Winning at Black Friday, the Timezone way

In the annual battle of Black Friday, what really matters is not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game... So, if Black Friday were a game, what would be the best way to play it? Enter our six-step playbook of the best Black Friday tactics, borrowing wisdom from some of our favourite Timezone arcade games…Get ready to play your way to Black Friday bragging rights!

1. Choose your quest

Any good adventure involves a worthy quest, so start by choosing an end goal that resonates with you. Take Arkadia VR, for example: do you want to travel the galaxy in Attek, become a pirate king in Sea Bandits or fly on hoverboards in WingRUN? Black Friday is no different: decide early on what you want to gain, and which deals you’re hoping to get your hands on.

2. Plan to win

Once you know what you want, plan to get it – nobody just lands the best Black Friday deals without putting some work in! It’s kind of like Timezone’s Cryptology Escape Room challenges: yes, there’s a time limit to getting out, but it pays to take a moment at the start to read the instructions, observe your surroundings and think through the riddles before you get to the escaping part. You’ve decided on your Black Friday goal, now plan for it: can you join the action from the safety of your computer screen in the comfort of your own bed? Or do you need to set an early-bird alarm to join a queue at the crack of dawn? Is your Wi-Fi working? Do you have enough snacks to keep your energy levels up? And should you consider taking a sick day to make sure there are no interruptions?

3. Limber up

Whether you’re getting ready to brave the Black Friday crowds in the wild or padding your desk chair for a long day of sitting, it’s always a good idea to limber up before the action starts. May we suggest a quick game of Maimai to oil your joints and hone your reflexes, or warming your wrist action on Hyper Shoot Basketball? A quick round of bumper cars could get you in the mood for barging through crowds, and then there’s King of the Hammer to help you perfect a powerful arm swoop – always handy to snatch the last of a good deal off the rack…

4. Rally the troops

If the quest to get Taylor Swift concert tickets taught us anything, it’s that getting a squad together to help you is the only way to succeed. It also makes the experience way more fun, even if you fail – after all, who wants to play Laser Tag or sing karaoke on their own? Recruit your friends to divide and conquer the aisles. Assign specific tasks to each person, whether it’s scouting for discounts, splitting up to go to different stores, queueing (real world or virtual), guarding the shopping cart, or providing moral support in times of shopping fatigue or failure.

5. Take the easy wins

Does the idea of joining an endless queue of feral Karens and Darrens and their armies of offspring all just waiting to pounce on the latest ‘must have’ bargain have you breaking out in hives? Black Friday can really do a number on your nerves, so we won’t blame you if you choose to spend the day hiding under a doona while bingeing on snacks and Netflix. If FOMO does kick in, take the easy win to ease the craving, such as buying an online gift card to use later.

6. Choose to give

Black Friday doesn’t just have to be about endless spending. Sure, it’s the perfect opportunity to hunt down great deals and save some bucks on necessities (or indulgent treats!), but if you’d like to ease off on consumption, you could choose to do some good whether it be donating or volunteering. And since it’s been proven that doing good does us good, you’re still winning! Case in point: the wonderful fuzzy feeling of finally catching a plushie in the claw machines at Timezone and then giving it to your very impressed new crush.