Underground Retrocade

Hands down my favorite classic arcade experience to date. Great selection of games, all with WORKING controls and monitors. $20 for all day play, was able to grab a bite and come back. Great 80?s ambiance, sitting area to watch a big screen, sweet jukebox upstairs. Staff was friendly and helpful. Even got to swap game tips with a couple of patrons I think were ?regulars? on a new favorite game (Mr. Driller). Can't wait to go back!

Wow, I can't believe I waited this long to check this gem of a place out! There are SO MANY old arcade games AND plenty of great pinball machines to play! I was quite impressed that every game that I wanted to play was in perfect working order as I've gone to other businesses where multiple games are out of order. Scott was incredibly friendly and helpful and even went out of his way to suggest playing one of the games in a different mode that I didn't even know existed. We had hours of fun and can't wait t

Definitely worth it. Now a days you don't get to see places like this all 90s games it's rare . Definitely worth taking yourself or kids. Things to know before going $20 per person don't think oh I'm not playing . No drinks allow by the games since machines are old anything can happen. They sell drinks there so if you get thirsty price for soda and water good prices. Unlimited time you can be there 4-5 hours lol Bathroom is clean not dirty which is good because I am a women and don't like to just pee anywh

Have been a handful of times throughout the years, and would give them 5 stars, however they made pinball ala carte now. Pinball is pretty much all I play, so having to pay the normal entry fee, just to get in and have to pay for pinball on top of that is ridiculous. I would still say go if you are there for the arcade cabs, however if you are all about the pinball, make the trip up to Brookfield and visit Galloping Ghost's dedicated pinball arcade which is a dedicated all you can play pinball arcade. ****

I've been here a few times now, each time with a group of family members. We always enjoy our time here. There are games for all different interests and ages. The staff is helpful and kind, especially when dealing with our special needs kids. The kids felt at home and comfortable in what could be a high stimulation environment. Even when it's been busy, you don't feel crowded or pressured to move from one game to the next. Other customers pick up on the atmosphere/mood created by staff and so the environmen

Awesome place!! Loved all the games. Such a large variety! While you need to use your phone to get list of songs, really enjoyed the jukebox!! Only wish it was closer... would be perfect for a cold or rainy day. Can't wait to come back!

There literally aren't many (if any) places on Earth my son and I enjoy more than the Underground Retrocade. First, the location is super convenient, right on 72 with a spacious parking lot behind the Retrocade. You walk in and immediately encounter a number of tables for people to recreate with beverages bought on site. An air hockey table and 4 pinball machines are part of this Immediate area as two separate TVs play 80s cartoons. The favorites are right up front with the Donkey Kong and PacMan franch

Really a great blast from the past I spent SO many hours in arcades just makes me remember so many memories which is priceless. But the price for entry is $15 which is very fair for unlimited gameplay. This place is run by passion you can tell. Clean bathroom was nice too encouraging people to wash their hands. Good innocent fun the way it should be still today. No school shootings when I was a kid! ????

We had a blast. So many awesome games it's hard to pick where to start! Go spend your monies here, and have fun. ??

Imo, this place is probably a 3.5 star establishment. I've been spoiled with freeplay arcades that include their pinball machines in the $15-$30 unlimited freeplay. I knew going into this place that their pins were token play and tokens were 2 for $1. Still when I forked over $10 and he handed me a tiny plastic shot glass with 20 tokens I was like...aww dang that isn't going to last very long. I had just spent $20 the day before at a similar establishment and played for almost 5 hours. I was here for a

Absolutely love this place I've hab?s hours of fun here and you can come and go as you please as long as you keep your wristband on for just $20 a day pass! I highly recommend.

It's 2 floors of arcade cabinets, they have NFL blitz and 3 Mortal Kombat games and an area with pin ball games. There's no drinking or eating, some of the games are out of order. Once you pay and can go in and out, there are plenty of other spots to check out as well. Bathrooms were clean and they do have a coat hanger.

