Isthmian Gaming Lounge — Local services in Fitchburg

I get that we (as gamers) want a place like this to succeed but you are competing with people staying home at their own setup and not paying extra money so I will talk about the one big glaring issue here: the service (as it relates to food/drinks).

They have a page on their game launching software to buy things but if I buy with card, I can't enter card information and have to walk up. You can start a tab but I wasn't told this until after I placed my order.

Their "food" are frozen treats like pizza, etc. And because they don't have a restaurant license, you have to cook it yourself in their mini pizza oven. So I'm paying 13 dollars for a frozen pizza that I have to cook and check on and slice and plate. They also have prepackaged things like candy and soda. Their order for water has an Aquafina logo as the picture but I ended up getting Great Value water bottles instead.

It's 35 dollars for an all day game pass at time of writing which seems okay.

Overall I left thinking it had potential but if you are going to draw people away from their cozy homes and gaming setups and access to any food they can order via a delivery app, I think you need to do a little bit better. And it makes me sad to write this. I hope this place takes off and stays around. It's a good thing for the gaming community.

Verdict: could have been more comfortable gaming at home and getting food I wanted. Hoping things change for the better.

P.S. Their house rules say no yelling, raging, etc but the whole time we were there a dude was raging at league which made us a little...

Isthmian Gaming is by far one of my favorite business experiences in Madison. The staff is incredibly knowledgeable and friendly, and the variety of gaming opportunities-- whether it be their massive library of PC titles, their co-op couch setups featuring every current console under the sun, or their opportunities to use their fully decked-out streaming and VR rooms-- is endless. When a game comes out that I want to try before I buy, I pop over to isthmian for a drink. When I want to sweat it out in rocket league with my esports team, Isthmian is where we go to be able to play together in the same place. I've been there several times and feel like I've barely scratched the surface of all they have to offer. Plus, they're even one of the few bars in Madison which carries a gluten-free beer! I will definitely...

This place is going to be my new hangout! My boyfriend is a VR enthusiast, and after talking to their staff, I'm convinced this is the right vibe for us.

The employee on the phone was a total gem - patient, knowledgeable, and genuinely excited to share all the details about their games and setup. I mean, who takes the time to list off 15+ VR games over the phone?! That's dedication!

Even though they just opened in Dec 2023 and the website's not fully updated, the level of service was outstanding. (If you have ANY questions, seriously, A-N-Y, just call, they’ll happily answer with zero judgement.) Oh & he mentioned that their events are kept updated on their Discord & FB page.

Can't wait to check out their awesome VR selection and chill bar vibes. I have a feeling this will be a regular...