This place is fire. I love that they have video games and alcohol. Having a great time with friends.

This arcade, nestled in the heart of San Diego is the epicenter of fun in the city. An affordable experience has games for the kids, drinks for the parents, and fun for the whole family! The establishment is clean, and well managed, and the friemdly staff is a delight. Someone get those people (the bartender and security staff in particular) a raise!! All in all a wonderful experience. The highlight of our bachelor weekend. Dont miss it. read more

I stopped by Arcade Monster on a Sunday after the Padres game. I'm not typically a huge arcade person, but I had some extra time and ended up having a really good time. Admission is $25, which gives you access to the games inside. I believe some of the claw machines where you grab prizes may cost extra, but I wasn't completely sure. One nice perk was that if you showed your Padres ticket, you received a complimentary hot dog, chips, and a bottle of water. The food was ready in less than five minutes, which was a great bonus after the game. There are two floors with a lot of different game options including pool tables. I personally loved the air hockey tables (although one was out of order). The basketball games were fun, and the punching games were entertaining as well. I'm not really a big video game person, so I skipped over some of those. Another one of my favorite games they had was Skee-Ball. My biggest complaint was the number of machines that were not working. Pac-Man was broken, one of the air hockey tables was down, the claw machine for candy wasn't working, some of the Skee-Ball games were unavailable, and Tetris was also out of order. For a $25 admission fee, I would expect the machines to be better maintained. I also didn't see anyone actively working on repairs while I was there. The atmosphere was fun, with a mix of kids and adults enjoying the games. They also have a bar area where you can order drinks, including beer (although no beer on tap), frozen daiquiris, and mixed cocktails. Overall, Arcade Monster is a fun place to spend a couple of hours if you enjoy games and are looking for something different to do. I just hope they put more attention into maintaining the machines because that would really elevate the experience. read more

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This place is awesome, it is such a vibe! The entry fee is $25 or $35 if you want a stamp for re-entry. Once you are inside, all the games are free play, and they have curated such a large collections of games. There is something for everyone here. The only downside was my feet started to hurt from standing in front of games for so long. This place also allows children. I assumed because this place served alcohol it would restrict the age but I attended on a Friday night, around 9 pm and there were still children around. I also loved how they decorated the place, all the neon and wall art. They really put a lot of effort and care into the art. They also had a bar for alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks, as well as a food menu. Very fun place, definitely worth a visit! read more

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This place is awesome! Only been here twice. They have arcade games, food, and drinks! The price is affordable and you can play all night. You pay when you get in and choose which deal fits well for you. I also love the fun atmosphere including the designs and how it's decorated. There's 2 floors and you can seriously just get lost here in your own world just playing all night or all day. read more

Arcade Monsters - Inside - Arcades Near Me - San Diego, California

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My husband and I decided to go on a date night, thinking they'd have to card us. We were stressed about it because I forgot my ID, but it turns out they don't card (because kids come here too!). We're excited to play DDR! Thank you Arcade Monsters for being so friendly, attentive, and hosting such a fun time for kids and adults alike! If you like games, loud noises, and a perfect no ID date night, this is the place to come downtown! read more

Arcade Monsters - DDR! - Arcades Near Me - San Diego, California

Amazing amazing !!! We popped in last night and I was brought back to the early 90's when you would goto arcades on the weekends and things were just different. For $25 you can play all the games you want. They also sell food like pizza, wings etc and had a full bar! They had some pretty cool games from my childhood, name it when it was there! We very much enjoyed this concept and wish there was one in Orange County, we think it would do very well! Would come back again! read more

Arcade Monsters - Arcade monsters - Arcades Near Me - San Diego, California

Street parking only. Traveled here for vacation, and this place is so good. An arcade area where you can just pay $25 for unlimited play and for as long as you want?! Unheard! They have so many vintage games upstairs. It's truly such an experience! I did see some people say this place can get pretty hot, but they have big fans going around, so we were cool for the time we were there. If I'm ever in the area again, I'd definitely want to try their drinks. Looks so delicious!!! read more

