The 13 best arcades in Phoenix right now

Phoenix’s arcade scene is still very much in play these days.

Sure, a few spots may have gone “game over” in recent years, with closures knocking out some favorite hangouts. But the scene didn’t crash. It kept rolling, powered by the places that stuck around and kept the lights blinking.

What remains isn’t just solid. It’s also a diverse mix. There are retro-heavy destinations like StarFighters in Mesa, buzzy spots like Tempe’s Electric Bat Arcade, nightlife-focused joints like Stardust Pinbar and longtime Valley fixtures such as Golfland Sunsplash and Castles N’ Coasters. You’ll also find glitzy entertainment centers like Tilt Studio in Tempe.

In other words, whether you’re chasing nostalgia, drinks or a new high score, there’s still plenty of action across the Valley. Here are the best arcades in Phoenix right now.

Tilt Gamez

13831 W. Glendale Ave., Suite B, Glendale
Metro Phoenix’s newest pinball spot, Tilt Gamez, in opened in November 2025 with a clear mission: bring more silver ball action to the West Valley. Co-owners Jason and Tricia Webb follows through by packing 26 machines into their compact space near Glendale Avenue and Litchfield Road.

The lineup largely skews modern, with titles like “John Wick” and “Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant’s Eye,” with Webb planning to bring in more vintage units in the near future. For the moment, it’s wall-to-wall with newer machines, including Stern’s recently released “Pokémon Pro.” We’re sure local pinball fans won’t complain.

The Gaming Zone

10040 N. 43rd Ave., #1K, Glendale
930 W. Broadway Road, Tempe
The Gaming Zone in Tempe is a retro game shop with a built-in bonus level: mini arcades tucked inside. Past the racks of cartridges, consoles and controllers, side rooms at its Tempe and Glendale locations are lined with dozens of classic machines.

The mix leans old-school with “Tetris” and “The House of the Dead,” plus a stack of fighters and deeper cuts like “Demon Front,” “Fist of the North Star” and “Hyper Bishi Bashi Champ.”

Everything arcade game runs on free play mode, so there are no coins or tokens. It’s $7.99 an hour, and you can go as long as your wrists hold up.

Claw Party Arcade

5820 W. Greenway Road, #118, Glendale
Claw machine arcades have descended on the Valley in recent years like a plush-grabbing gold rush, with spots popping up from Mesa to the West Valley, each packed with rows of prize-hungry games.

This Glendale spot crams more than 75 claw machines into a bright, high-energy space stacked with plush, collectibles and blink-and-you-miss-it grails. What sets it apart is its trade-up system, letting you flip smaller wins into bigger prizes and turn every grab into a long game. You gotta respect the claw.

B.R.I. Taproom & Arcade

213 W. Main St., Mesa
This downtown Mesa spot pairs craft beer with a deep lineup of vintage games. Inside the 4,000-square-foot space, you’ll find more than 30 classic arcade machines and a strong showing of pinball, giving it more range than your typical bar setup.

The focus leans old-school, with well-maintained cabinets and a sizable pinball roster that pulls in both casual players and serious flipper heads. Games still run on quarters, adding to the throwback feel, while the open layout keeps things social and easy to move between machines.

With a reliable mix of arcade staples and a stacked pinball lineup, B.R.I. is a go-to for gamers and drinkers alike.

The Outpost Arcade

590 N. Alma School Road, #19, Chandler
This Chandler arcade started as a side quest. In 2023, local collectors Kaydee and Olivia Helm set up inside Taproom-120 in Gilbert before leveling up last year with their own spot near Alma School Road and Chandler Boulevard.

The lineup leans vintage, with ’80s coin-op staples like “Mario Bros.,” “Tron” and “Tapper.” The real draw is the pinball. More than 40 machines span decades, from 1972’s “Spanish Eyes” to newer tables. You’ll also find custom-built games by the owners, including a one-of-a-kind retheme inspired by Disney’s “The Black Hole” that has to be seen to be believed.

It’s a smaller space, so expect close quarters, but that only adds to the old-school arcade feel.

Level 1 Arcade Bar

48 W. Main St., Mesa
Level 1 Arcade Bar in downtown Mesa spreads out across two floors packed with vintage cabinets and a deep bench of pinball machines. The lineup leans classic, mixing heavy hitters like “720°” and “Killer Instinct” with cult favorites and harder-to-find cabinets that keep regulars circling back.

Upstairs and down, the focus stays on the games. Rows of pinball machines range from all-time greats like “The Addams Family” to more recent standouts like “Godzilla” and “Deadpool” that players can go full-tilt boogie on between rounds of drinks.

With its stacked selection and rotating lineup of machines, Level 1 feels like a place where you can easily lose an entire weekend.

Tilt Studio

5000 S. Arizona Mills Circle, #669, Tempe
This two-story arcade at Tempe’s Arizona Mills, formerly home to GameWorks, stands out among metro Phoenix’s many family entertainment centers. What gives Tilt Studio an edge over spots like Dave & Buster’s and Main Event is its mix of nearly 150 games, including a welcome nod to pinball and old-school arcade titles.

