Nearly a quarter of Brits (22%) say that they’re a sore loser in new research which explored the competitive habits of the nation.

The study, conducted by the “PAC-MAN LIVE EXPERIENCE”, a pioneering immersive adventure which launches in Manchester on 21 March, discovered that Brits are driven by a competitive spirit, with over half (51%) believing there’s no point in participating unless you’re trying to win. Similarly, more than a quarter (28%) of respondents feel that winning matters more than simply taking part, and more than a third (35%) also admit to being overly competitive.

Across the country, Edinburgh comes out on top as having the highest proportion of self-professed sore losers (29%). Comparatively, only 10% of those in Brighton deem themselves to be a bad sport – the lowest proportion in the UK.

Interestingly, men feel they can handle defeat more so than women say they can, at 24% and 22% respectively.

When asked about which common competitive activities Brits most fancy their chances at winning, board games come out on top with 46% of respondents believing they’d win in a head-to-head.

Common competitive activities listed in order of how confident people are at winning them

ACTIVITY TYPE	PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE WHO THINK THEY WOULD BEAT SOMEONE IN THIS ACTIVITY
Board games	46%
Card games	36%
Trivia or quizzes	35%
Puzzle games (such as sudoku)	31%
Party games (such as charades)	22%
Sports	21%
Video games	21%
Debating	20%
Childhood games (such as hide and seek)	19%
Fitness challenge (such as a park run)	18%

The research comes ahead of the world debut of the “PAC-MAN LIVE EXPERIENCE” later this month. The new immersive attraction lit up the skyline of Manchester with a giant PAC-SIGNAL to encourage wannabe winners to step into a life-sized, interactive PAC-MAN maze when it opens its doors on 21 March.

The experience will see players wear high-tech PAC-Vests equipped with advanced tracking technology, allowing them to collect POWER PELLETS, evade the iconic ghosts; BLINKY, PINKY, INKY, and CLYDE, and accumulate points across 12 thrilling levels.

Neil Dolan, Managing Director of Little Lion Entertainment which created the “PAC-MAN LIVE EXPERIENCE”, says, “Our research shows that the UK’s competitive spirit is well and truly alive. From iconic video games like PAC-MAN, to quizzes and even when keeping fit, we’re a competitive bunch that doesn’t like to lose.

“At Arcade Arena, we’re not just hosting games – we’re pioneering a world that brings people together to play their favourite video games in real life. The growth of gaming is unstoppable but the need for people to physically interact with each other (and maybe try for a win) is never going away.

With the ‘PAC-MAN LIVE EXPERIENCE’, you can prove whether you’re a champion or a sore loser if the ghosts get the better of you. With high-speed chases, power-ups, and fierce competition, it’s the ultimate way to see if you’ve got what it takes to win.”

For more information and to book tickets visit https://www.pacmanlive.co.uk/