Updated on 30th January 2025

Play Over 100 Video Games at This Little Known Yorkshire Museum

Get your game on at this unique attraction!

Written on Culture Updated on 30th January 2025

We came to play – and this Sheffield museum is chock-a-block with games and unique attractions.

The National Videogame Museum (NVM) in Sheffield is the only museum in the UK dedicated entirely to video games. It’s a celebration of this ever-popular medium, delivering hours of fun on colourful arcade machines and classic consoles.

Having moved from Nottingham to the centre of Sheffield back in 2018, the NVM boasts over 100 different playable exhibits, spanning an array of genres, consoles and decades. This is alongside a carefully curated collection of over 5,000 unique exhibitions detailing and celebrating the culture and history of video games over the last 50 years.

A young girl playing on the Sonic & Sega All Star Racing Arcade game at NVM

Your ticket unlocks three hours of unlimited gameplay – no coins needed here! When you first walk into the one-floor, open-plan museum, you may wonder if three hours may be too long – but trust us, once you get playing, the time does fly.

You’ll be greeted by various exhibitions all vying for your attention. We were first drawn to the vibrant, retro arcade machines. These transported us back in time and got us swizzling joysticks on Space Invaders, button-bashing on Street Fighter and throwing out our finest moves on Dancing Stage Fusion.

Other exhibitions explore the famous rivalry between gaming juggernauts Sonic and Mario, invite you to test your skills in bonus levels, and give a platform to incredible games that were made in Sheffield.

A woman playing on game displays with her daughter at the NVM

One section you should be sure not to skip is The Lab. This exhibit demonstrates the work and creativity that goes into each game, allowing you to test yourself with free software and different tools. It’s also where you’ll find creative activities and workshops being hosted by NVM’s award-winning learning team during the holidays.

The Lab features experimental and independent games, which are exclusively available to play here. The games on display include titles crafted by final-year students on the Experimental Games Practice course at Sheffield Hallam University – which is where we found one of our absolute favourites.

Towards the back of the museum is Super Snowball Fight Party. It’s a deceptively simple multi-player game that really gets the competitive juices flowing. Played with bright arcade sticks, the aim of the game is to pelt others with snowballs – and trust us, it’s addictive.

A woman and a young girl playing with the joysticks of the Super Snowball Fight game at NVM

Super Snowball Fight Party is one example of the games that can get particularly popular at the NVM. If you visit on a weekend or during the school holidays, heads up that you may have to queue for your turn on certain titles – so be patient if you want to put pedal to the metal on or blast our your best Beatles impression on Rock Band 3.

Whatever age you are, the NVM is a great way to level up your day out in Yorkshire – especially as it’s bang in the centre of Sheffield and close to a lot of great spots to help you fuel up after, such as the Kommune food hall. Just a fair warning, seeing a Game Boy Colour on display in a museum is sure to make a fair few of us feel very old indeed.

Where? National Videogame Museum, Castle House, Angel Street, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S3 8LN.
When? Open 1pm to 4pm on Thursdays and Fridays, 10am to 1pm then 2pm to 5pm on Saturdays and Sundays, and open every day during school holidays.
How much? Standard tickets are £15, under 18 tickets cost £12 and under 5s go free. All ticket costs include a donation.

Tanya is born and bred Yorkshire, moving from Sheffield to Leeds back in 2009. She has over 15 years of writing experience and a passion for exploring the city and beyond, whether it's glorious walks, delicious eateries or local wrestling shows.  More from Tanya Gibson