Arcade Monsters!! There are over 200 games & many can only be found in Japan. I had so much fun playing my vintage favorite games like street fighter and halo and I got to play some new to me games as well. $25 for all you can play arcade games! Super fun and interactive place. It can be very loud in here so just be prepared for a lot of audio & visual stimulation! There's also a few basketball and skeeball games that were super fun and addictive as well. So if you love arcade games, this is definitely a great spot for you to enjoy in downtown SD. They have food and drinks as well. We didn't try the food, but the mojito was tasty & I also had a white claw. Parking is a little tough in this area. Using a ride service or taking the trolley might be a good idea. Peace. read more

Arcade Monsters - Taiko Drum game - Arcades Near Me - San Diego, California

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Such a cool experience! Pumped to play arcade games, the energy was awesome, welcomed warmly at the door. Decor was literally stellar! And they had the ddr machine with the arrows that aren't diagonal! read more

Arcade Monsters - Arcades Near Me - San Diego, California

We come here every time we come down to the city, it's such a great deal! You get unlimited play for $25. 3 floors of games, with the top floor all being music ones. It's like round 1 but 10 times better. Also, they have a full bar so you can keep a vibe the whole time too. read more

Arcade Monsters - Sign - Arcades Near Me - San Diego, California

This is a fun place. It's not cheap but it's a lot of fun and there are enough games here to keep you occupied for three or four hours, easily. There are two levels and plenty to explore on each level. There are nooks and crannies here and there with games you might miss if you don't turn this or that corner. At this time, it's $25 per person (before taxes) and you get unlimited games. There are plenty of video games and pinball machines, too. There is air hockey and skee-ball and many other types of games. Most of them were in working condition but a few were not. The games should obviously be in working condition before the place opens but hey, quality control isn't always what it should be. They offer snacky foods and booze, of course, but I didn't try anything. The decor is very cool. It is kind of psychedelic and fun. This is right by the ballpark and parking is tough to find. We parked a few blocks away on the street (metered parking). There really are very few places in San Diego to play video games and pinball so it's nice to have a place like this available. We spent about 3 plus hours here and the time just flew by. If we didn't have other plans, we would have stayed longer. Unfortunately, there are no in-and-out privileges, so keep that in mind. read more

Arcade Monsters - Huge place. The decor is awesome. - Arcades Near Me - San Diego, California

I really enjoyed myself at Arcade Monsters, there are so many games. It's worth the 25 dollar cover. Bartenders were nice, and drinks were good, though the bar moves a tad slow. The food was fair, and the pick up situation was a little meh, but it doesn't really matter tbh. You also get something free if you leave a review, I forgot to cash it in though, hopefully they let me redeem next time! read more

Arcade Monsters - DDR, Stepmania, Arcade - Arcades Near Me - San Diego, California

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First time. Greet unlimited arcade spot for $25. Don't recommend for children under 5. Not much for them to do. Great family spot. read more

Arcade Monsters - Arcade monsters - Arcades Near Me - San Diego, California

Awesome concept in gaslamp right near petco park! This place has soo many games with a really cool retro set-up-- several different rooms, layouts, and a variety of old-school games. There's several games I've never seen before, always something different. $25 to get in and free play is a great idea. Their drinks were good and they have some classic American bar style food that is good too. Totally will return! read more

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I am a huge fan of arcades, but something that I hate is spending money or credits every time that you want to play a game, that's why Monsters became a huge favorite of mine! You pay a flat rate of $25 and can play as long as you desire! The place is so vibey! They have huge murals and black lights which makes the place super fun!!! They have a huge lineup of games you can play, from the classics to a huge selection of modern games I've never even heard of! I wish they had more of the classic American ones like Dave and busters but this is just me being picky. All of the machines work pretty well, and they're not jammed or broken like most of the arcades in San Diego lol. They also have some food and drinks, I did not get to try them this time but I am very excited to go back and try everything! read more

