'This is the busiest I’ve seen it': The Guildhall Games Fest returns to Portsmouth Guildhall for 2023

The event returned to Portsmouth Guildhall for 2023 and spectators sat with their eyes glued to the big screen in the Guildhall auditorium as they witnessed a battle between a number of local colleges and discovered more about the flourishing e-sports industry.

IT and e-sports lecturer at St Vincent College in Gosport, Martin Birch-Foster, was there on the day hoping to break down the stigma surrounding e-sports.

Martin said: ‘There’s that stigma to it that e-sports is sitting in your room, playing games, drinking energy drinks. We've got our wonderful students that have volunteered their time on a Saturday to showcase what they’re playing.

‘These guys are training, looking after themselves in terms of health and fitness,’ he added. ‘They're doing a lot more than just playing games, there’s transferable skills that can lead to university, apprenticeships, and jobs in the IT sector.’

Also involved was Southsea-based Dice Board Game Lounge with their hugely popular Board Gaming Zone, offering a library of more than 100 games, with demonstrations of the newest games to hit the market.

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Sisters Emma and Hayley Carstairs, and Emma’s husband Ash Amer were trying out a card game, with their children two-year-old Marian and eight-month-old Safi.

‘We’re just here to relive our youth and pass it on to our little ones. Dice is brilliant, we’ve played there a lot in the past,’ said Emma.

‘I came here in their first year, it’s nice to see how it’s improved, they’ve really listened to what people have asked for.’

Game Over also returned on the main stage with a retro arcade, featuring the classics of Pong, Pac-Man, Mario, Minecraft and more.

On the lower level, the Mary Rose Museum was offering visitors the chance to try their hand at Tudor games and hold artefacts from the Mary Rose itself.

Pippa Bostock, director of development, engagement and marketing at The Mary Rose Trust said: ‘We thought we’d take retro as far back as you can possibly go, we’ve got a Tudor board game, we’ve got our have-a-go archery, which has had a queue since we opened.’

‘I’ve done Games Fest for years, I think this is the busiest I’ve seen it.’