It feels impossible to talk about arcades without bringing up the death of the arcade. These places where kids of the 80s and 90s would spend countless hours and quarters rose as meteorically as they fell.
But despite arcades’ dormancy for the past 20 or so years, more and more arcade bars are opening around the country, like Bloomington’s The Cade and Evansville’s High Score Saloon.
Combining classic games with craft beer and cocktails, arcade bars are giving people the chance to relive their childhoods, as long as they’re at least 21.
But with so many arcade bars vying for gamers’ attention, are they on the same track as arcades before them? Or do they mean Round Two for the American arcade? We talked to the people behind Tappers Arcade Bar in Indianapolis to find out.
