Alternative Christmas party ideas in Melbourne

Oche is what you’d get if you took the darts corner in a pub and gave it a luxurious, fine-dining makeover. The restaurant boasts 22 semi-private darts booths with state-of-the-art electronic dart boards that track your score (so you can enjoy a tipple and ditch the tally). Each booth is attended to by a dedicated host, ready to serve up an array of tasty morsels on the menu, including cloche-smoked salmon cones and fried Kataifi duck with goats cheese – yum! Then, let the best person with the best aim win!

Situated a zombie's lurch from Macauley station, Zero Latency specialises in multiplayer, free-roam (meaning no pesky wires) VR games, where up to eight players work together to explore alien worlds, investigate strange disturbances on spaceships and – yes, Walking Dead fans – battle hordes of the undead. It's spooky and loads of fun. There are eight different games to play, and you can pick which one scares you the most via the website.

You’ve had lunch by the river, now try lunch on the river. GoBoat is an electric boat hire service currently running in Melbourne that makes it super easy to have picnics asea (well, a river in this case). GoBoat’s five-metre-long boats seat up to eight people and don’t need a boating licence to operate. The best part? They come equipped with a built-in wooden picnic table in the middle of the boat. You can book your boating adventure here. 

Who says arcades are just for kids? Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq has landed in Melbourne to satisfy your whimsical kidult desires. The entire complex is decked out with nostalgia-inducing ways to entertain yourself, from arcade games to theme park rides. Challenge your mates to a round of Mario Kart or hit the road for real (sort of) with a turn on the Dodgem Cars. There are dozens of arcade games to try out, as well as bowling and an interactive XD motion theatre. Playing the games will earn you tickets just like in a real arcade, which you can then redeem for zany prizes.

A two-storey site that previously housed sweat-covered patrons on the dancefloor of Hugs and Kisses Club has since transformed into a karaoke joint that has retained the glow of neon lights. Inspired by Hong Kong and the many karaoke bars that fill it, Yum Sing House is a hybrid of karaoke and modern Cantonese food in Melbourne’s CBD. Headed by the team behind Tang Australia, the venue has a restaurant on the first floor and five karaoke rooms plus a bar upstairs. Each room is themed around neighbourhoods and nightlife spots in Hong Kong, and has comfy sofas, top-of-the-line audio gear and visuals that will make you feel like you're in the vibrant city. You can make a booking here. 

Adventure Park is the place to go when you want some waterside fun. There are plenty of waterslides, kids' rides or family activities like go-karting or mini-golf. For the thrillseekers (or the foolish) there is the Tornado, which opened in late 2017. The biggest and longest waterslide of its kind in the state, this beast will drop you down from the 24-metre tower through the snaking slides. You'll even experience moments of zero gravity weightlessness! The newest ride to date, however, is the Tsunami – the Tornado's sister slide and the only triple funnel waterslide in Victoria. Buy your tickets here. 

Melbourne, welcome to the world of axe-throwing. After winning hearts in Sydney, Maniax opened in Abbotsford in 2018 to the delight of all those who want to have fun or blow off some steam, Viking-style. The concept is pretty simple. Pick up an axe, aim carefully, and lob it at a target. Maniax recommends that you book in groups for a two-hour session, where you'll receive one-on-one coaching session then taken through a series of tournaments to find out who is deadliest with a raw steel axe. You can book in for a session here. 

Vent all your anger safely at the Break Room, a venue that openly encourages you to destroy objects. Suit up, grab a baseball bat and head into the rooms, where you can throw, bash, smash and break plates and glassware. You can even bring your own items to smash if you’ve always wanted to destroy a certain something (the most popular items to smash in such rooms worldwide are printers – but just make sure no one sees you stealing it from work). Make a booking to let off some steam here. 

You've done the break room, now comes the Smash Spash. It’s a venue where you can smash things or you can splash things – namely paint. After suiting up, up to three people enter the splash room where you can paint the walls red, blue, green or whatever colour your heart desires – the messier the better. Smash Splash provides paint balloons that you can throw or smash at the wall with a bat, or you can go old-school and just use brushes or your hands to get creative. Play your choice of music while splashing away, and you’ll even have the chance to photograph your masterpiece once finished.

We can't explain why, but movies are way better when you watch them outside. Perhaps it's the combination of fresh air, beautiful scenery and the opportunity to bring your own snacks along. These are our top picks of alfresco cinemas in Melbourne.