gamescom 2026 — retro & family area

„Five decades of video games in Hall 10.2"

The retro & family area is the special exhibition on the history and culture of computer games at gamescom in Cologne. Across around 2,000 square metres in Hall 10.2, around 50 exhibitors – private collectors, clubs, musicians, artists and developers – show five decades of video game history: from Pong (1972) through the arcade classics of the eighties and home computers such as the C64 and Amiga to consoles of the nineties. On show are not only old devices but also new games for old systems such as the C64 and NES, some demonstrated by the developers themselves, as well as new hardware such as the Vectrex Mini. On stage: live music (Endgegner, Tronimal, JiggyTones), tournaments, quiz rounds and interviews; announced guests include the studio Factor 5 (Turrican), composer Chris Huelsbeck, and Petro Tyschtschenko, Winnie Forster and Hans Ippisch. The joint stand has been organised since 2009 by René Meyer (Haus der Computerspiele / Die Schreibfabrik); its roots go back to the Games Convention 2002 in Leipzig. Opening hours for private visitors: Wed 26.08. 13:00–19:00, Thu 27.08. and Fri 28.08. 10:00–20:00, Sat 29.08. and Sun 30.08. 9:00–20:00. Wednesday is trade visitor and media day; the show opens for trade visitors at 9:00, but private visitors are only admitted from 13:00 and only with the wildcard ticket (€65.50, sold out for 2026). Normal admission applies from Thursday onward. Tickets only through the online shop, no box office; regular day ticket around €31.50, concession from €22.50, evening ticket from €10.50.