Pretty cool place. Pretty big nostalgia trip for anyone who liked arcades back in the day. Tons of old games, with some newer ones mixed in. I mean, it's 2 floors of arcade games, can't go wrong.

I went for the first time about an hour ago with my 2 kids and there is an older gentleman who was very rude and just flat terrible. They said 20 bucks per person and the place is dead. I tried to have one of my daughters go play and pay and me and my younger child would wait and they was like no! Even if the younger kids running around and not playing still 20 bucks, I explained we aren't going in and sitting down to wait! They said nope this like the movie theater you walk in you have to pay 20 per person

We are new in town and I happened to pass this place by when I was on my way to Home Depot. I thought I was pretty cool on the outside and told my family we wanted to check it out when we had time. We went over the past weekend and I would have to say we all had a blast! We decided to go late Sunday night couple hours before they closed and we had pretty much the whole place to ourselves. I like the fact that you play unlimited games and you pay one flat rate! It was definitely a blast from the past, Pac-

What a cool place!! At Easter, my wife and I gave our sons a bunch of coupons they could use whenever they chose. Yesterday, my younger son gave me the 1:1 with dad, a night just the two of us. I asked him what he'd like to do and he said "let's go to an arcade!" I'd heard of this place just randbomly searching Google maps and I suggested it, and I'm glad I did, because this place is way cool. Old school arcade games, pinball games an air hockey table and a LOADED jukebox!! A skeeball machine too.. tha

Good time of you like playing old school games, just note that you note only get limited pinball time for your initial $20, you have to pay more to continue playing them, most take 2 tokens to play 1 player.

My boys and I absolutely love this place. It has a ton of games and everything is spaced out nicely between the two floors. It has a great retro atmosphere, the owner plays old movies and the juke box upstairs is a nice touch. It is a lot of fun to show my kids what old arcade games were like, and since everything is set to free play, we can try whatever we want and not worry about going through a ton of quarters. I can't recommend this place enough, it's a great old school arcade and it is easy spend hours

This squirrel ??? had a blast! Two floors filled with old school arcade games. Over 45 you'll be blown away with flash backs. Under 45 you find the old ways are best. I recommend take and old squirrel ??? like me with you, let them tell you all about the way games were played. the games are all originals, in working condition. The price of $20 to get is is FAIR! IT ALL FREE AFTER THAT. I would like to point out, fixing one of them could cost a lot of nutz ?? so I didn't mind paying. I was. Little bummed o

Me and my boyfriend love coming here! The pinball room is my favorite. Theres pretty much almost any kind of retro arcade game you can think of there. Its 15 dollars for admission and you can stay all day with that. Owner seems like a great guy, always nice when we go. Occasionally theres a game or two not working, but there so many overall and they get fixed so fast that youre unlikely to even realize.

this is one of the best retro arcades in the country!! every game you ever played as a child is definitely here and some ones that you've never heard of!! amazing family fun with free play after you pay for your bracelet at the front

This place is so freaking cool. They have all of the old games that I grew up with. The cost is well worth it. If you had to bring quarters. To play what you wanted. You would have to bring 100 $ at least ??. Always have a blast there

This place is so fun. A trip back to 1984. Did not have time to play every game I wanted to play, so I will be back!

This is a fun place with a fair price of $20.00 for unlimited play. Sadly, around 40% of the pinball games were out of order. With that said, the pinball room is a very small part of this place. Lot's of old favorites and some older games I've never seen. So, no tokens and decisions on should I try this game. Try like it keep playing, try it, and hate it walk away.

Hip arcade experience, kind of reminiscent of the movie remake Tron. A good variety of big hit arcade style and pinball games -- great family fun. This place will definitely take an 80s kid down memory lane and give the younger generation something to remember!

Awesome spot for a fun date night!! Lots of retro games, pinball machines and they even have ski ball. There's two floors and a couple little rooms full of nostalgia. I would definitely recommend making a trip to this place!

