You Can Rent a Movie Theater in Lake Charles to Play Video Games

(LAKE CHARLES, La) - If you're a Louisiana gamer tired of squinting at a 65-inch TV, listen up, Cinemark has a private gaming event option that lets you and your crew take over an entire movie auditorium and play your favorite games on a massive, theater-quality screen. I can't tell you the number of times I've played MarioKart with my grown children and lost because I just can't see when there's 4 panels of players. This might be the solution.

You get the privacy of your own auditorium, towering screens with a state-of-the-art A/V system, and enormous movie-quality images paired with booming 5.1 surround sound technology. Honestly, it's one of the coolest party ideas that most people in South Louisiana don't even know exists yet.

Where You Can Rent in South Louisiana

Lake Charles has two locations:

• Cinemark Lake Charles & XD at 548 W. Prien Lake Rd
• Cinemark Movie Bistro at 3416 Derek Dr

So you've got options depending on which side of town you're on. You'll want to contact them directly to confirm which location participates in the private gaming program before you book.

What to Expect: The Setup

The concept is simple: you bring your own console and your own games, choose your platform of choice, and get your game on in the privacy of your own auditorium. Whether you're deep into Madden, running a Mario Kart tournament with your cousins, or grinding ranked matches on whatever's hot right now, the screen is yours to command.
You can bring as many HDMI-capable consoles as you wish, though you can only play one console at a time on the screen.

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Tip: make sure everything is updated before you leave the house. Cinemark does not allow console or game updates to be downloaded during your event (which honestly will waste your screen time), so you'll want to ensure your console and game software are fully up to date before heading out.

How Many People Can Come, and What Does It Cost?

Private gaming events accommodate up to 40 guests, with weekday pricing starting at $375 for 2 hours of play. That breaks down to less than $10 per person if you fill the room, not bad at all for an experience like this. If two hours isn't enough, you can purchase additional time, though there is an extra hourly auditorium rental fee that varies based on the time of day and day of the week.

Online Play and Tournaments

Here's where it gets a little nuanced, so pay attention. At select theaters equipped with Wi-Fi access points, you can connect your console to play games online and even access non-gaming apps like streaming services or internet browsers. However, not every location has this capability, so you'll want to verify with the Lake Charles location specifically when you call to book.

Read More: More Fun Things to Do in Lake Charles

If you're thinking about hosting a tournament, local wireless and offline tournaments are allowed with a maximum of 50 guests, but online tournaments or those requiring internet access are not currently supported.

Tips Before You Book

A few things to keep in mind before you show up ready to party:

• Games will render at a maximum of 1080p resolution on the theater screens which still looks incredible at that size, just don't expect 4K output.
• Cinemark recommends guests do not bring VR equipment or games for these events.
• There will be a limited number of outlets to power your console, so other devices should arrive fully charged.
• Cinemark staff will be on hand to help you with setup, audio levels, and video configuration, so don't stress if you're not super comfortable with set ups.

To get the ball rolling, head to cinemark.com/private-events/gaming and submit a request for a quote. It's a straightforward form, and once confirmed, you'll have one of the most unique party venues in Lake Charles all to yourself.