Funlab's newest venue concept Playback96 is set to open at The Social Quarter in Chadstone Shopping Centre on 27 August.
The venue — built by the team behind Holey Moley, Hijinx Hotel, Archie Brothers and Strike Bowling — takes its cues from the look and feel of a 90s video store. Think VHS-lined shelves, cult movie posters and pop culture Easter eggs tucked into every corner, all wrapped around nine physical challenge games that guests can play across an hour of unlimited sessions.
Those games span a range of formats. Total Recall is a pop culture memory challenge. Stop Hammer Time tests reaction speed. Pong Time reimagines beer pong as an arcade cabinet (minus the beer). Line Master goes oversized Etch A Sketch for a draw-and-guess setup. And Ready Player Run has guests dodging swinging pendulums through a candy-covered tunnel, which sounds exactly as chaotic as it should.
Playback96
- Playback96, The Social Quarter, Level 1, Chadstone Shopping Centre
- Opens 27 August
- Open 9:30am–10pm Monday to Thursday and Sunday, 9:30am–11pm Friday and Saturday
- Adults $29, kids $22
- Minors not permitted after 8pm
- Bookings open now at playback96.com.au
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On the drinks side, the bar leans into the theme with signature cocktails including Screen Burn, Funlab’s take on a Sex on the Beach, which comes with a free playable Pixel Pet. Selected cocktails arrive with Troll Doll straw toppers. The soundtrack skips the obvious 90s hits in favour of deeper cuts from acts like Massive Attack, Portishead, Outkast and Blur.
Scattered throughout the venue are interactive throwbacks including a stand-up N64 console, glowing Furbys and dial-up modem phones, plus Shazza’s, a retro hairdresser-themed nook where guests try to name as many songs as they can through hair dryers. Staff — called Motherfunners, in true Funlab fashion — roam the floor kitted out with walkmans.
Playback96 can host up to 48 people on the games floor per hour, with party packages available for kids, teens and adults. Guests can also combine sessions across Funlab’s other Chadstone venues, including Holey Moley, Hijinx Hotel and Archie Brothers. The B Corp-certified company now operates more than 80 venues across eight brands.
Funlab was founded in 2001 and has grown from a single Strike Bowling location on Chapel Street to a global operation spanning Australia, New Zealand and the US. Playback96 is its ninth brand and its first dedicated to 90s nostalgia as a concept.
The venue sits alongside Chadstone’s wider Social Quarter precinct, which already houses several Funlab brands. Parking is available on-site and Uber drop-off is accessible directly.
For more information, head here.