If you're looking for a fun place to play pinball, this isn't your place. $20 to get in the door, only to find out that the machines are either turned off or in terrible disrepair. Burned out lights, weak or broken flippers, and VERY dirty machines. There are a few newer machines in the front of the arcade that cost extra to play. The owner sits behind the counter and is real quick to say something if he thinks that you're being hard on his machines. "Don't just flip the flippers if you're not hitting the b

Good variety of games, all for the low price of $20. pinball machines were really fun. Definitely a fun place to drop in for a couple hours.

Really cool place if you're into old arcade games. The guy at the front desk was not very warm or inviting, seemed annoyed by everyone that came in, so I took a star off. But overall still a unique place that I'd visit again.

Awesome!! I felt like i was a kid again! The place has the best games plus Pinball i was imperessed and will recommend to all Family and Friends.

My wife and I took out 9yo son. It was our first time to this arcade and it was awesome. Two floors of arcade machines straight out of the 80s and 90s. The dark ambiance and sounds were straight out of my childhood. $20/ person for all day access to unlimited play. They give u a wrist band to come and go as u want. There was also a whole room of about a dozen pinball machines and an air hockey table. Great place will definitely go back.

Staff is super nice and they have a ton of retro games! The fact that you can just play unlimited is awesome!

This place is awesome! Plenty of throw back games to choose from and a huge selection of pinball games to choose from. My son and I went on a Friday night, we were like the second customers and we stayed for almost 4 hours! The place never got too packed. Great place. I'll definitely go again.

Great selection of old arcade games but only 10 pinball machines. Almost all of the games were working and only 2-3 out of ~75 that had issues.

Fun place with 2 FLOORS of games!! Awesome selection of games (standing arcades, good pinball selection & some skeeball [ice ball]). $15 /person was worth it! My teen said this place was like the ?ol timey arcade? (he'd been to before) on crack! Lol. we got there shortly after they opened at 3 on a weekday and practically had the place to ourselves.

Cool place to relive your childhood. Pinball, old school games, air hockey and much more.The owner is cool and provides a good vibe. Affordable drinks and a lounge to chill in. Also u get in and out privileges. Would recommend this place for fun for young and us older folks.

One of my favorite places to spend family time. I love the pinball games, especially the Black Night. Good times.

We could not believe the amount of games! They had all the classic machines most people would know and so many extras! I took my boys 8 and 7 with my husband there was something for each of us. We can't wait to go back.

Highly recommended - $15 all you can play. Pinball machines as well as several popular cabinets. Was not very crowded when we went.

Fun for all ages! Huge space full of so many classic games. If you're seeking nostalgia, look no further.

My kids and grand kids had a great time... I did too!! Reminded me of the 80's hanging out in an arcade..

This place is really cool and unique for this area. A good selection of games in a great location. A bit expensive for just a few hours, maximize your money by going early and spending the day in town (in and out privileges!). The biggest issue is the owner (employee?) behind the counter. A large man sits behind the front desk watching the closed circuit security system making sure you don't push the buttons more than you need to. Passive aggressive signs everywhere about nit picky rules and how you are l

Great selection of classic arcade games. A fun and affordable date night option choice for those who are bored of the same old thing.

Hands down the best arcade experience I've had since the 80's. Repeat visitor from literally 6 hours away, I make the drive solely to play games here. Games are always in tip-top condition, and they have a great mix. Numerous pinballs on free play, with some of the newest pins (which can cost upwards of $8k or more) on a very affordable coin drop. Friendly owner who goes out of his way to accommodate my physical limitations, a modest $20 fee for all day come and go as you wish access. Doesn't get much bette

The good part: The place was as advertised. It was $20.00 to get in and all games (except a few pinball machines near the entrance) were unlimited/free play. The bad part: The atmosphere and the temperament of the manager/cashier. The place had very dim lighting, completely dark in some places if not for the glow of an arcade screen. A few games were out-of-service, which is unavoidable at any arcade. But, instead of the machine just being off with a simple ?out-of-service? tag there was a long message abo

This was super cool! If you grew up in the 80s and 90s, this is definitely a trip down memory lane. The best part is it's $20 for all you can play, and you can come in out to go eat or take a break. Well worth the money. I realized it's harder to play these games after playing them with a handheld controller. It's amazing how far video games have come. Nostalgic for sure!

