Novelty Automation Arcade’s twist on 2p machines

Blink and you’ll miss a narrow building in its umpteenth iteration of use in Holborn. Originally a 17^th century tavern, surviving damage during World War II and becoming a typewriter repair centre before going residential in the age of computers.

Now, it’s an amusement arcade of satirical, handmade game machines. It was opened in 2019 by its owner Tim Hunkin, 73. Known also for his cartoons and his work with the band Pink Floyd, Tim wanted the arcade to mock London’s monetisation of fun.

“Making arcade machines was the hobby that took over my life,” he says. “The average time to make one is about six months, but occasionally they can take me over a year to complete.”

“You won’t be playing to win cash prizes”

In this arcade, you won’t be playing to win cash prizes, but rather to experience the engineering and jokes from the games themselves. “It’s been a really fun experience,” says Ellie Le, 20. “I am into arcade games and I think this is a cool twist on the usual machines seen in American arcades that say, ‘Give me your money, and we are going to make you lose very quickly’.”

Speaking to Great Big Story, Tim said, “There’s something magical about all [the machines]. As a child I found that making things that made people laugh was satisfying and there seemed to be more point in doing that than making useful machines.

“Britain’s got a great history of satire, and I suppose I’m not really particularly political myself, but I think it’s healthy for little people to poke fun at the rich and powerful,” he said.

“I get my ideas from lots of places. It’s partly things happening in my life, partly things happening in the news and partly from old arcade machines and mechanisms.”

For example, Tim pokes fun at the age of digital addiction with his game i-Zombies. In this game, you are challenged to give up your phone and avoid the phone-addicted zombies. You get nine lives before you’re overrun. If you don’t survive, you could lose your phone for three hours. But fear not, if you’re desperate you can get it back by hitting the emergency button on the machine.

Or perhaps, you might prefer the game Divorce. Here, you instigate a divorce, Rockem-Sockem style, by cranking the handwheels until they snap in a tug-of-war over their house. Will you or your ex get the settlement?

It’s safe to say Novelty Automation has a range of games that you won’t see anywhere else. It mixes humour with engineering, giving visitors the chance to enjoy the arcade for what it is, rather than what they’ll win.

Solo visitors will find it easy to slip in and play, surrounded by the buzz of dozens of giggle-inducing machines.

Novelty Automation is free to enter. You don’t need to book to visit the Novelty Amusement arcade but you can find out more information on their website.