Is this North Herts arcade the best games room in the UK?

Paul Roman, who lives near Hitchin, has built his own homemade arcade over the last few years, having decided kit out his garden cabin in 2019.

He has been restoring old machines for several years now, and has worked on all the machines in his room - at the moment, he's working on repairing an Atari Firefox machine.

Paul has been restoring old machines as a hobby for several years. (Image: Paul Roman)

Every machine is original, and some of them have come from as far afield as the USA - Paul has had to repair water damage, fix wiring, and even put his carpentry skills to the test.

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Designed as a place to relax with friends and family, he decided to enter the Games Room of the Year 2023 competition "for a laugh", and was surprised to discover that he is among the finalists.

Paul says that his favourite parts of the room are the Star Wars collectible wall - including a Han Solo blaster - and his original Space Invaders Taito machine from 1978.

Paul tries to get out into his arcade room every weekend - and his kids get to enjoy it too! (Image: Paul Roman)

As well as the classic machines, the room includes space for a small bar, and a more modern console for online gaming.

And for future additions, Paul says he'd love to include more Star Wars items - perhaps a Storm Trooper helmet - as well as a pinball machine.

The winner of the Games Room of the Year 2023 competition will be decided by a public vote. You can cast yours for Paul's room by clicking here.