Owners appear to have an adversarial relationship with customers. Feels like you are paying for the "privilege" of being there Rather than being invited in to relax and have a good time. Context - We last came here in 2019 and loved it, spent probably 8 hours over two days in the pinball room and on active games like ski ball, basketball, etc. Paid the $15 entrance fee twice per person so spent $60 and felt very worth it. Came back for the first time in 5 years and price has gone up from $15 to $20 so $4

Enjoyed a family outing here on a Friday afternoon with our 10 and 8 year old (they had special hours as kids were on school break). All 4 of us had a great time - blast from the past for my husband and I. I could?ve stayed until closing but we had dinner reservations with family and had to leave. Only thing that bothered me was how dark it was, especially after sunset. Low lighting made it difficult to see some of the games, more so in the pinball machine area. It won't keep us from returning though, we re

Good clean place nice selection of games. Only issue a little on the warm side. Maybe a few stools for us old guys with bad knees.

This place is amazing! Throwback to my younger years! Loved it I could spend hours here!

We used to go to Izzy's in Niles, but sadly, that closed. We were considering Galloping Ghost, but my better half found this place online. There's at least 8 pinball machines (my better-half's favorite) on the premises and a ton of arcade games from the 70s, 80s, 90s, and into the 00s (in particular, there are some kind of recent Star Wars machines I had not seen anywhere else). Lots of great games, a laid-back owner, and only $20 to play - it's a great bargain. Nice location, two levels, nice vibe. Will d

Great games and friendly staff! Unfortunately, pinball is no longer included in admission - You get a base allotment of tokens with unlimited arcade play.

??????the free to play pinball machines are NOT FREE anymore.?????? Other then that, the selection is okay.

2nd time here! My kids love it and think it's so neat. We need to come here more often.

Great games and only $15, you can play all day, but I think after an hour you would get your money's worth. Games were well maintained, I think I only saw one game that was down, which I didn't want to play anyway, so it worked out well.

Fun date night took me back to my teen days??

For those that are going here for pinball, be aware they have recently moved the newer/better machines out of the general play area. There are now 4 of the better machines that require a pay per game, and as far as I could tell, they didn't back fill the machines in the general play area. We tried to find out which machines where left, but the person at the front desk was not very helpful and wouldn't let us go look at the machines. She said and I quote, 'we don't allow walk through's because people will p

Super fun! Got to play as many games and pin ball as I could handle. 20 bucks would not have gone that far when I was a kid. Brought my eight year old with me and he had a blast!

Absoutely loved this place. It was our first time going and it was so cool. I really loved how dedicated the owner was to making sure people could play and have fun. My partner and I were saw this girl waiting and eager to play air hockey, I was about to join her, however, no hesitations for the owner to get away from the register and play air hockey with her. That's awesome to see. Great selections of games, pinball area seems to be little dark, so maybe a small light, but nothing too bad to still enjoy th

Great spot for arcade and some air hockey. This place can get warm because of all the machines. Could be cleaner. Great outing!

I was a bit disappointed. It advertises as an "Underground" arcade, but there wasn't anything underground about it. There is a main level and an upstairs. I asked about the basement, or should I say the underground area, and they told me that it was empty. I also saw on their website that it said $20 for adults and $10 for children. We got charged $20 for my 3-year-old. I had to speak with the kid up front and told him to check the website because the prices were incorrect. Thankfully, he later came up to m

Great selection of cabinet and pinball games. I can tell the owner curates the selection with love. Low key atmosphere for all ages. Great place for families or to take a date. 4 stars not 5 because of the restrictions on drinks and concessions, but that's totally understandable (gotta keep the games in top shape).

