A London gaming journal

Where arcade legends are kept alive.

We write long, careful pieces on cabinet history, pixel art, indie craft and the machines that shaped play — curated like exhibits, from a small studio on Clerkenwell Road.

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Backlit vintage arcade cabinets in a darkened gallery

Read, quoted and shelved by

Pixel Heritage Trust London Retro Expo Cabinet & Coin Bitmap Quarterly Highscore Society

Founder at a workbench repairing an arcade board

A note from the founder

Started with one broken Galaga board.

I began Arcade Kingdom Legends in 2016 after rescuing a dead Galaga PCB from a Camden market stall. Fixing it turned into a decade of writing about the people, patents and pixels behind the machines we grew up feeding coins.

Every piece is researched slowly and photographed like a gallery exhibit — stark white space, one honest crop, an understated caption. No hype, no rankings for clicks, just the history done properly.

— Daniel Okonkwo, Editor

From the archive

Exhibits currently on the wall.

Close crop of a CRT monitor glowing cyan — Phosphor glow — the CRT tubes we refuse to replace.

Rows of coloured arcade buttons — Sanwa vs Seimitsu — the great button debate, settled.

Detail of a marquee light box artwork — Marquee art — the airbrush era, restored frame by frame.

Macro shot of a circuit board — Bare metal — a 1981 board photographed before recapping.

What we publish

Five columns, one obsession.

Cabinet Files

Deep restoration diaries — a new machine every fortnight, from teardown to first credit. Free to read, no paywall.

Pixel Craft

Interviews with sprite artists breaking down 8×8-tile scenes, palette limits and the tricks that made 16 colours feel alive.

Indie Bench

Monthly reviews of UK indie releases under £20, judged on feel first — with plain scores and no sponsored coverage.

The Coin Drop

A weekly newsletter of arcade history, auction finds and Clerkenwell meet-ups. Sent Fridays, 8am, always free.

Repair Clinic

Step-by-step fault guides — from dead PSUs to jittery joysticks.

Questions

Things readers ask us.

Is the blog free to read?

Yes — every column, restoration diary and review is free, with no paywall or account required. We stay independent through the optional Coin Drop newsletter and reader donations, never sponsored reviews.

How often do you publish?

A full Cabinet Files restoration lands every second Tuesday, Indie Bench reviews go up monthly, and The Coin Drop newsletter is sent every Friday at 8am. Repair Clinic guides appear whenever a fix is worth documenting properly.

Can I visit the studio in Clerkenwell?

Our workshop at 58 Clerkenwell Road is open for pre-booked visits on Thursdays between 11am and 4pm. Email ahead and we'll set aside time to walk you through whatever machine is currently on the bench.

Do you accept guest pitches?

We do, especially first-hand restoration stories and interviews with original developers. Send a two-paragraph pitch through the contact form below; we reply to every serious submission within a week and pay a flat £120 per published feature.

Will you help repair my cabinet?

The Repair Clinic column covers common faults for free, and we offer paid bench diagnostics from £45 for London collectors. We don't ship boards, but we're happy to point you toward trusted specialists if a job is beyond our remit.

Get in touch

Pitch a story or say hello.

Questions, corrections, guest pitches or bench bookings — send a message and we'll reply within a couple of working days.

Phone: +44 20 7837 4578
Email: [email protected]
Studio: 58 Clerkenwell Road, Clerkenwell, London EC1M 5PX
Hours: Mon–Fri, 10am–6pm · Thursday studio visits by appointment