Waterland Arcade

Honestly this place should have been a 5 star for me, especially at $15 all you can play. The arcade was clean, the games were great, absolutely loved the pinball selection, and decent selection of beer and hard cider. The people were great and friendly... when they were available. Tried to buy a drink a couple of times and no one was at the cash register for over 30 minutes. If there was only one employee I'd completely understand but there seemed to have been 2 at the time; was there from 12pm to 3pm on a

This place is awesome. I saw months ago, and had been meaning to check it out and after I did I was annoyed at myself for waiting that long to go! GREAT selection of pinball tables and cabinets, and in very well maintained shape. Lots of hand sanitizer everywhere, and machines were all clean. This place is a total gem.

We went to the Waterland Arcade for my partner's birthday!!! He got great shirts from there and we had an absolutely wonderful time with all kinds of free play games!! They sell magnets, pins, toys, cards, games, stickers, tee shirts and button ups, and have many games to choose from including Qbert, Street Fighter 2, Digdug, Pong, 4 person pacman, Mario kart, tons of pinball machines, basketball, skeeball, a very old whack a shark type game, and more!!!

This place is so great and accommodating, I wish more places were like this! We booked a private event to host a birthday party and this place is so great for kids and adults, which is hard to find! We're a group of mostly adults with a handful of kids 7 and under. When we came, they opened the doors for us 10-15 min early and had tables ready for us for food/drinks that we brought. The person on site helping us was absolutely amazing, responsive and kind. It's super straight forward to book this and all

This place was awesome. The owner is very nice and complimentary of my nerdy attire. Lots of fun games to play and I appreciate the flat rate for unlimited play. My wife and I played through the entire Ninja Turtles beat em up while enjoying a good cider the owner recommended. Parking is a challenge but not a deterrent from such a fun place.

We had a great time at Waterland Arcade!! It was a slow Monday afternoon, but as a group of 4 celebrating a birthday, we had a wonderful time. Almost everything is freeplay with admission, including pinball machines. Plenty of classic games and some more modern machines, like Nidhogg 2. A new game to me is Chunithm, a tactile rhythm game with a wide range of anime, niconico, and Touhou tracks. I could spend hours on that machine! They have a cool selection of shirts, posters, stickers, and other merch for v

The perfect place to spend a Friday night. Plenty of classic pinball games, classic arcade games (obviously), and even a basketball and air hockey game. They just recently added Mario Kart.

We stumbled across this amazing hole in the wall arcade randomly one evening when looking up things to do in our area. I had never heard of it before and it has been our new favorite spot. We immediately got the membership and have been going there on a pretty regular basis including for my birthday. The staff is awesome and they have a really good old school air hockey table that me and my son both enjoy very much. If you haven't checked it out you definitely should.

This is a gem on the Highline. They have the most pinball machines I've ever seen in one place and instead of having to keep a pocket full of quarters you pay by the hour, and you can play anything for free. It's a dream come true for any arcade folks out there. They don't just have pinball. They have other games as well and light food and drink options too. The cool part is you can bring in your own food and drink and make a day of it with the little ones or as a really cool date night. They even have pinb

I was pleasantly surprised at the fun time we had here. Though the arcade is small, it is big on a fun time for those who enjoy old-school arcade games and, of course, one of my favorites, pinball machines. I personally spent a good amount of time on the DEADPOOL Pinball Game??????. You'll pay $10 to play ALL games, unlimited. Pinball games are $0.75 each, and there is a change machine inside to retrieve quarters. I really loved that there were only a few people inside during our visit, too. If you're into

Excellent mix of games for the size. You have authentic classics, multi-game machines, pinball, ski ball, etc. It's less than a tenth the size of family fun center but the curation is better. The guy who runs it is really kind, and the music is fantastic.

This is an awesome local arcade with a bunch of classic arcade games, pinball games and eclectic retro vibes. There is art available, of which I shared some pictures. I got a fun Seattle/Jetsons crossover and one of Link discovering a Metroid in a chest. Plenty of places nearby to get food if you're hungry and ciders and some beers are available onsite. Great place to bring the kids, be nostalgic of old school games and make some memories.

Flat fee entry fee. It was $15 per adult and free for kids 5 and under, I believe. Great pinball selection. There's a big Lebowski pinball game here, which I have never seen before. Then there's the usual air hockey, basketball, Mario cart, big buck hunter, vintage games like frogger, and other arcade games. Beers can be purchased and there's also a range of kitschy clothing and toys. Good way to spend a hour or two.

