo to the Mill Run location twice now; once solo with his dad and once with me, along with one of his friends (both are between the ages of 10-11). The building caught my attention one afternoon as I was cruising the Mill Run plaza-- actually looking for another 'gamer-geared' place that we had never gotten a chance to check out, and though I didn't find that particular place (though it could very well still be in business), I just happened to notice GA. It's located across from Salon Lofts and the Arts & Education Store, in the cut right next to the sketchy Steak & Shake. But not TOO close lolz. I popped in that first afternoon slightly intimidated and feeling well beyond my depth but, BOY-- LET ME TELL YOU; I left not only with all my questions answered and concerns allayed, but ALSO with a virtual golden nugget of info that I'd have never expected. Moms out there, Dads, or even unwilling older sibling/sitters out there: if you've got *well behaved* tweens/teens who know how to conduct themselves in public and also feel comfortable with the notion, this is an AWESOME place to bring your medium-fry sized angel, while perhaps dashing to the grocery or squeezing out a quick errand or two. (*Read: yes really, that much needed hour of mommy time is a reality, or of course any kind of human, adult-time, I'm just speaking from my own experience, though I don't think they're flexible on the *human requirement part, sadly). The facility is wall-to-wall decked out with colorful, seemingly top-of -the-line computer towers, flashy keyboards, monitors, headphones and tons more galore! They're open late too, especially on weekends which is an added bonus since everything closes entirely too early around here these days. You'd think we were in some sleepy dry county in South Dakota since Corona sometimes, I swear! Oh, that reminds me-- for the 21+ set: THEY SERVE BEER TOO!!! I didn't imbibe but I believe they serve canned domestics and micros, though I'm not sure if they also have beer on tap too and/or if they serve liquor in addition. Though I'm not a big drinker, I def thought that was a nice touch, especially for those parents who might be otherwise wishing they were anywhere else once the place starts popping off. Friday nights I believe they have Fortnight tourneys (all are welcome) and this is one such occasion I could see myself indulging in some cold Duff! Lol Not to be overlooked, there is also a VR ROOM (a largish, soundproofed, ENTIRE ROOM) outfitted with an HTC VIVE, along with a pairable PC/monitor for a friend to also spectate between turns or sessions. The room/device is rented ahead of time by the hour and adding additional time is a breeze. Once you have an account created with GA, any unused 'credits' I believe stay in your account too, rather than being forfeited which is dope, and regular hourly rates for PC play i *think is $6/hr?!!! The staff members are really what make this place shine though, from the associates to management, every employee I encountered was super cheerful, genuine, friendly, patient (both with the kids and my own *steep learning curve), and somehow each also possessing a staggering knowledge of all the ins & outs necessary to successfully run this kind of operation *ever-so-smoothly!!! The staff clearly take pride in the appearance, cleanliness, and general atmospheric vibe here, and should you run into any snares or snags mechanically or otherwise, management is quick and beyond generous in rectifying or compensating for any issue that may arise . I realize this is, er, a little long-winded but thought I would be doing the rest of Hilliard a disservice had I not at least made an attempt to share how truly awesome this place is with my fellow townies. I cannot come close to doing this place justice in a single Yelp review, but DEF do yourself a favor and check the place out (even if your child does already have a PC at home, because it beats being locked up alone, behind closed doors IMO, and there's plenty of opportunity to foster new real-world friendships, lolz). I can tell you for a FACT (no shade to Get Air) but as a parent or spectator, or even as a solo adult-- shit even as a date destination-- this place is TOPS!!! Especially for those 21+ among us! Hands down Hilliard's best kept secret. Oh, and did I mention, they serve concessions too??!!

Super fun, great staff, great game selection, good food, great facility.You pay by the hour, which you can buy in various quantities. Reason my pricedYou can have food and drinks delivered to your seat with a couple clicks! They have an oil-free air fryer so it isn't too bad for you, either. Plus they have game-u now, so kids can learn to make their own games! Good for adults and children alike

Easily my favorite place in the Columbus area. I've had the pleasure if visiting Game Arena since it's opening. Getting opportunities to work alongside some of the employees for events, and helping build the Starcraft Community thanks to the hard work Garrett has put in to keep our community thriving. I've never had a bad experience with Game Arena and I believe that if you are into gaming, esports, or want a fun place to just hang out with friends, go here right away!

Solid setup and equipment. I will definitely come back soon.

If you have a gamer child... don't walk to this spot, run. It is a gamers heaven on earth. My 11 yr old son can't stop talking about his experience. You will not be disappointed. Gamers can have food and drink delivered to their seats; it's fantastic. The game options are endless, and the equipment is top notch. They think of everything, down to the mega comfortable gaming chairs. So happy this business is close to our home. What a great outlet for kids that like to game!!!!

Google has the wrong hours listed for this place so we drove here only for it to be closed. Update your google profile!!

My kids (age 7 and 9) love coming here! Awesome place to spend some time playing games. One thing I wish I knew was that lots of games require personal accounts to play, E.g. Fortnite and others. Some Steam based games also require the user to have purchased the game on their account. Other than that, the computers work well, the consoles are a nice break from PCs.

The staff members were very respectful and accommodating to my 12 year old son and his friends every time I went there ( 8 and counting) . Naturally the kids have a lot of questions and concerns but the staff always and consistently answer their questions without being condescending and are very patient and polite. I have seen the place packed out and they somehow find a way to help everyone while providing a very fun experience for everyone. First rate equipment to game on including the gaming chair to sit on. Looks like a wonderful place to have a birthday party for the kids. Very clean and a totally safe environment (important to me) throughout including the restrooms. Food/drink offerings are healthy and good and were reasonably priced. Columbus Ohio is lucky to have this kind of establishment with such a dedicated personnel! I highly recommend this business!!