For a bucket load of hilarious comical fun, this criminally underrated spot in Holborn embodies the saying “big things come in small packages” to a tee. In about as large a space as your average living room, Novelty Automation houses around twenty side splittingly outrageous old school arcades. These aren’t just your average games though, these are wacky satires on modern day life that’ll have your ribs aching for days. From an instant holiday to a futuristic robot frisking machine (another reason to watch out for your ribs), there’s a game for everything life will likely throw at you.


And then there’s a nuclear reactor.

Where: 1A Princeton Street, a five minute walk from Chancery Lane Station. A ten minute walk from the British Museum.


When: 11 am to 6 pm, 12 pm to 8 pm on Thursdays. Opens at 12 pm on Sundays, closed on Mondays.

How long and who: Anyone and everyone will have a blast here, though some of the jokes will appeal to adults more as they children just haven’t gone through these inevitable stages of life yet, such as trying to sell your scraps at an art auction (we all have right? Right?) How long depends on how many games you play, with the average taking three to five minutes.

Cost: Tokens are one pound each but get cheaper when you buy more. You need 27 tokens in total to try every arcade once.

Nearby to: Sir John Soane’s Museum – 5 minute walk. Lincoln’s Inn – 5 minutes. Hunterian Museum – 8 minutes. British Museum – 10 minute walk.