“Fair question, that.”

No. You can watch, borrow a controller for the retro corner, or take a seat at a board game, and plenty of people spend a whole first night doing exactly that. If you'd like to play a lobby game, bring a laptop or tower, and ask the crew in the chat server if you need a spare machine set aside. Please let us know a day ahead so we can charge it and set up an account.

Members vote at the start of each season, so the list changes. We keep to genres on this site, such as team matches, co-op survival, racing and short strategy games, and the crew posts the current rotation in the chat server. Suggestions are welcome all season long, and the best ones go straight into the next vote.

Yes. League fixtures can be played online by arrangement, and many members meet in the chat server mid-week for a quick match. Just make sure both sides have reported the score before Thursday, and tell the referee in the league channel if either of you has a connection problem that night.

Friday is loud, in a friendly way: cheering, groaning and the odd table slap. Wednesday and Sunday are much quieter. Headphones are encouraged, and there's a quiet table by the shelf if you need one. If you are sensitive to noise, Wednesday and Sunday are usually the better nights to come.

Save your game and unplug your gear if a storm is close; the crew will call it. Then the dice and the board games come out, the kettle runs on the spare circuit, and the night carries on. It has happened more than once, and it tends to be remembered fondly afterwards.

We don't sell anything, so there is no food counter. Bring a snack if you like and eat it at the side tables, away from the keyboards. Tea, coffee, lemonade and sparkling water are in the corner, and they are all free.

No. The league winner gets a name on the honour board and a say in the next Saturday's game. There are no cash prizes or vouchers from us or anyone else, and we like it that way.

Fill in the short form on the Say hello and join page. A member of the crew replies within a few days with the chat server invitation. You can also turn up on a night and sign up at the door, which is how most of our current regulars did it.

No. There are no fees, no tickets and no charge for power or for tea. The room runs on volunteers' time and goodwill, and everything inside it is free to use. If you want to help, the best currency is time: an hour with the cables or the kettle.

Eighteen or over, without exception. We may ask you to confirm it on your first visit, and the form asks you to tick a box saying you are an adult. Partners and friends are welcome, as long as they are adults too.

On Herbert Street and the streets around it. Please keep driveways clear, and if you're loading a PC into the room on a Friday evening, arrive a few minutes early for the closest spot. Ten minutes on foot from a side street is still quicker than a long lap of the block.

Please ring or write before your first visit and tell us what would help. We can set a seat, a power point and a clear path to suit you, and we'd rather plan it with you than guess. Nothing you tell us goes beyond the crew, and you're never asked to explain.

Yes, if they are 18 or over. They can fill in the join form on the night, and you're welcome to sit together on your first visit. We'll keep a seat near the retro corner for the pair of you.

Please do. We always need cable runners, kettle minders and photo editors. The Lend a hand page explains how it works, and nobody is ever signed up for more than they offered. Even an hour on a Sunday makes a difference, and the kettle always notices.