Coexist GameHouse — Local services in New York

I don't write a lot of reviews, but I saw so many mixed ones about this place I wanted to add my own. For context, I was with a group of about six, early Saturday evening. Can't comment on the food, but the cocktail I had was good. Beers were expensive, especially considering I already paid a cover fee to go in.

First, to address a lot of the comments in negative reviews: Bad smells - None! It was a little cluttered but not dirty. Bartenders - Friendly! Fun! All the staff were nice and on top of things. AC - Crankin'. Comfortable. Music - Not too loud, could easily talk to my friends. Board games - The ones we played were in good shape, had all the pieces etc. Foosball table - Had a ball! But needs repairs - a couple of the guys' heads flew off and one of the corners was coming apart and made the ball get stuck - we had to hold it up while we played, but it was still fun. Video games - I only played a few (more on that later) but they worked fine and the controllers felt good.

However - -arcade games in the back room on the ground floor were not working -there were a few 2-player fight sticks set up for Street Fighter or whatever, but the screens were gone.

I don't know how long these things sit there without being playable since I was only there the one time, but it looked a little sad in a place that otherwise looked good. Same with the big 'Trinitron' cabinet by the door to the back room - I saw that huge WEGA TV in the back corner, and I know it works, which is amazing, but having these unusable things taking up space looked bad, especially in a place where there weren't a lot of spaces for the six of us to hang out.

That was my biggest issue - There were a lot of open PCs and consoles for one or two people to pull up and play a game, but it was hard to find a spot where all six of us could sit. There was one area upstairs for a larger group to set up, but there was already a party up there. We ended up playing board games on the couches between the front door and the bar, which was okay, but we were in the way - people kept having to squeeze around us. I would have loved it if there was a better spot where all six of us could have played a console game, or even a board game.

All in all I liked this place, but I wouldn't want to go back with more than a buddy unless they...

How it works is you pay $20 at the door for full access to everything, video game consoles, arcade games, a few of tabletop games here and there, karaoke. Anything you wanna play, you just got up to and play. I liked that part of it very much.

The old school consoles do not require a cartridge, but rather you choose the game from a menu after restarting the console.

The “arcade” aspect (ie traditional arcade games) is minimal, though they are spread out throughout the venue, which spans three medium-sized floors. Some were off to conserve energy, but I think they could easily be turned on.

They have an event space on the lower level, and I was a little confused as to if I was allowed down there or not (there were some cool arcade games down there). I asked the friendly employee and he was going to check with his boss and get back to me, but he never did, so we stayed on the ground level because the upper level was more modern gaming consoles and I don’t really know how to use those.

There was a magnetic dart board up there, but I didn’t see the darts anywhere, and I didn’t know if there was an employee that level or not to ask.

They have a membership that is I think $30 a month, to come unlimited number of times and unlimited number of games. So once you’re accustomed to how it works, I’m sure it’s a smoother experience. The whole gaming part was a 8/10 for me.

They have a bar and food as well. The bartender was rude with a smile, getting obviously annoyed at us asking questions about the unclear menu, and for us saying “what?” because the volume of the music was a bit loud (not our fault). We also had karaoke going to the left of us, conflicting with the music to the right of us. I think that part is an easy fix.

I spent $30 on a bowl, a seltzer, tax and tip and $20 to get in, so $50 in all for a couple hours of games. The Deluxe Bowl was fine and seemed fresh enough, but it was small. I think the price point could come down there, otherwise they should just offer cheaper bar food only (they declined our first choice, the Wellness Bowl, as “nobody ever orders it, so if they made it, the ingredients would be months old.”)

TL;DR: Would go back, but I hope they hire a different bartender, otherwise I would just not order food so I don’t have to deal with that...

Stumbled upon this cute arcade spot with me and my girlfriend. The venue was stunningly large with a lot of selection, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. We loved the upstairs pool table and selection of ps5 games with street fighter and tekken our favorites. There was an event going on called mashfest. Although the entrance fee was a bit pricey it was still worth the experience. We played a few rounds of the new street fighter which was fun.

However, I was disappointed with the lack of awareness demonstrated by the person at the front. It seemed as though they were oblivious to the need for prompt assistance and failed to provide adequate attention to guests entering the venue. This lack of attentiveness did not align with the overall positive experience I had.

The bartender was super sweet and made us a really tasty sake drink. And efficiently managed the large crowd and ensured everyone had a great time. It seems they were the only one attending everyone's needs. Their professionalism was truly impressive. I do wish there were more staff available to help with cleaning up, as the scattered drinks and food in the rooms were a bit of a letdown.

While it is understandable that the bartender and person in front desk couldn't solely manage the entire venue, it would have been ideal for additional staff members to assist in maintaining cleanliness throughout the event. Nonetheless, I appreciate the bartender's efforts to address the situation as best they could under the circumstances.

Despite these shortcomings, the Mashfest event was a memorable experience. The venue's ambiance and vibrant energy were remarkable. I would suggest the organizers focus on having more staff on the floor to help and cater to the games and cleaning. food options, and attentive service, particularly catering to the preferences of video gamers. With these adjustments, the event could truly reach its full potential.

I highly recommend the coexist gamehouse and I will surely be back...