We was happy to celebrate my son friend Nevaen birthday today at this amazing place! So much fun! Kids have blast for 3 hours playing all the games! I was thinking all this stuff so old when I open the door, but after 30 min off playing.. excited again like in my childhood! Thank you for keeping everyone happy!!!

For $15 you can play most of the games except for a few in the front. Lots of pinball machines, a few classics such as Mortal Kombat 2, Terminator 2, Pacman and Street Fighters. There are 2 vending machines for some snacks and soft drinks as well as a bar that serves alcohol. There's a section for souvenirs such as T-shirts, hoodies, stickers, patches and vinyls. $15 well spent.

So fun! Will come again. I would love to see 1-2 step stools for kids in the arcade and one in the bathroom, and a menu for their drinks. I couldn't read the can labels and it's loud so I couldn't hear the employee when they tried to tell them to me. Plus it must be tedious to have to repeat the names over and over to every patron! A menu would help!

This place is wonderful! Great kid fun and fun for adults! Lots of games for people like me who can only handle a button or 2 lol. Ski ball, pinball, air hockey and great beers! Nathan is just wonderful! So sweet and welcoming and helpful. He made this a great first trip here! We will definitely be back!

There are a lot of pin ball machines and classic arcade games as well as other games that is all you can play for one low price. My entire family had a fun time playing the games and spending quality family time together.

Retro gaming joyride at Waterland Arcade! ? This little gem is packed with vintage arcade goodness, and for just $15, you get unlimited play! Relive childhood classics like Super Mario Bros, challenge your friends to endless Street Fighter rematches, or conquer those pinball wizards! The friendly vibe and waterfront location near yummy restaurants make Waterland Arcade the perfect spot for a budget-friendly night out. Seriously, leave your wallet at home, grab your quarters (just kidding, it's all free p

Absolute hidden treasure! We are from the other side of the state and in Seattle for a major surgery right in the middle of this pandemic. We were mainly looking to just go to the beach and stumbled upon Waterland Arcade. The owner was just absolutely the best. He was so gracious and appreciative of the business. It was just great! I cannot say enough about the nostalgic atmosphere and just a really chill place to go and have some fun. I absolutely plan on coming back every time we are in Seattle ar

Cool games great pinball selection staff super friendly your allow 30 minutes to get food from outside restaurants (get a wrist band) and eat there they are fine with food and drinks from outside. Fun fun for people who love pinball and some arcade game loved teenage mutant nija turtle game. For under $20 very reasonable fun

This is a great place to spend the afternoon with or without kids. It has all of the best classic arcade games! Teenage mutant ninja turtles - skee ball- air hockey - Terminator and many many more. Price is more than reasonable (pinball is separate but still affordable)

I had my son?s 8th Birthday party here and we have rented out entire movie theaters, private room Jump Zone, Playtorium party, splash park party, took everyone on a train ride and even went to Vegas, rented a cabana and partied poolside all day!!! But this was HANDS DOWN the most fun I have seen both adults and kids have at his Birthday party!!! I was a little concerned because they are mostly retro games but the kids had a blast!!! His friends are still saying it was the coolest birthday party they have ev

One of my favorite hang outs kareoke on tuesdays some dope events through the months and some stellar service. Plus the nostalgia!

Really great place to play a great variety of pinball and arcade games, plus some cool merch. Snacks and beverage also while you play. Great place for a couple hours of fun.

Awesome family fun center. My family rented out entire place for 4 hours. The hostess was amazing. Can't wait to plan my own private party here next.

It's a fun place to hang out, love all the retro games, and the environment is friendly.

I took my wife on a Saturday date. She loves arcades and some are not as welcoming. This arcade however is AWESOME and very inclusive. When we arrived there were two people podcasting and a birthday party. People were amazing and welcoming, told us all about the arcade and how everything works. The pricing is fair and so many games to choose from. From pinball (my favorite) to classic Donkey Kong and Galaga. There is something for everyone and they have some really cool merchandise. If you're looking for a

The owner makes this place special. He's present and interacts with his patrons. Really hard to find these days. I don't come here enough, but when I do, I know it'll always be a wonderful time.

Big fan of this place. It has always been a good spot to play pinball. It's currently a flat fee to play unlimited, which is a good deal if you stay for a while. There are also arcade games, air hockey, buck hunter, Mario kart, etc.

Came here with a group of friends because they suggested it & we had a blast! Nothing fancy by any means but that's what we were looking for. Pay $10 & get unlimited lives on all games in the arcade. Plus they sell beer! (The beer part was what was important)

This place is awesome! No need to say anymore. It's great as sometimes it is pretty open and doesn't get overcrowded.

