Curated gaming apothecary · Melbourne CBD
A boutique cellar for the games worth keeping.
Tucked inside a heritage shopfront on Little Collins Street, PixelGamingBase blends a curated retro library, custom rig builds, and a members' lounge — every title tested, catalogued, and shelved like fine apothecary stock.
A note from the founder
Every shelf here started as a personal collection.
I opened PixelGamingBase after fifteen years of hoarding cartridges, discs, and hand-wired arcade boards in a Fitzroy warehouse. The idea was simple: treat games the way an apothecary treats a rare tincture — labelled, preserved, and dispensed with care.
We hand-test every console before it hits the floor, restore original controllers, and keep a temperature-stable vault for the fragile stuff. When you walk in, a curator walks the aisles with you rather than pointing at a screen.
Whether you are chasing a boxed 1998 RPG or building a water-cooled tournament rig, we treat your visit like a consultation, not a checkout line.
Daniel R. Okafor
Founder & Head Curator
Opening hours
- Mon – Thu11:00 – 20:00
- Friday11:00 – 22:00
- Saturday10:00 – 22:00
- Sunday12:00 – 18:00
On the floor
Inside the shopfront
Amber-glass display cabinets, a restoration bench, and the members' lounge — scroll through the room the way our regulars wander it.
The Vault Wall
Climate-stable cabinets holding boxed classics from 1985 onward.
Restoration Bench
Where controllers are recapped, cleaned, and re-shelled by hand.
Lounge Row
Twelve battle stations with mechanical decks and low amber lighting.
The Tasting Table
A shared demo table for trying titles before you commit.
Editions compared
Which shelf suits your play
Every service tier is built around how deep you want to go — from a quick weekend rental to a full custom build.
| Casual Pass | Curator | Workshop | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retro library access | |||
| Lounge battle station | 2 hrs / week | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Titles you can borrow home | 1 at a time | 3 at a time | 5 at a time |
| Custom rig consultation | |||
| Restoration & repair bench | Standard queue | Priority same-week | |
| Tournament night entry | Pay per event | Included | Included + guest |
| Vault vault reservations |
All editions include curator guidance and access to weekly restock previews.
What members say
Reviewed by the regulars
A snapshot of verified member feedback from the last twelve months.
based on 326 member reviews
“The curator spent forty minutes helping me track down a boxed copy of a 1999 RPG I'd been chasing for years. Found it, tested it in front of me, and it works perfectly.”
Priya M.
Carlton, VIC · March 2026
“Booked a Workshop consult for a water-cooled build. They sourced the parts, walked me through cable routing, and the finished rig has never thermal-throttled once.”
Liam K.
Southbank, VIC · January 2026
“Friday tournament nights are the best value in the CBD. The lounge lighting is genuinely lovely and the mechanical decks feel premium.”
Hana T.
Docklands, VIC · November 2025
“Brought in a dead 1990 console. The restoration bench recapped it and re-shelled it within the week. It looks and sounds brand new.”
Marcus D.
Richmond, VIC · September 2025
Memberships
Join the base
Pick a rhythm that fits how you play. Cancel or switch tiers any time from the front desk.
Casual Pass
Weekend players & the curious
AUD
- Full retro library access
- 2 lounge hours each week
- Borrow 1 title at a time
- Pay-per-event tournament entry
Curator
Our most popular shelf
AUD
- Unlimited lounge access
- Borrow 3 titles at a time
- Free custom rig consultations
- All tournament nights included
- Standard restoration queue
Workshop
Builders & serious collectors
AUD
- Everything in Curator
- Borrow 5 titles at a time
- Priority same-week restoration
- Vault reservations for rare stock
- Tournament entry plus a guest
Visit the base
Come find us on Little Collins
Drop a note to book a rig session, ask about a title, or arrange a restoration. We answer within one business day.