Young man at the front desk tried to make me pay to take a 2 month old inside? we decided to just leave and go to Bowlero. I would recommend others do the same.

What a great place for kids and parents to bond while having fun! Most of the games were up and running, reasonably priced entry fee. Bring your own hand sanitizer! I think it would be cool if they did birthday parties and events here but couldn't locate any information about that being something they do online...

I love old school arcade games, and there aren't too many arcades around anymore. I had a lot of fun and I'm definitely coming back soon!

Came for a friend's birthday party. Had a blast! Really cheap flat rate for all-you-can-play gaming. There were some machines that didn't work, but most were fully operational. My only complaint is the dinginess of the place. Poor lighting and poor ventilation makes for a kinda creepy vibe. I loved that they had Gauntlet. I loved this on GameCube. It was a pleasant surprise to see this as an arcade game. Great throwback experience!

Good selection of games. Some of the machines are broken and unusable. Bathroom is absolutely disgusting. If this is the condition of the bathroom itself imagine what sanitary measures are taken on cleaning the machines. This is not the first time I've seen it like this either. Place is rundown. If you're looking for a cheap night out I'd recommend it.

Took a large group of high school kids for a birthday outing. The kids had a great time. We stayed over 2 hours. All of the kids said they wanted to come back and visit again. It was a great way to spend a hot summer afternoon.

Went back to the 80's with original arcade games. They literally have them all! Pinball was so fun too.

Such a cute little place and at incredibly reasonable prices. You wouldn't be able to play all day for $15/person anywhere else that I'm aware of! Also, the guy at the front desk is always helpful and in good spirits. It genuinely seems like they want people to be able to enjoy games of decades past for an affordable rate.

Children really wanted to play. The owner did not allow the parent to stay, demanded extra fees or leave the territory. Very high price, rude attitude!

Can't beat an entire afternoon of unlimited arcade play for only $15. While newer games have more glitz and features, they'll suck $15 in 15 minutes. Wonderful selection of classic games including pinball and skeeball. Well worth the price of admission.

I usually don't play video games frequently, but whenever I have the opportunity to visit such a unique arcade like this one, I always love to get my hands on the wide selection of classic video games from decades past. Underground Retrocade, located in the heart of Downtown West Dundee, contains all the classic arcade games: Donkey Kong, PAC-Man, Q*bert, Space Invaders, Frogger, Galaga, Tempest, Millipede, Mortal Kombat, etc. There are also a couple of Star Wars based video games, superhero themed games,

Such a cool place! Only $15 for an all-day all access fee. You can come and go as you please and don't need any quarters :) They have two floors of an endless variety of games, and even a room of just pinball machines. My boyfriend brought me here for a date, and though it was my first time at an arcade, I could easily spend all day here. Worth the long drive, and will definitely be returning! Bring your friends here, your kids, your date, or come alone. A fun time for people of every age for a great price!

So much fun! So many great machines in working order, not all of them are perfect, but you get a great glimpse at the golden age of arcades through this 2-story establishment. And unlike many of the retro arcades in the area, you can actually hear the games. That may not sound like a big deal, however sound design is carefully crafted to evoke response from the player. Plus it gives Underground Retrocade a genuine ambiance. Complete with jukebox as part of admission!

