Play All Day and Night at This 24-Hour Gaming Centre

September 6, 2019 Taipei Expat

E7 Play is a chain of gaming centres that are located just outside Taipei City. We have only been to the branch in Sanchong — there’s another in Xinchuang that isn’t 24/7, but still open late — which may sound far but actually is very conveniently located at Taipei Bridge Station, just over the river on the orange line. We love E7 Play for a few reasons. First, it’s pretty cheap. Second, it’s open 24/7. Third, you can bring in your own food and drink… including alcohol. Do you see where we’re going with this?

To enter E7, you pay a flat rate for either 3 or 5 hours. We strongly recommend paying for five hours, as sometimes it’s incredibly crowded and you may not get a chance to do the activity you came for, but also because it’s a better deal than paying for three hours. Depending on the day and time that you visit, you should expect to pay between $200-$300 for entry. It’s cheaper if you become a member, but we haven’t bothered with this. If you overstay, you will be charged — we can’t remember exactly how much, but we do remember being shocked by how little it was. If it’s crowded that day, you may have to take a number and wait for groups of people to leave.

Once in, you have access to all of their facilities, but for some activities/facilities, you need to put your name down. These activities tend to be extremely popular. Once you put your name down, they will give you a number, and you must check the screens vigilantly to ensure you don’t miss it being called. You will need to put your name down for KTV, bowling, darts, massage booths, and pool. The workers at the counter may or may not speak English, but usually there’s someone around who does, so no need to stress. Putting your name down is the easy part. The hard part? When this place is popular, you may end up waiting way over an hour for your chosen activity. It can be pretty frustrating, but worth the wait.

While you wait, you can wander around the arcade games. These are first come first serve, so you may want to linger by the game you want so that you can pounce as sooon as it opens up, as competition can be fierce.

In addition to arcade games, there is also a video game station downstairs where you can play things like Mario Cart. The setup is in Chinese, which might be tricky if you’re unfamiliar with the game.

One of our favourite spots is the rest area upstairs. There are magazines, massage chairs, and massage chair booths that come equipped with a TV that you can watch rented movies on. It. Is. Awesome. The single massage chairs are first come first serve, but you must put your name down for booths. They don’t have a huge selection of movies, but they have enough. There are plenty in English. Magazines are in Chinese only.

Last but not least, they also have their very own to-go food spot that serves drinks and snacks for reasonable prices. The food’s not bad, either! They have a very limited selection of beer (Corona, Taiwan Beer, and Heineken), but you are actually free to bring in your own food and drinks, so don’t let that hold you back from your alcoholic beverage of choice. There’s a few convenience stores and a small supermarket in the area, so you’ll be able to stock up whenever you like.

All in all, we’ve had great times at E7 on a number of occasions. It’s an awesome rainy day or late night activity that’s actually pretty cheap, and we love that you can bring in your own food and drinks. The one problem with it is that it gets really crowded during peak hours (essentially 12pm-11pm), where the waiting around can be unbearable. Weekends, especially rainy ones, can be hell if you’re not in the mood to face the crowds. Still, it’s a really fun activity and a great alternative to going home after everything closes on a night out.

What’s the vibe?

Busy gaming centre in New Taipei City. Expect lots of families, kids, teenagers, and 20-somethings.

Worth it?

It can be hell when it’s crowded, but it’s cheap and a lot of fun.

Would you go back?

We’ve been back multiple times!

Last updated: September 2019

E7 Sanchong Branch

Chinese Name: E7PLAY 三重館

Hours: open 24/7

Phone: 02 2976 3325

English Address: B1~B3, No. 63, Central South Road, Sanchong District, New Taipei City