Downstairs is all noise and motion, packed with high-tech attractions, redemption games and carnival-style chaos. Rail shooters share space with fighters, racers and rhythm games like “Mario Kart Arcade GP 2” and “Dance Dance Revolution.”

Upstairs, classics like “Battlezone” and “Rampart” offer a throwback break. Nearby, about 20 pinball machines from the ’70s to today help put the “tilt” in Tilt Studio.

Cobra Arcade Bar

801 N. Second St., #100
Cobra Arcade Bar can be quite polarizing thanks to its enormous weekend crowds and clamorous dance parties, but the Phoenix spot still holds the distinction as the Valley’s first true arcade bar. After debuting in 2016, it helped kickstart the concept locally and remains one of the arcade scene’s loudest, busiest players.

The draw is a vast selection of retro coin-op games, especially fighters and classic cabinets that reward quick reflexes and repeat plays. Even more machines await at Hi-Score Club, an anime-themed lounge a few doors down. Cobra’s lineup rotates regularly, making it place where gamers can jump in and play away.

Golfland Sunsplash

155 W. Hampton Ave., Mesa
A favorite for generations of Valley gamers, the arcade inside Golfland Sunsplash’s King Ben’s Castle has been buzzing since the early ’80s. These days, swipable cash cards have replaced tokens, but a handful of Reagan-era staples like “Q*bert,” “Ms. Pac-Man” and “Donkey Kong” are still in play, alongside such classic arcade standbys as Skee-Ball, air hockey and basketball games.

Most of the action now leans modern. Current-day titles like “Halo: Fireteam Raven,” “Maximum Tune 5,” “Beat Saber” and “Nerf Arcade” fill the main floor and draw a steady teen crowd, keeping the place noisy, busy and in constant motion.

Stardust Pinbar

401 W. Van Buren St., Suite C
Stardust Pinbar is effortlessly cool. Opened in 2019 by restaurateur Tucker Woodbury, developer Chuckie Duff and Cobra Arcade Bar’s Ariel Bracamonte, the downtown Phoenix spot runs on a steady current of David Bowie energy. The fun doesn’t end with references to the legendary rock star, as there’s also a secret entrance and an illuminated disco dance floor straight out of “Saturday Night Fever.”

Past all Stardust’s gimmicks is its selection of pinball. More than a dozen machines are available, including classics like “Doctor Who” and “Alien Poker” along with newer Stern creations like “James Bond 007” and “Guardians of the Galaxy.” Silver ball action never seemed quite as stylish.

Castles N’ Coasters

9445 N. Metro Pkwy East
Housed inside a Taj Mahal-style palace that dates back to the 1970s, the arcade at Castles N’ Coasters goes big in every sense with a sprawling, two-story setup that feels almost overstuffed with gaming options.

Downstairs is all noise and motion, where redemption games and flashy modern machines keep crowds chasing tickets, prizes and big wins. Elsewhere, carnival-style distractions like ring toss and shooting galleries. It’s a hurly-burly of constant motion and blinking lights, the kind of chaos that never really slows.

Then there’s the balcony level. Dozens of vintage cabinets are available, including retro faves “X-Men vs. Street Fighter” entries and deep cuts like 1991’s “WWF WrestleFest.” Few arcades in the Valley come this loaded.

Electric Bat Arcade

25 W. Southern Ave., Tempe
There’s a lot to love about Tempe’s Electric Bat Arcade. Its rock ’n’ roll vibes, vintage monster movie décor, the ultra-cool tiki bar and close proximity to Yucca Tap Room are all wins.

That said, the dark heart of Electric Bat is its pinball lineup. Curated by owner Rachel Bess, the arcade’s lineup of 65 machines is one of the deepest in the Valley, spanning modern releases and hard-to-find favorites. It’s a go-to for the Valley’s tight-knit pinball community, whether for weekly tournaments or marathon sessions of silver ball action.

A choice mix of imported Japanese games, including “Jubeat” and “Sound Voltex Exceed Gear,” adds extra flavor alongside old-school staples like “Tekken,” rounding out one of the coolest game-focused spots in metro Phoenix.

StarFighters Arcade

4840 E. Jasmine St., #102, Mesa
The true king of metro Phoenix’s arcade scene, StarFighters is unmatched in its game selection.

Inside the 4,000-square-foot Mesa space, more than 200 vintage machines glow, forming a dense, wall-to-wall lineup of arcade history curated by collectors Steve Thomas and Mike Lovato. It’s an old-school gamers dream you never knew you wanted..

Rarities await in every nook and corner of StafFighters. Early relics like “Satan’s Hollow,” “Crazy Climber” and “Solar Fox” share space with vector-era oddities, golden-age staples and deep-cut curiousities. You’ll spot everything from “Galaga” and “Centipede” to absolute finds like “Sea Wolf,” “Crossbow” and a Don Bluth-signed “Dragon’s Lair.”

Trust us, joystick jocks: StarFighters Arcade is worth the $14 admission and the drive out to East Mesa.