“This is a local shop, for local people.” Ok, Game Village may not be exactly like Royston Vasey and The League of Gentlemen, but you do get a local feel about the website and its community. The site is set up to replicate a small village in the countryside but it has a population of 297994, how many small villages have a population larger than Newcastle upon Tyne?
The community spirit is felt throughout the site, the chat is welcoming, the play is homely and there is a sense of warmth. It’s like a throwback to the 70s. No hoodies, no rap music, no stabbings; just men and women having a good chin wag about their numbers and making small talk about life in general. The good old days.
The village theme continues with players known as Home Owners, you can play free bingo at the Chip Van, play 1p bingo and darts (with a chance to join the exclusive Bullseye club) in the Inn and you can upgrade from being a Home Owner to a Castle Owner; maybe not so realistic but still the sentiment is in the right place.
Like any village, Game Village have their own habits and way of doing things. The Inn hosts a Variety Show every night with quizzes, games and promotions hosted by the (I’m imagining) rotund land lord. The Village even has its own radio station which you can text in to and win cash prizes. Talking of texting, the Game Village Text Club keeps you in the know about the comings and goings of the Village and evens rewards some villagers with a cash prize in a text. It’s like a parish meeting without the boredom.
The games available are far better than anything you could find at a village fayre and include speed bingo, 90 ball, Dingo, chat games, Hot Balls, deposit games, Lucky Number Bingo, house pattern games, Happy Face Pattern bingo, SuperGems and Elimination Backwards Bingo. I’m not sure if there are many other versions of bingo not mentioned there.
On top of the bingo, there is a Village Casino. With my extensive knowledge of English villages, I can categorically say that I have never seen a casino in a village. Revolutionary.
History – 76%
Player Traffic – 93%
Games Offered – 95%
Software – 85%
Bonuses and promotions – 82%
Customer Support- 85%
Summary – 88%