Isthmian Gaming Lounge

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 the... Read more

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 be returning. Show less

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 the... Read more

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 be returning. Show less

Very clean space with so many options to enjoy gaming! Computers are top notch and set up for speed, plenty of different consoles with rooms and lounge area, great VR with a plan to have a comfortable space for groups to enjoy. Played MTG on Thursday with comfortable chairs and came back Friday for ... Read more

Very clean space with so many options to enjoy gaming! Computers are top notch and set up for speed, plenty of different consoles with rooms and lounge area, great VR with a plan to have a comfortable space for groups to enjoy. Played MTG on Thursday with comfortable chairs and came back Friday for Beat Saber (and one of the cheapest date nights available). Pricing on everything from snacks and drinks to equipment usage is very reasonable and staff are incredibly passionate about providing a first rate experience. Whether you play board games, console, pc, handheld, or tabletop, this is the place to go! Show less

Very clean space with so many options to enjoy gaming! Computers are top notch and set up for speed, plenty of different consoles with rooms and lounge area, great VR with a plan to have a comfortable space for groups to enjoy. Played MTG on Thursday with comfortable chairs and came back Friday for ... Read more

Very clean space with so many options to enjoy gaming! Computers are top notch and set up for speed, plenty of different consoles with rooms and lounge area, great VR with a plan to have a comfortable space for groups to enjoy. Played MTG on Thursday with comfortable chairs and came back Friday for Beat Saber (and one of the cheapest date nights available). Pricing on everything from snacks and drinks to equipment usage is very reasonable and staff are incredibly passionate about providing a first rate experience. Whether you play board games, console, pc, handheld, or tabletop, this is the place to go! Show less

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... Read more

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 spot for us! Show less

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... Read more

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 spot for us! Show less

We had a small group that wanted to check out Isthmian Gaming and play a board game. This place is Sick! High end PCs everywhere, comfy couches and big screens. Awesome for groups. Mark is an attentive owner, giving us a tour and helping us purchase drinks. They serve Delta Beer labs beer and soda w... Read more

We had a small group that wanted to check out Isthmian Gaming and play a board game. This place is Sick! High end PCs everywhere, comfy couches and big screens. Awesome for groups. Mark is an attentive owner, giving us a tour and helping us purchase drinks. They serve Delta Beer labs beer and soda which is always excellent. Can't wait to come back to use their gaming PCs for an old school LAN party! Show less

We had a small group that wanted to check out Isthmian Gaming and play a board game. This place is Sick! High end PCs everywhere, comfy couches and big screens. Awesome for groups. Mark is an attentive owner, giving us a tour and helping us purchase drinks. They serve Delta Beer labs beer and soda w... Read more

We had a small group that wanted to check out Isthmian Gaming and play a board game. This place is Sick! High end PCs everywhere, comfy couches and big screens. Awesome for groups. Mark is an attentive owner, giving us a tour and helping us purchase drinks. They serve Delta Beer labs beer and soda which is always excellent. Can't wait to come back to use their gaming PCs for an old school LAN party! Show less

Went in and was greeted by the nice employee. Reasonable rates and gave a rundown on how the place operates. Lot of games to choose from PCs specs are good and they have a ton of different consoles as well. Really cool atmosphere with everyone playing different games all over and being overall frien... Read more

Went in and was greeted by the nice employee. Reasonable rates and gave a rundown on how the place operates. Lot of games to choose from PCs specs are good and they have a ton of different consoles as well. Really cool atmosphere with everyone playing different games all over and being overall friendly. Definitely recommend, I will come back and play! Show less

Went in and was greeted by the nice employee. Reasonable rates and gave a rundown on how the place operates. Lot of games to choose from PCs specs are good and they have a ton of different consoles as well. Really cool atmosphere with everyone playing different games all over and being overall frien... Read more

Went in and was greeted by the nice employee. Reasonable rates and gave a rundown on how the place operates. Lot of games to choose from PCs specs are good and they have a ton of different consoles as well. Really cool atmosphere with everyone playing different games all over and being overall friendly. Definitely recommend, I will come back and play! Show less

This place is hands down amazing. Everything is kept super clean, and the computers are able to run everything without a hitch! Very affordable, too. They have food & and drink options available but are completely flexible with ordering food in as well. The owner and manager are both super nice and ... Read more

This place is hands down amazing. Everything is kept super clean, and the computers are able to run everything without a hitch! Very affordable, too. They have food & and drink options available but are completely flexible with ordering food in as well. The owner and manager are both super nice and extremely helpful people. I would highly recommend going here! Show less

This place is hands down amazing. Everything is kept super clean, and the computers are able to run everything without a hitch! Very affordable, too. They have food & and drink options available but are completely flexible with ordering food in as well. The owner and manager are both super nice and ... Read more

This place is hands down amazing. Everything is kept super clean, and the computers are able to run everything without a hitch! Very affordable, too. They have food & and drink options available but are completely flexible with ordering food in as well. The owner and manager are both super nice and extremely helpful people. I would highly recommend going here! Show less

I just had my 11 year olds birthday party here, and all the boys rated it a 10 out of 10. We booked 3 hours, and the boys played fortnite mostly, but they also did VR and sampled some of the 100s of games offered. The staff was so attentive and good with all the boys. They offered some food options... Read more

