October 2022 brought a broad mix of new arcade venues, from large family entertainment centres and hotel attractions to pinball bars, retro game rooms and compact arcade spaces. This roundup covers reported openings and upcoming projects across North America, Europe, South America, Oceania and Asia.
For context, an FEC, or family entertainment centre, usually combines arcade games with other attractions such as bowling, mini-golf, laser tag, virtual reality or food and beverage service.
North America
The ARCADE at Bally’s/Horseshoe Las Vegas
Las Vegas added a substantial new arcade when Bally’s, now associated with Horseshoe Las Vegas, converted its former sportsbook area into a 7,000-square-foot games venue. The attraction includes more than 80 modern arcade machines.
The reported line-up includes Asphalt 9 Legends Arcade, ATV Slam, Cruis’n Blast, Golden Tee PGA Tour, Halo: Fireteam Raven DX, King Kong of Skull Island, Mario Kart Arcade GP DX, Minecraft Dungeons Arcade, Mission: Impossible Arcade SDX, Nitro Trucks, Super Bikes 3 and Wild Wild West Shootout, among others. Coverage of the project also examined the business case for replacing the sportsbook with an arcade.
Another Las Vegas venue is taking over the former GameWorks site at Town Square. The 36,000-square-foot attraction is called Velocity eSports. Reports indicated that some games and former employees would remain, with the grand opening scheduled for the Friday following the October 2022 report. The venue also maintained a Facebook presence.
Emporium Arcade Bar, New Orleans
Emporium expanded its arcade-bar chain into New Orleans. Its reported selection included Alien vs. Predator, Centipede, Joust, Popeye, Q*Bert, Super Contra, Tekken 5, Time Crisis 4, Toobin’, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Vs. Excitebike, alongside a sizeable pinball offering.
The Gamer’s Garage Arcade, Marseilles, Illinois
The Gamer’s Garage Arcade operates in a building with a garage and sits beside the city hall. It uses an admission-based free-play model, with entry listed at $15 per person.
Games mentioned for the venue included Area 51: Site 4, Big Buck Hunter Pro, Defender, F&F Super Bikes, Joust, Ms. Pac-Man, PlayChoice-10, Silent Scope 2, Star Trek: Voyager, The Fast & The Furious, Virtua Cop 2 and Zaxxon.
Pinballz Kingdom, Buda, Texas
Pinballz Kingdom became the third location from the Pinballz business, which began in Austin 12 years earlier. Like the other sites, the Buda venue operates as an FEC with several attractions, including an outdoor laser-tag arena that appears to distinguish it from its sister locations.
A complete game list was not available, although the venue was reported to contain a substantial collection of older and newer pinball machines, as well as a broad selection of classic and modern video games. Live music events also feature prominently in some of the available imagery.
Gamehaus, Long Island City, New York
Gamehaus opened as a 5,000-square-foot restaurant and arcade concept in Queens, offering food, adult beverages and games. Available information suggested that much of the floor area was devoted to dining, with three identifiable cabinets: a Ms. Pac-Man/Galaga machine, The Simpsons and a game in a 1990s Midway-style cabinet.
Das Flipperhaus, Rocklin, California
Das Flipperhaus established a permanent Rocklin venue after operating as a mobile arcade business. The new bar-and-arcade concept is centred on pinball, with a reported collection of 22 machines.
Its documented titles included Godzilla, Guardians of the Galaxy, Iron Maiden, Jurassic Park from Stern, The Mandalorian, The Munsters, Star Trek, Star Wars from Stern and Stranger Things. The business was also reportedly storing or selling its video games.
Arcade-O-Mania, Fairmont, West Virginia
Arcade-O-Mania listed 22 games, but its initial collection consisted entirely of Arcade1Up machines rather than full-size original cabinets. It was an unusual example of a venue built exclusively around that home-arcade format, while questions remained about the practical and legal considerations of operating those products commercially.
Fun Zone Arcade at Pizza Ranch, Galesburg, Illinois
Pizza Ranch’s new Galesburg game room placed a strong emphasis on redemption machines, while also offering video attractions such as Asphalt 9 Legends Arcade, Jurassic Park Arcade, Nerf Arcade and Virtual Rabbids VR.
