York’s newest video and board games hub is now open – and aims to be a welcoming space for the whole community.
Up A Level, located at 26 Market Street, is a brand new gaming space and cafe for York. Featuring board games, arcades, tabletop games, consoles, infinity table games, it’s the perfect place for casual gamers and hardcore enthusiasts alike.
After a successful first opening week, co-owner Ryan Richardson told YorkMix that “it’s exactly what we wanted this community vibe to be.”
Up A Level was founded by co-owners and business partners Ryan Richardson and Diane Wilkinson, who met while working together in social housing.
When they discovered their shared love for gaming and board games nights with friends, it became their dream to one day embark on a venture together.
After suffering a sudden family loss, Ryan said that he needed to “do something for myself and something that I love, and work hard with that.
“Diane and I started brainstorming and putting ideas together, and came up with a few ideas at the start – we knew we wanted to do something that we love that we can bring to the community.”
Once they found the location on Market Street, which was previously home to the Northern College Of Costume and the Isobel Dunn School Of Dancing, Ryan knew they’d found the right place to realise their dream. “We walked through here and fell in love with the open space.
“There has been a huge loss since the loss of places like Geek Retreat and Random Encounter.
“Although there’s other places that do a little bit of gaming nights and things, we just knew that there was the market for it, and the space that we had was something that we could really use.”
Fitting to its name, Up A Level is a couple of flights of stairs up from the street, and features a gaming cafe floor and an upper floor for tabletop gaming and function room hire.
After only getting the keys to the building a month before their planned opening date of New Year’s Eve, it was a “stressful, tiring time to get up and running – but all worth it.
“We were just walking around smiling. It got busy, food was flying out the kitchen, and we were just absolutely loving it.”
Forthcoming plans for Up A Level include beginners Dungeons & Dragons workshops (for adults and under 16s), solo gaming nights for gamers to meet other gamers, as well as running their own tournaments and leagues.
“We know how much there currently is in York and we want to work alongside with people and places that currently run them,” said Ryan.
From 12pm, the food offering at Up A Level includes pizza (£10), chicken strips (£5), and chips (£3.50) as well as meal deal options and snack bowls available.
The gaming hub is open from Monday to Saturday, 10am to 11pm. It offers ‘day passes’ for £5 which provides access for players on board games, tabletops, arcades, and infinity tables. For console gaming, booths can be booked separately, starting at £10 per hour.
Ryan is keen to emphasise that Up A Level is “a space for everyone, all levels, and all experiences.”
To find out more about Up A Level, check out their website, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok pages.
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