Had my son's 9th birthday party here yesterday, Aug 24th. It was absolutely the BEST place to have a kids party. It's a flat rate for adults and kids. You get to play every game as much as you want. There are chairs, tables, lights, the place is clean, tv, and so forth. The staff was extremely nice and helpful. We were allowed to bring our own food and drinks, which was a huge bonus since most places won't let you do that anymore. Staff was super chill and let our party guests just have fun and do our thing

Took my 9 year old son and he loved it. Love that you pay an entry fee and then it's unlimited game play all day and you don't have to worry about quarters or coins! And can just play until your heart is content! It was also super clean and they had hand sanitizer everywhere which I appreciated! We will be back!! My son is already asking if we can go back tomorrow!

If you love retro Arcade gaming, this place has a great selection, and they host large parties.

Great place to spend time with friends and family. The only complaint I have is on one of my visits with family, an employee had been smoking right outside the door and kept the door wide open. The cigarette smoke filled the front end of the arcade. It was pretty bad and smokey. I myself have asthma, so this was dangerous for me. My sister and my newborn nephew were with me that day. The employee knew there were people inside as well as a baby. It would have been considerate for the employee to have closed

Step back in time and play your favorite arcade classics at this venue, which conveniently features a bar and bathroom.

Cool games, guy who was running it was no where to be found. So we looked around, about 5 mins later my husband decided to play a game. The guy who was working there was very rude, came up to us and started to tell us that you have to pay 15 dollars per person to play, even tho my husband was the only one playing a game. We even paid for the game we played! They had a private party starting soon and we just wanted to check it out. We had about 20 mins until the private party started and there were other pe

I came to this arcade and paid my 15 dollars for unlimited play for the day until 11pm. was told that I could come and go as long as I have a wristband. I arrived at 3pm. At 430 pm I was told that I have to be out of here at 5pm for because they have a private party. If I were told this when I arrived I wouldn't have paid $15 for 1? hours of play time. The games are fun but I was cheated and I'm not very happy about it. Wouldn't recommend this place at all to anyone.

It was my first time there, I had fun celebrating my birthday with friends

Fun music and games. I'm admittedly a LITTLE sad you can't just pay quarters and have to pay for unlimited play but it's a great local spot

A huge selection of classic and new games with pinball machines from the past. I had a good time and even though I didn't find the game I was looking for, I found alot of other games to play and 15 dollars for all day price is very reasonable.

It was a great value! The games are older, but classics. We spent about 2 1/2 hours playing. We loved the 4 player Pac Man!

Great place for a party! The customer service was excellent. Shout out to the amazing owner and staff for helping us host the best party for our son. The prices are reasonable, the experience was priceless. Waterland Arcade is the type of hidden gems we need in our communities. Support local businesses, they truly do care!

Horrible treatment. Was playing today and suddenly all of the people who paid to get in were told to leave in five minutes because a private party was starting. I heard the worker telling a patron ?I've given you three warnings. We had to get out now.? Bad management. Don't believe the unlimited play crap.

I went here with my girlfriend and I was extremely impressed with the game selection. It was cool to play mortal kombat on an original machine, along with Terminator 2! The only complaint I have with the place is that some of the older machines aren't in the best condition (which is expected due to their age). I'd love to see more games from the late 90s like the star wars trilogy game and virtual-on: cyber troopers. I hope this place stays around for a long time!

Absolutely love this arcade, which has to be one of the best additions to the Des Moines downtown corridor in many years. I visit here once a week to launch the silver ball and have an ice cold beer. Very family friendly and I consistently see parents running around having as much fun as their kids (perhaps even more fun!). The dedicated staff at Waterland Arcade make it the fun and friendly place it always is. Thanks to Theresa and Nathan for your efforts and always making me feel welcome. Thanks to the ar

One of the few places in the last 10 years I've been to this every bit worth it. I can't believe they don't charge more wait don't say that they might. No they have a great selection of games, assistant manager manager, very courteous to family also to non-gamers. Wonderful games brought back plenty of memories. Great atmosphere and people. I think I even saw werewolf there. The other day was kind of cool definitely for the price and if your family or kids that you're just trying to have fun with this,

I booked my 9yr old a birthday party here, and it was fantastic fun! The kids had free play on all the arcade games, air hockey and skee ball, pac man, pop-a-shot were hits! Even had some old skool games like Qbert!! plus an impressive pinball section. Great party atmosphere, with indoor/outdoor seating and a table space for cake and presents. Will definitely return!

