Where to Play Classic Arcade Games in Indianapolis

Retro arcade games are making a comeback. Many of the classic arcade games of your childhood (and your parents’ childhood!) like pinball, Pac-Man and Frogger, are back and it’s easier than ever to revisit the nostalgia with your own children.

Of course, one of the best things about video games is that they’re not just for kids. Games are fun for all ages! An arcade makes a great mom’s night out, dad’s night out venue, or even a great date night location. And bonus: Some of the retro arcades listed below are only for adults, so you won’t have to compete with a kid for that Mortal Kombat console.

So, show off your sweet skills arcade skills at one of these places around Indy!

The Best Arcades in Indianapolis

16-Bit Bar + Arcade

Address: 110 E New York St., Indianapolis
Ages: This venue is for adults (21+) only!

With a name coined from computer architecture, 16-Bit Bar + Arcade houses more than 35 vintage arcade games, including Donkey Kong, Joust, Street Fighter and Star Wars. All arcade games and gaming consoles are free to play with the purchase of a beverage — except pinball and foosball, which cost $1.

Boss Battle Games

Address: 6020 E. 82nd St., Indianapolis (inside Castleton Square Mall)
Ages: All ages 
Price: $15/per person. Everyone who enters must pay admission, even if they’re just watching.

No quarters, no tokens, no kidding! Boss Battle Games, located inside Castleton Square Mall, is an all-ages retro arcade with more than 100 arcade games, 9 pinball machines, and 6 console set ups. You pay one admission fee and can stay as long as you want (or until closing!) and play as many games as your heart desires. Pinball machines are the only games that cost an extra fee: $1 per play to protect the machines’ vintage quality.

PinVault

Address: 1043 Virginia Ave., 2nd Floor Suite 214B, Indianapolis
Ages: All ages the third Sunday of every month; 21+ the first Friday of every month
Price: Admission is $5/person, games are free

PinVault is a group of private collectors who enjoy pinball too much to allow their machines to go unshared with others! They open their “vault” to the public during very specific days and hours. The  third Sunday of every month, all ages are welcome from 1-5 p.m. On the first Friday of every month, it’s adult only (21+) from 7-11 p.m. Admission is $5, but all machines are free play, so leave the quarters at home.

Punch Bowl Social

Address: 120 S. Meridian St., Indianapolis (inside Circle Center Mall)
Ages: All ages until 10 pm, at 10 pm it becomes an adult-only (21+) venue

Get your game on at the 20,250-square-foot Punch Bowl Social inside Circle Center Mall in downtown Indianapolis. Play a game of bowling, master the art of shuffleboard, sing your heart out in the karaoke room, and play to win at the arcade, where you’ll find several vintage games like Mortal Kombat, Ms. Pac-Man, Ghostbuster pinball and skee-ball. 

Tappers Arcade Bar

Address: 501 Virginia Ave, Suite 102, Indianapolis
Ages: This arcade bar is for adults only (21+), so book a babysitter!

Touting the best classic arcade games in Indiana, Tappers Arcade Bar is where you will find games like Space Invaders, Ms. Pac-Man, Asteroid, Frogger, Donkey Kong and more than 60 free-to-play arcade games. They also have old-school game systems like SEGA Genesis, Super Nintendo and Nintendo 64, with more than 1,000 games to play. This retro arcade is 21+, and they serve adult beverages, including local craft beer.