I just had my 11 year olds birthday party here, and all the boys rated it a 10 out of 10. We booked 3 hours, and the boys played fortnite mostly, but they also did VR and sampled some of the 100s of games offered. The staff was so attentive and good with all the boys. They offered some food options but were fine with catering in. The parents had a room to hang out in. The atmosphere was laid back and chill. The equipment was amazing. The cost was more than reasonable.The owners were very responsive and flexible with the time and number of kids. I couldn't have been any happier with the whole experience. Show less

I just had my 11 year olds birthday party here, and all the boys rated it a 10 out of 10. We booked 3 hours, and the boys played fortnite mostly, but they also did VR and sampled some of the 100s of games offered. The staff was so attentive and good with all the boys. They offered some food options... Read more

I just had my 11 year olds birthday party here, and all the boys rated it a 10 out of 10. We booked 3 hours, and the boys played fortnite mostly, but they also did VR and sampled some of the 100s of games offered. The staff was so attentive and good with all the boys. They offered some food options but were fine with catering in. The parents had a room to hang out in. The atmosphere was laid back and chill. The equipment was amazing. The cost was more than reasonable.The owners were very responsive and flexible with the time and number of kids. I couldn't have been any happier with the whole experience. Show less

A friend held his birthday party here in their private event space and we all had a blast. Chad was super friendly and helpful, the drinks were good, the atmosphere was welcoming and relaxed, and the gaming options are top notch. An amazing experience all around and we are already planning a return ... Read more

A friend held his birthday party here in their private event space and we all had a blast. Chad was super friendly and helpful, the drinks were good, the atmosphere was welcoming and relaxed, and the gaming options are top notch. An amazing experience all around and we are already planning a return visit. Highly recommended. Show less

A friend held his birthday party here in their private event space and we all had a blast. Chad was super friendly and helpful, the drinks were good, the atmosphere was welcoming and relaxed, and the gaming options are top notch. An amazing experience all around and we are already planning a return ... Read more

A friend held his birthday party here in their private event space and we all had a blast. Chad was super friendly and helpful, the drinks were good, the atmosphere was welcoming and relaxed, and the gaming options are top notch. An amazing experience all around and we are already planning a return visit. Highly recommended. Show less

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... Read more

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 uncomfortable. Show less

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... Read more

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 uncomfortable. Show less

Love this place, a definite need for gamers in Madison! One part LAN computer gaming, one part open tables for collectible card and board games, TV video game lounges, and most importantly a bar. It’s rare these days to see such variety in one spot, and their prices for both drinks and rentals are... Read more

Love this place, a definite need for gamers in Madison! One part LAN computer gaming, one part open tables for collectible card and board games, TV video game lounges, and most importantly a bar. It’s rare these days to see such variety in one spot, and their prices for both drinks and rentals are completely reasonable. My friends and I hung out for hours and got great service from the staff and had an overall fantastic time. This is the hidden gem that needs to be less hidden, highly recommend a visit. They have Magic the Gathering casual commander games on Thursdays, a discord, VR simulators, and excellent long hours. Finca and JDs are next door too for some delicious food to sustain the long sessions in addition to snacks onsite. Grab a few friends and definitely check them out! 10/10 Show less

Love this place, a definite need for gamers in Madison! One part LAN computer gaming, one part open tables for collectible card and board games, TV video game lounges, and most importantly a bar. It’s rare these days to see such variety in one spot, and their prices for both drinks and rentals are... Read more

Love this place, a definite need for gamers in Madison! One part LAN computer gaming, one part open tables for collectible card and board games, TV video game lounges, and most importantly a bar. It’s rare these days to see such variety in one spot, and their prices for both drinks and rentals are completely reasonable. My friends and I hung out for hours and got great service from the staff and had an overall fantastic time. This is the hidden gem that needs to be less hidden, highly recommend a visit. They have Magic the Gathering casual commander games on Thursdays, a discord, VR simulators, and excellent long hours. Finca and JDs are next door too for some delicious food to sustain the long sessions in addition to snacks onsite. Grab a few friends and definitely check them out! 10/10 Show less

We recently had a birthday party for an 11-year-old at Isthmian and it was an excellent experience! The staff were friendly and set up games the kids were excited about (Fortnite, Minecraft, etc.), they were great with the kids. Good table space in the private room for pizza and cake, and prices wer... Read more

We recently had a birthday party for an 11-year-old at Isthmian and it was an excellent experience! The staff were friendly and set up games the kids were excited about (Fortnite, Minecraft, etc.), they were great with the kids. Good table space in the private room for pizza and cake, and prices were very reasonable. Show less

We recently had a birthday party for an 11-year-old at Isthmian and it was an excellent experience! The staff were friendly and set up games the kids were excited about (Fortnite, Minecraft, etc.), they were great with the kids. Good table space in the private room for pizza and cake, and prices wer... Read more

We recently had a birthday party for an 11-year-old at Isthmian and it was an excellent experience! The staff were friendly and set up games the kids were excited about (Fortnite, Minecraft, etc.), they were great with the kids. Good table space in the private room for pizza and cake, and prices were very reasonable. Show less