Games Fest goes super-retro with Tudor gaming alongside modern board and video games at Portsmouth Guildhall

Featuring the best in modern, board and retro gaming across three sessions and two floors of the guildhall, it takes place on February 4 and 5.

Marking the 40th anniversary of the raising of King Henry VIII’s warship, the Mary Rose Museum will be on hand enabling people to try their hand at Tudor games and also see artefacts from the Mary Rose itself.

Then switch to spectator mode to witness a battle royal between a number of local colleges and find out more about the flourishing e-sports industry and programme at St Vincent College in Gosport. Have a go yourself at Rocket League, EFootball, Overwatch and League of Legends, get behind the wheel of a F1 racing simulator and step inside the VR world of the Fruit Ninja universe.

Dice Board Game Lounge returns with the ever-popular Board Gaming Zone and their library of more than 100 games to play, with demonstrations of the newest games to hit the market. They will also be hosting their first ever Blood Bowl tournament on the Saturday – a separate tournament/event ticket is required.

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Or enjoy an introduction into the realm of tabletop role-playing games with The Three Dungeoneers as they offer short family-friendly adventures or more elaborate quests in the world of Dungeons and Dragons.

Also returning with a dream set up for every retro arcade enthusiast is Game Over. Relive your youth and introduce the younger generations to the classics of Pong, Pac Man, Mario, Minecraft and much more with tournaments projected onto a giant screen.

Game Over will also join with Seekers Create in a brand-new interactive prize trail. With some of the answers to the puzzle hidden in the arcade games, the trail will take you across the whole of Games Fest.

Experience the latest in innovation in the University of Portsmouth’s Innovation Zone with an assortment of game demos created by the students and staff of the Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries.

Sessions run from 11am-4pm and 5-9pm on the Saturday and 11am-4pm on Sunday.

Under-14s must be accompanied by an adult and under-fours go free. Get your tickets at guildhallgamesfest.com.