June brings a broad survey of recently opened arcades, barcades, retro venues and family entertainment centres across North America, Europe, Asia and beyond. The pace of openings was subdued through March and April, while some operators reported a sharp fall in United States enquiries during May. Overseas demand remained stronger, and major family entertainment operators continued to perform well, with FECs like Hollywood Bowl making strong revenue.
This month’s snapshot includes rhythm-game specialists, free-play arcades, licensed attractions, Japanese game centres and large-format entertainment venues. For Australian readers planning a home setup, our arcade machine buying guide explains how commercial venue trends can translate to a suitable cabinet at home.
North America
F1 Arcade — Boston, Massachusetts
F1 Arcade is an official Formula 1 venue combining food, drinks and dedicated Formula 1 racing simulators. Its game offer is unusual because it does not rely on conventional arcade racers; the branded simulators form the core attraction. The venue also promotes another racing experience resembling LAI Games’ Speed of Light, alongside other entertainment created for guests.
Gatcha — Queens, New York
Gatcha’s Queens flagship presents an Asian-inspired barcade concept. Crane machines dominate the floor, but the venue also includes Japanese and Chinese rhythm, racing and shooting games, with several cabinets apparently sourced directly from Wahlap. It is a very different balance from a traditional retro arcade.
Hasbro Game Room — Rutherford, New Jersey
This location-based attraction turns Hasbro’s catalogue into an arcade theme. Alongside Skee-Ball and large crane installations are Sega Amusements’ Bop It Arcade, ICE’s Monopoly Roll-N-Go, Bay Tek’s Connect 4 Giant, and Adrenaline’s Hungry Hungry Hippos and Twister Arcade. Bespoke-looking attractions based on Sorry! and Trivial Pursuit also appear to have been created for the venue. A local report covers the Hasbro game room in more detail.
Xepher Arcade — Durham, North Carolina
Xepher Arcade has opened as a venue built specifically around rhythm games. Its collection includes Beatmania IIDX, maimai, Pop’n Music, Wacca and jubeat. The cabinets were previously available for private play in a garage before being moved into a public space. The operator’s official accounts provide background on the project.
Super Rad Arcade Bar — Lynchburg, Virginia
This two-storey barcade offers roughly 60 machines, with a strong 1990s focus supported by games from the 1980s and 2000s. The project began during the COVID period and has now reached its public opening. Its progress was covered by an industry report and local news coverage.
The Warp Zone — Sioux City, Iowa
The Warp Zone combines a smaller barcade with retro video games, classic pinball and console stations. Machines pictured include South Park, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Demolition Man. More information is available through the venue’s official website.
Side Quest Arcades — Garland, Texas
Located at Firewheel Town Center, Side Quest has an expansive selection and a thoughtful layout. A particularly distinctive pairing places Konami’s flight-cockpit game Solar Assault beside Sega’s Strike Fighter.
Leaderboard Arcade #2 — Jacksonville, Florida
This barcade mixes American classics such as Tapper and Q*bert with newer indie games including Cosmotrons and Enter the Gungeon: House of the Gundead. Japanese imports, including rows of linked sit-down cabinets believed to be APM3 units, add a modern game-centre feel in a more independent setting.
Fun Zone Arcade — Vacaville, California
The new Fun Zone location reflects the growing influence of contemporary Asian arcade selections. A large Pikachu kiddie ride is positioned near the window, while Mario and Luigi mascots appear alongside the venue’s StepManiaX machines.
City Fun Center — Poway, California
City Fun Center follows a more conventional family entertainment model, with ticket redemption games and current attractions. Its video-game lineup includes Raw Thrills’ The Walking Dead, Fast & Furious and Minecraft, Sega’s deluxe Let’s Go Island!, plus a compact retro section. Explore more arcade machines for comparable home options.
Level Up by Bandai Namco — Los Angeles, California
Bandai Namco has returned to a larger location-based project after selling parts of its North American operations during the pandemic period. At The Fields LA in BMO Stadium, the company has installed a branded Pac-Man arcade as part of the Level Up attraction. The stadium announcement outlines the project.
North American FEC updates
- Dave & Buster’s reported further international expansion, opened venues in Port St. Lucie and Scranton, and faced obstacles to its proposed betting plan in Nevada.
- Round1 opened an arcade-only site at the South Premium Outlets in Las Vegas, while its Jefferson Mall location in Louisville closed. A second Phoenix venue is listed as coming soon.
- A new Chuck E. Cheese opened in Las Vegas. The company announced the removal of its animatronic bands, although some locations may retain them.