Fun arcade with pay one price for the day.

Super fun place, $15 for adults $13 for kids with unlimited play. I love the super chill and retro atmosphere, doesn't feel as stuffy and stuck up as most arcades, also lots of space and very clean

Bummed about the price change. Used to stop in regularly to play a bit of pinball, now it's 30 buckle min for my partner and I to walk in, so we hardly go now unless we are in the mood to binge

Had a great experience here with our 7 year olds! We love these type of pay one price for unlimited plays type of arcades. The only games you pay for here are the pinball machines. This one was fairly clean and had drinks (alcoholic and non) available for purchase. We spent couple of hours here and once I got played out and my kids and husband were still at it, I loved walking around and checking out all the fun decor. We will be back!

I came here for the first time, it was horrible and not for kids. My family loves old style arcade games so we came here for fun on a birthday... The music was absolutely deafening and definitely not family friendly with cursing every other word. We tried to ignore it, but we literally couldn't hear eachother when standing head to head. Then as we were playing the guy running the place started smoking in the open balcony area and filled the whole place with smoke. Even using a Groupon, this place is not wo

Enjoyed every minute of my visit. Top 3 arcade I've visited in the PNW. This arcade manages to surprise me with a nice mix of both vintage and modern games I've never heard of ranging from Atari's Black Widow to Jubeat / Chunithm (delightful Japanese rhythm games). Exceptional and warm customer service to complement their good beer selection. It's not one of the larger arcades I've been to but what it lacks in size it more than makes up for in eclectic and well maintained machines. Arcade fans... do NO

This place is actually a pretty cool spot. My wife and I spent a few hours playing games with 2 of our boys, and we had a lot of fun. If it wasn't for the fact that a few of the games didn't work the rating would be considerably higher. The staff is also cool.

Great place had lots of fun. Played pinball until my hands hurt because I was having so much fun. Lots of nostalgic games to take me back in time. Lots of cool merchandise to buy and some cool art. ?? We will definitely be back. Pinball was 75 cents a game but you only pay one price to play unlimited on the other games.

Hands down the best local arcade there is in the area. Great place to come and have a beer and also if before 7:00 p.m. get a hot dog next door to go with it. Nice to pay a flat rate and play as much as you want. Pinball machines everywhere. You got to love a place that is as well taken care of as this place. Friendly employees. I even got there 20 minutes before closing and they let me play for free one time. Overall great place to hang out with friends and just have fun.

Incredible hidden gem?you can really tell the owner takes a lot of pride in ownership. All the machines were in great condition?would definitely come back since their unlimited play for just $10 admission seems super reasonable.

Great place, lots of fun for kids and adults. Took my grandsons 10, 8 and 5. They loved it. Will definitely go back.

Bought Groupons for my sons 20 and 17 tbinking we'd have a fun family time. Dubstep music was defeaning and unpleasant. Man at counter not friendly, at all. ,He stepped outside the door to smoke and it all blew inside. Cramped gaming area, some games broken, felt dingy.paid for 2 hours unlimited we forced ourselves to stay for 15 to 20 minutes. My sons like loud music but this was way over the top and very unwelcoming. We couldn't wait to leave. Cool concept, bad experience. Would not return.

Fun place! At the time of writing, it was $10 entry and everything was free except pinball (which you need quarters on top of the entry fee). While they don't have the biggest selection the games are good while ranging from very retro to very modern. The Chunithm Cabinet was in very good condition, love it! Cons: - There was a lot of kids when we first came in, though they cleared out around 6-6:30 - Some of the cabinets were in rough shape and could use some love. Especially Juubeat, game needs cleaning a

Laid back, not too busy, good prices, my kids had a lot of fun, and they have a little beer garden. Normally they have a few gluten free drink options as well! You get an unlimited pass for the video games, air hockey, skee ball things, and basketball because they're all set up to play without putting in money, but the prize machines and the pinball machines require quarters. $19 for a family of 4 for unlimited game time. We went on a weekday during the day, it was nice a relaxed. Probably gets busier later

My wife and I had our kids birthday party here since our other plans fizzled out and Nathan was more than accommodating considering the circumstances. The arcade itself was really cool with a variety of old school arcade games and pinball machines. I would definitely recommend this place, very fun.

Great deal, nice selection of cabinet games and pinball, as well as pop-a-shot and air hockey. Played games, ate Mexican food next door, went back and played more. Fun night

We have four kids, 18-6 year olds and this is one of the only places all kids like to go. People are great and games are so much fun. The beer helps too. ??

