Experiment: 'Drink-Up' - a simple modular game room bar solution.

Griffin

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Back in 2013 I made the first Barrel of Kong. It was an experiment in creating a cabinet with high spousal-approval factor. A simple, practical but visually appealing format that people wouldn't mind having in their homes and allowed them to enjoy whatever games they chose to put in it.

It was cheap to build, accessible for people with basic wood skills and space saving, as a result people built 1000's of them and are still making them to the present day.

Barrel.jpg

I always wanted to take a similar set of requirements, but create a modular solution that was more geared toward game rooms. Where someone may have a dedicated space but also needed to accommodate a social area where people could hang out, chat, have a drink etc etc.

I wanted to design a modular system that fulfilled all of the following needs.

- Space efficient design - easy to line up or arrange in any number of ways
- Build one in a day or a lazy weekend
- Uses smaller common cut sizes available at any DIY store, easy transport of materials
- Under 22" wide, 24" deep, 48" high - low enough that the room doesn't feel visually cramped if units are in the middle of the floor
- Horizontal/Vertical CRT support
- Made from a single 48" x 96" sheet of wood, or a few smaller common sizes.
- Bar height for seating with stools or standing play.
- Foot rest for littles
- Easy access
- Light up marquee
- Upper display shelf
- Optional glass flat top for cocktail table style practicality

First quick and dirty sketch (side profile).
IMG_4156.jpeg

The idea is to be able to line up as many of these as you want and create an optional continuous tabletop surface (if you don't mind the spilled drink/food risks associated with the cocktail aspect of that option). So it would basically be a bar made of machines that you could sit at, use as a bar and play if you like.
 
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So first question. Monitor size.

I'm assuming people would prefer 19" monitor support rather than being stuck with 13" cocktail monitors. Horizontal isn't really an issue but vertical looks like it would be difficult to accommodate a 19" CRT and a marquee in the depth limit of 24". My concern is that without the marquee option the cabinets would look way too dull and generic. I'd really want these cabs to be able to use all the typical art elements that you would find on a regular machine, albeit scaled down a little.
 
Here's a first swing at proper scale, sticking to all the ergonomic requirements.

There's no way a 19" vertical monitor is going to stay within the dimensions I want to stick to, and as size and costs are the primary drivers of this particular concept I will have to bite the bullet and accept that I can use 13" monitors in either orientation or a 19" in horizontal layout.

Other details.
- Height 48"
- Depth 24"
- Interior width 20"
- Exterior width 21.25"
- Glass counter height standard 42" bar (for a 32" stool)
- CP height from floor 39"
- CP depth 6.5"
- Footrest height 6"
- Marquee height 4"

Optional countertop glass is 21.25" wide to sit flush with the cabinet width (or wider if you want an overhang lip)

Another added bonus is that this side can be cut from a single 24"x48" common size 5/8" sheet, small enough to fit in a car (if like me you don't have a truck to move a 96"x48" sheet)


Screenshot 2025-08-06 101547.jpg
 
Honestly, from a pub table standpoint, if pub table design could fit where you still have a pedestal pole so people and chairs could be pushed in would be ideal. Make the top spin, monitor, or at least label where to sit for specific games to adjust for vertical or horizontal games. Have the screen flip for two player turn games. That would be fantastic. Most cocktails and the barrel one isn't always space efficient or comfortable for long term sitting. Arcade1up had some good ideas, 4 player pong and dual screens for marvel vs capcom. If they did that and ditched the cabinet style and just went for the own space saving comfortable seating design I would be interested.

Looks like you're excited about your idea, can't wait to see what you come up with! Wrist angle would be my only question, some games I tap the buttons really fast and hard (I know force doesn't make it fire harder or faster, but for whatever reason I squeeze triggers harder and mash buttons madly under pressure!). Depending on chair height, might get sore with or without arm support, plus banging my knuckles on glass!

If you are doing multicade boards, color the buttons to match the me up screen (don't use the same color fir each button. That way people can say "press RED to fire and BLUE to jump. Also incorporate simple directions so

For navigating between
Games somewhere on the game/panel.

Good luck!
 
Thanks for all of that input.

These are not really designed to be cocktail or two-player machines. Better to think of them as places to sit, eat and drink while having the option to play a game. They are meant to back up to a wall, or each other to make a block, or even either side of an island bar for a room. Think of them as furniture first, with a gaming option built-in.

I really like the idea of being able to fit a standard height stool underneath when not in use.

Of course it's up to the user what style of games they install and how they want to play them. I have found this type of format is better suited to casual solo gaming such as Tetris, Bubble Bobble, Q*bert, Ms. Pac etc etc.
 
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A little more tweaking and some basic dimensions added. You shouldn't need more than a jigsaw and a drill to put this together, but of course if we can get to the stage of having DXF files to send to your favorite CNC shop they could bang out multiples of these in quick time.

- Added lumber internals to the base to add structural stability to create 5" wide footrests either side of the cabinet base with space between to tuck in a stool.
- Raised the interior height of the control panel box to allow a 32" bar stool to slide part-way under
- Angled the footrests for better ergonomics
- Front and rear access door options

Screenshot 2025-08-06 114554.jpg
 
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Added all dimensions for side panels and interior panel lengths.
Design is based on 5/8" thick stock.
All interior panels are 20" width.
Foot rests are just over 5" wide each side - 3 pieces of sandwiched lumber (4.5") plus the width of the outer panel (0.625")
 
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