- Family Entertainment Group opened Carousel Arcade on Michigan’s Lake Huron, while Ultimate Arena opened in Magnolia, Texas.
- Philadelphia’s Queen & Rook reopened with more arcade games, and Circus Park was announced in Mexico City.
- CastleCade moved to a larger Madison, Wisconsin space featuring Japanese imports including an MT5DX+ and an exA cabinet.
Europe
Continue Arcades — Plymouth, United Kingdom
Continue Arcades is a new free-play venue on England’s South Coast. Its selection combines newer attractions such as Electrocoin’s Skill Shooter, StepManiaX and Time Crisis 5 with Manx TT, Alpine Racer 2, Star Wars Trilogy, joystick classics and a console area. The operator’s official website has further details.
Funbox at Gravity Max — Westfield Stratford, London
Gravity has opened its third UK Max venue, following locations in Wandsworth and Liverpool. Its Funbox arcade areas have shared ownership with Sega Amusements since 2022. The large installation includes products from UNIS and Bandai Namco, along with SAI titles such as Apex Rebels, VR Agent and Storm Rider 2. Sega’s large-format Mission: Impossible Arcade and House of the Dead: Scarlet Dawn are joined by a four-car OutRun 2 SP setup.
La Tête Dans Les Nuages — Paris, France
French chain La Tête Dans Les Nuages has opened its eighth location in a Paris shopping centre. The company began in the mid-1990s with backing from Formula 1 driver Alain Prost and Sega Amusements France. It expanded rapidly before the late-1990s and early-2000s industry turmoil forced closures and ended those major partnerships, but the brand survived and has recently resumed opening branches.
The House of Fun — Geel, Belgium
The House of Fun’s lineup includes Raw Thrills’ Super Bikes 3, NERF and Space Invaders Frenzy, alongside Bandai Namco’s Mario Kart Arcade GP DX and Adrenaline’s NFS Heat Takedown.
Smash Arcade — Brussels, Belgium
Smash Arcade focuses heavily on Chinese-produced equipment. UNIS titles including Fantasy Soccer, Space Invaders Counter Attack and Ultra Moto VR sit alongside games from Ace Amusement and InJoy Motion.
European FEC updates
- Namco Funscape Romford received an upgrade, King Pins announced a second Manchester venue, and Golf Fang added pizza and arcade games in Cardiff.
- Funstation Milton Keynes held a charity event with UDC.
- Game-INN in Belgium added a legitimate Chinese version of DanceRush Stardom.
- Disneyland Paris closed its old Disney Village arcade, a site historically associated with Sega Amusements and its first European location.
Asia, the Middle East and Oceania
World Game Circus — Club EXA2, Tachikawa, Tokyo
World Game Circus is a large independent game-centre operation spread across several buildings in Tachikawa. Its existing Club EXA space has been joined by a second exA-Arcadia-branded room containing relocated games. The venue has also acquired an APM3 cabinet and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure battle-royale hardware.
GiGO Bandai City — Niigata, Japan
This GiGO opening is notable because regional Japanese arcade scenes are now relatively small, and Niigata has seen few new venues. Sega previously operated sites in the area, including Joypolis, but those locations closed years ago. GiGO’s return is therefore significant, especially as the new venue appears to include more than crane machines, with exterior murals promoting the location.
Regional updates
- Taito Station Kashiwa reopened as SUPER WAVE, marking another move into the sector by pachinko operator Maruhan.
- GiGO reopened the second floor of its Shinjuku West Exit venue.
- Fundraising began to rebuild Secret Base after a fire.
- TimeZone opened three new Singapore venues, while new or expanded attractions were reported for India, the Philippines and China, including The Game Palacio, Masti Zone, TimeZone Gateway Mall 2 and Cool Space Play.
Coming soon
- River City Arcade in Danville, Virginia.
- A second Round1 venue for Phoenix, Arizona.
- A third F1 Arcade bar in the United States.
- Epic Entertainment in the Lehigh Valley.
- Elev8 Fun’s fifth location in Jacksonville, Florida.
- Free Play Arcade’s third venue in Taunton, Massachusetts.
- UNIS’s Emoji Planet entertainment-centre concept.
- A former firework shop becoming an arcade in Totton, UK.
- A new arcade opposite a holiday park in Brean, UK.
- Hollywood Bowl in Colchester, UK.
- A large entertainment city planned for India.
New venues depend on paying visitors, not only online attention. If one of these locations is near you, visiting in person is the most practical way to support the operators and help the local arcade scene grow. For anyone building a smaller setup at home, compact bartop arcades, racing arcades and replacement arcade parts offer different paths into the hobby.
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