Around 10,000 gamers will swarm Event City this weekend for the biggest Play Expo event yet.

The expo offers gamers the chance to try out some of the latest games and hardware, meet the developers of some of their favourite games, and enjoy some classic arcade and pinball machines.

There’s even a chance to meet Manchester’s very own celebrity YouTube gamer Tom Cassell – AKA Syndicate – on Saturday.

He won’t be the only familiar face on hand, though, as this year a host of stars of TV and film are lined up to attend.

Corrie star Craig Charles along with his Red Dwarf co-star Chris Barrie, David Prowse and Kenny Baker from Star Wars, and the Iron Throne itself from Game of Thrones will all be making appearances.

But if this event is about anything it’s about games, and there will be plenty of that on offer, too.

100 PlayStation 4s will be running the latest games for visitors to try, and 33 games from indie developers will be one show.

Some of the developers, including Cinemaware (which is on the brink of bringing its classic game Wings back to life – and you can play it, as well as a new never-before-seen title in development) and Team 17 will be giving talks followed by a Q & A.

There’s a real local flavour to one of the exhibits – Manchester developer Pixel Bomb Games will be showing off a playable demo of its new third-person shooter Beyond Flesh and Blood.

The game is set entirely in a future, dystopian Manchester. This will be the first time you’ll be able to try out the game ahead of its release on PC via Steam later this year. Xbox One and PS4 versions of the game are slated in for release next year. Look for Pixel Bomb in the Indie Zone at the event in the Now Play section.

It’s not just the indies who’ll be letting you get hands-on, though – Konami will be there with a playable demo of PES 15.

Add in loads of competitions for modern and retro gamers, a board game section if you get screened-out, and a mini-careers fair offering advice for getting into the game industry and you have the complete package.

There can be no other destination this week for anyone with even a passing interest in video games.

You’ll find me, by the way, in the retro arcade section, frantically trying to better my Donkey Kong high-score...

Why not get ready for the event and try a it of nostalgia with classic video game Pacman, below...

Just press 'enter' and use the arrow keys to play!

Pacman not your thing? Try Donkey Kong for size...

Take a look at our list of 20 retro computer games from your childhood - and you can play them!

Play Expo will take place at Event City next to the Trafford Centre this Saturday and Sunday.

See playexpo.net for more information