amusement arcade

Coin-operated entertainment venue

An amusement arcade is a venue filled with coin-operated games—video games, pinball machines, claw machines, and similar diversions.

The term is more common in British English; Americans typically say arcade alone.

Amusement arcades thrived in the 1980s and 1990s before home gaming consoles drew players away, though many survive in tourist areas and shopping centers.

gameplay

joystick

Tilting lever for control

credits · continue · combo · power-up · level · boss · leaderboard · game-over · replay

retro

space-invaders

Vintage alien arcade shooter

tetris · joystick · 8-bit

atmosphere

neon

Inert illuminating element

competition · nostalgia · excitement · cacophony · darkness · glow

machines

pinball

Flipper-controlled arcade game

jukebox

tokens

tokens

Currency substitutes

coin-slot · dispenser · clink · bucket · exchange

venue

concessions

Things granted or yielded

snack-bar · queues

Categories
Opposites
leisure vs. obligation

amusement arcadeworkplace

Employment location

office · school · work · factory · classroom

fantasy/escape vs. serious reality

amusement arcadereality

What actually exists

real world · funeral home · cemetery · prison · detention center

recreational gambling-adjacent vs. actual gambling

amusement arcadecasino

Facility for wagering

gambling hall · betting shop · poker room · bookie's · card room

Family

amuse, amused, amuses, amusing, amusingly, amusement, amusements, arced, arcade

Familiarity
Top 200,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Positive · Everyday, not technical · Rated G