It's $20 for any heart beat that enters the building. That's what I was told by a snotty man at the front that smelled like a porter potty. The arcades they have are all pixelated. They don't serve any food or drinks. It's dark and smelly in there. There's only one guy working there. Most of the arcades are unknown games. Mortal combat and street fighter don't even have sound. It's a waste of money. I would not recommend this to my worst enemy. Don't bother going here. The place is a dump. Spend at your own

Amazing hidden gem of a genuine classic arcade! Every game I played worked 100% perfectly. Games have top 10 all time scores posted on each game (gave me something to shoot for!). A really nice mix of classics from the Golden Age, with some 90's and newer popular games and some rarer games that usually only collectors have or the giant arcades have. And there's a pinball room and some black & white "bronze age" games and a huge upstairs... I loved it and will go back soon! The owner was working the counter

My husband and I come here as much as we can, and we love the games and atmosphere. It's a really unique arcade. There are so many games and they are all well maintained. The owner is such a great guy as well - we had our wedding last weekend at Emmett's across the street, and he let us come in and take wedding photos and then after the reception about 20 of our wedding guests headed over to play pinball and arcade games as an afterparty. It was really special, and I had a blast, as always! Thank you, Under

Fun, laid back and fairly priced retro arcade with so many consoles and pinball machines, it's impossible to try everything in one day. There are two floors of arcade cabinets, an entire room dedicated to pinball machines, skeeball, and more! Everything is kept clean and (with the help of respectful patrons) in perfect working order. Pay once and play all day - definitely worth the drive if you're not from the area!

Love this place! Pay one price and play all day. Lot's of cool games from the past, and many I never saw before. Games are not as close together as some other arcades, so you don't feel like you're personal space is compromised. Two levels, so go upstairs too. I wish they had more food and drink options. If I can't bring anything in, at least have a good selection of snacks available. Snickers at least. Some of us get hungry or have issues with our blood sugar getting too low. You can't eat or drink by the

What an awesome experience! Lots of options for games, great price that you really cannot beat! You can leave and come back so thats great if you want to get food at one of the near by restaurants but are not ready to call it quits with the games. They offer a safe environment with temp checks, mask requirements and hand sanitizer. This if definitely a place I would recommend for family or a date!

Huge variety of pinball and videos games tightly packed over 2 floors. No outside food or drinks is a good policy, to keep the place clean. Little dining area at the entrance. A very enjoyable vintage saunter down memory lane. Especially appreciate that the games, though 40yrs old, still look sound and play like new.

We hosted an employee team building event here and it was fantastic! We all had so much fun playing unlimited rounds of all of our favorite old school games, and some we'd never even seen before. The pin-ball room was my favorite, but honestly just being able to play through multiple floors filled with arcade games made our day! The host was nice and knowledgeable and they accommodated our very large (40+ person group)I will definitely be going back soon with friends and family.

How can anyone not give a 5-star review? This place is incredible. They have all of my old favorites and some I had never even seen before.They even have an original Space Invaders. Do you know how rare that is? I'm in heaven when I'm there. I hope this place stays around for years to come.

Retro heaven. This place is definitely for hardcore cabinet gamers. There's a room for pinball games which is nice. But the only area to sit is at the very front of the store (if you don't count the racing games.) Basically for $15 you'll want to be there for a while to really get your money?s worth and it's not the most comfortable hangout spot in its current configuration. But I'm glad it's here and we should support these businesses for maintaining gaming history for us to enjoy!

1st time ,went inside to see what its was, and How cool and a upstairs, just blown away. Great way to have fun old school, can't wait to go back. Must see !!!

Place was full of nostalgic, retro video game classics. Many levels too. Center of downtown E. Dundee. Only gripe is that we couldn't look around until we paid because the games were on quick play. Seemed a bit unnecessary. Owner was very friendly and informative though! My young teenager and best friends 4yr old both enjoyed it equally though!

Moved to East Dundee a little over a year ago. Stopped by the Underground Retrocade with by wife after having dinner in town. I asked the front desk if I could see what games they had. He responded that they didn't give "tours." My wife isn't much for video games and I wanted to make sure that I could find something we would both enjoy before paying. We ended up leaving and haven't gone back since. Think it could be a semi-regular spot for us but it wasn't very friendly.