Games night in Shoreham

From classic TV game shows to zen-like word puzzles, from retro video games to modern first-person shooters, WiFi Wars promises “something for everyone” in a “truly original whistlestop tour of all the ways you can have fun in public.”

It’s at Shoreham’s Ropetackle Arts Centre on Friday, May 8 at 7pm – an invitation for the entire audience to compete, both as teams and as individuals, in games, quizzes and more, all beamed into their smartphones and tablets using WiFi Wars’ tech, developed in residency at London's Royal Institution.

The night is hosted by comedian Steve McNeil, team captain on the TV show Dara O'Briain's Go 8 Bit.

“WiFi Wars is like the ultimate video game comedy show,” he explains. “It grew out of another show that we did that became a TV show. You just come along with a tablet or a phone. You need Wi-Fi. We are loitering around on stage when you come in and making sure that everybody gets logged in to start with. We are lurking to help people and then we get going.

“We split the audience into two teams. We split them down the middle. So they're playing for their team but they also get individual scores so that you can win individually as well. And it's literally everything from Pong all the way through. It is every game and every type of game and we also go into various game shows. There's a little bit of something for everybody.

“And I am there helping and hopefully being funny. I'm encouraging the teams and building a narrative out of whatever happens. There are going to be some people that are going to turn out to be heroes and other people who won't be so good. The whole thing is like a big improv game, and it's great fun.”

Just as gaming itself is: “People like to have fun. Even adults like to have fun, and there is another subset of those who actually want to win. You can get competitive gamers as well and that's fine.

“I can't remember not gaming. My parents had a Pong console when I was tiny. We had a box console that you had to plug in. That was in the late 70s. I think that's how a lot of people started.

“But now there are so many different types of game. My wife was playing a video game yesterday where you are basically running a little book shop by the sea and you recommend books to people. It's adorable and somehow she lost five hours playing it! So that's what I mean that there really is something for everybody. There are some games where you're running around shooting each other. There are other games that are more strategic and there are other games that are more cerebral. Every type of fun that you could possibly have is represented by the games that we will be playing.”

Ensure you bring a smart device (phone/tablet) for each player. Essentially you just need something with a touch-screen and a web-browser installed. Also, make sure it’s got some battery charge in it as you’ll use it to play along. You don’t need to download an app or install anything in advance. The team will get you all set up when you arrive.

Tickets: ropetacklecentre.co.uk