My son dropped a coke that they served that was glass, when I tried to let the staff know and apologize the thug looking owner decided to make a smart comment and said "congratulations on spilling the coke". Completely rude and unprofessional, I won't be returning and will tell everyone else to do the same.

It's deafening and cramped. The first game you see is an Arcade1up. We got yelled at for walking past the bar without greeting the bar tender. My girlfriend had said hello, but it was stupid loud, and I guess we needed to stop and ?kiss the ring? lol. It's not what we were looking for. We ended up going somewhere else and having a blast.

The arcade is a fun getaway that doesn't charge an arm and a leg to enjoy yourself. You can have reserved parties there or come with a few friends. A lot of the old arcade games plus pinball. I recommend having a pizza party with friends of the older generation.

GREAT throwback arcade. $15 entry and all games are free. Great way to spend some time on the weekend!

Love this place! Went in today with my son and wife and we all had a blast! I love the old school pinball machines and all the retro games! I really hope this place flourishes. The man running the place was very nice and welcoming and gave us a little tour and showed us what some of the multi game machines can do. Definitely going to frequent this awesome little arcade!

It's definitely a fun place that isn't super expensive and my kiddos are 7 and 9; they had quite a bit of fun. It definitely had a nostalgic feel to it. Go and have some fun, you won't regret it.. We spent about 2 and a half hours here, good times.

Well, it is definitely a cool place....WHEN ITS ACTUALLY OPEN! My favorite game there is the all in one units where you can pick from hundreds of classic games including all the Double Dragons, Golden Axe, Street Fighter series, etc etc. The issue here is that this place never seems to be open when it is supposed to be! I just went over there today during business hours and it was closed. I know that the guy who runs the hot dog place next door also runs the arcade. So I went over there and asked the girl b

Great place to take the kids for a couple hours. Flat fee for the entire day was great as we played constantly in the time we were there. Will definitely go there again!

A fun place to take your kids!!

The employee yesterday had the Music BLARING!! When asked to put it down he did for a minute and turned it right up, guffawing about it. This guy is going to ruin this otherwise awesome spot. Only this guy. Wears a leather jacket and stinks like cigarettes. Never going back when he's there.

Great throwback games, fun music, chill vibes, and cool artwork / memorabilia.

Great selection of games included with the entry price (which was pretty reasonable). Got a little loud with not a great space to escape. Very eclectic spot. Lots of fun!

This was my first time at the arcade. Being an older person, I joked that they didn't have "pong" from my college days. And they did! I'm still not good at it! I had the most fun with Skeeball!

So Awesome. Many old-school video games and pinball machines, air hockey, foosball, small outdoor area, selection of good micro and macro brew bottles and cans. A few of the games work great, a few don't work at all, and the rest are somewhere in between, but it's just awesome that they are there and they are doing their best to keep them up. The owner, Jason and the tenders (Monty etc.) are friendly too.

My husband stumbled upon this place with our daughter and they loved it. We went as a family and it was such a good time! Inexpensive, freeplay on all the games except pinball and prize machines, and tight next to the a little hotdog shop. I truly couldn't have asked for a more relaxed outing as a family.

Fun place nice people good music

Very fun place! Brought back memories playing iconic games. One price covers all the games... just push the start button and go.

We purchased a Groupon for a gift for our son. It was a voucher for unlimited arcade play for 2 and 2 drinks. Thought it would be a great date night for a young man and his date. They did not give them their drinks but gave them a handful of quarters that only worked in some of the machines and half of the machines were broken. They ended up leaving and going to Dave and Busters and spending $60 (which i will reimburse him for disappointment). Its a shame as a I much prefer to support a small business than

I used my get out pass here for the first time and I am soooo glad to have found this place! I love the vibe and great selection of arcades and amazing merch! The woman working there on 5/14 was so friendly, had great conversation and was incredibly helpful! She alone makes this place great!

It is nice to see the old arcade is still around. My kids had a blast at a recent party held there. However there are a lot of games not working. Air hockey table is on its last legs, at least 3 pinball machines didn't work, and one arcade game. It would do them well to remove these until repaired because it really distracted from an otherwise great place. They are understaffed for parties, with just one person there. But the staff was very friendly. All and all a good experience that needs some a

Great for little kids 10 and down. This is a perfect party place for kids. Games were kids dirty

Hands down coolest arcade I've been to in years, plus beer ..for the win.. one of few places left you can bring the kids and have a drink while they play.. Monty always has the cuts playin , love the vibe and atmosphere..I'll be regular..