Singh’s Arcade, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec
Singh’s Arcade was presented as a retro venue, although its reported line-up also included the first Fast & Furious arcade game and StepManiaX. Classic offerings included Pac-Man and a Terminator 2 pinball machine, alongside arcade sports games and room for further additions.
The site also operates as an art gallery, with its public-facing website concentrating heavily on art, apparel and milkshakes.
Galaxy Strikes Bowling Center, Warrenton, Virginia
Galaxy Strikes is primarily a bowling centre, but its new entertainment mix also includes a small arcade.
Monkey Rock Entertainment, El Paso, Texas
Monkey Rock Entertainment follows a similar multi-attraction model, although its arcade appears larger. Games shown in its online material included Jurassic Park Arcade, Nitro Trucks and Super Bikes 3.
Chain developments
- Chuck E. Cheese, Yonkers, New York: a new location opened in Yonkers.
- Urban Air Adventure Park, Midland, Texas: the venue held a soft opening.
Europe
Level X, Glasgow, Scotland
Level X opened as a Scottish FEC combining immersive activities, virtual reality, bowling and what it described as a next-level arcade. Available images showed modern sports-oriented machines, including Sea Wolf, as well as pinball. The venue was also reported to have DanceDanceRevolution A20+, apparently the first example of that game in Scotland.
Gamestate, Berlin, Germany
The growing European chain Gamestate opened a Berlin venue with approximately 70 modern arcade games. Industry coverage described it as Berlin’s largest arcade at the time, a notable development in a market where regulations and taxes have historically made arcade openings difficult.
Gamestate also featured DanceDanceRevolution A20+, reported to be the first machine of its kind in Germany.
8-Bit Micro Arcade Bar, Bolton, United Kingdom
The 8-Bit Micro Arcade Bar in the Bolton area built its selection entirely around Arcade1Up machines, making it another commercial venue based on compact reproductions rather than original full-size cabinets. Consoles were available as well.
South America
Chuck E. Cheese, Suriname
Suriname appeared in this location roundup for the first time with a colourful new Chuck E. Cheese family entertainment centre. The available report did not identify the city, so its location could not be confirmed.
Asia, Oceania and the Middle East
Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq, Christchurch, New Zealand
Christchurch gained a circus-themed Archie Brothers venue after a failed city-centre site containing a food court was replaced by a broader entertainment destination. Attractions included an arcade, bowling and mini-golf.
The modern arcade selection included Daytona Championship USA DX, Mario Kart Arcade GP DX and Space Invaders Frenzy. This was not the company’s first venue; Archie Brothers already operated other locations in Australia.
Japan location updates
Two Japanese developments were also noted, although the available information did not clearly establish whether either site included video games. Both were nevertheless out-of-home entertainment developments:
- A new GiGO shop opened in Toyama, Tokyo.
- Capcom opened the MIRAINO Aeon Mall Toki store in Toki City.
A drone video was also circulated showing a Timezone venue, although no additional Timezone openings were identified in this update.
Coming soon
- AR’s Entertainment Hub, Balcones Heights, Texas: an entertainment venue was planned across the street from a Dave & Buster’s.
- Level One Bar + Arcade, Cincinnati: a second location was in development.
- Glitche’s Arcade, Sherman, Texas: the venue was aiming for a November opening.
- Max Action Arena, Orlando: the project was expected to focus mainly on virtual reality and axe throwing, although it might also include an arcade.
- Glitch, Stockport, United Kingdom: a separate retro arcade bar was planned for December.
- Arcade Bar & Games, Aberdeen, Scotland: the project was targeting a 2023 launch and planned to offer more than 50 classic games.
For Australian readers tracking the wider arcade industry, these openings show how modern venues continue to combine video games with pinball, food, bowling, VR and other attractions. At home, the same variety can be explored through RETROCADE’s arcade news, from full-size arcade machines to compact bartop arcades and dedicated racing arcades.
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