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first time here and I already love the all you can play! shout out to vivian for checking my hubby and I in!! best way to kick off the first night at comic con read more

Arcade Monsters - Arcades Near Me - San Diego, California

What a fun place to ring in the New Year! $25/person for unlimited play at the 2 floor arcade space. We got there around 8:30pm and yea, we played 3 hours straight and finished around 11:30 and then rang in the new year at stroke of midnight. I played my favorite game, DDR. Check my video. lol! read more

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Arcade Monsters: 9/10 Aesthetic & Ambiance: 9.5/10 Super cool - chic video game bar with a trippy blacklight fun aesthetic and an insane amount of games. We got there late so they weren't serving drinks/food anymore, but for $25 and unlimited play it was pretty worth it! Service: 8/10 Only service was the front desk to buy the play, who was nice; otherwise was just games :). They did say during earlier hours there are servers. Games: 10/10 - The selection of games was awesome from random games I've never seen around the country, to games I remember playing when I was a kid. Fun night out especially for $25 unlimited play! read more

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Fun for teens and adults. $25 for unlimited games was a steal! Got some exercise in with a dance machine and played some nostalgic games arcade games. We came after lunch on a weekday, which was perfect for the kids. Not too crowded. :) The decor is quite interesting, neon, glow in the dark everywhere. Would be cool to see at night. :) I appreciated that there is a long bench upstairs to sit. They also had 2 pool tables, air hockey, old school mario!! So much fun! I would definitely recommend. read more

Arcade Monsters - Comic book decor in the elevator - Arcades Near Me - San Diego, California

ARCADE MONSTERS PARKING no street parking so plan extra find a nearby lot. We paid $20 in a nearby Ace lot and walked 2 blocks SERVICE We came here for a team event and it did not disappoint! We got a handful of drinks at different points throughout the night. They don't let you keep tabs open so we kept coming back to charge our card. I do wish they would implement a "tab open" policy for instances like our group where it's easier. VIBES This place is so unique that you feel like you're in Mr Tempo nightclub if every inch offhe interior is covered with neon colored paint. Such a dope vibe with all the neon grafitti and old school video games. They're more busy on weekends and weekdays after 5-6pm. The vibe during the day is more family friendly See attached gif their holiday specials read more

Arcade Monsters - Arcades Near Me - San Diego, California

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This is a cool spot in the heart of downtown. It's massive. Lots of fun adult bevvies including Ube slushies, Cinnamon Toast slushies and your choice of liquor in either single, double, or TRIPLE! lol lots of canned beers also, but wish they had more hazy IPA's. It's a gamer's paradise with so many little rooms to explore. They've got pin ball machines, skee ball, basketball, football throwing games in addition to the video games! Def a cool way to spend a rainy day. read more

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Pros: - Lots of games (variety) - Unlimited play (cheaper than Dave n Busters) - Cool wall art Cons: - Very strong paint smell upstairs - Can be very busy on the weekends - Parking can be hard (typical for downtown) - Food and drink are not that great, typical prices for Downtown places too - Kids allowed read more

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Such a cool place. It's 2 floors, i believe $25 per person for unlimited games. They have a bar, with non-alcoholic drinks. I did she 1 or 2 kids there which is funny because we were there around midnight but for sure more of an adult vibe. Great photo ops. Glad we stumbled across this place. Way better than just standing around at a bar read more

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Now this is my first time here. I came on Veterans Day. So it was not busy. I hear this place gets crazy busy, especially during comic con time. I came with my fam. The employees are nice and the games are great. You have a variety of games. From old school 80's , 90's to current. As well as consoles games. Like Game Cube, and Super NES. The wall art is outstanding. It places you back into a 80's black light arcade feel. They have a nice bar, so you can get craft beers or alcoholic slushy. Ask for Layla, she is very nice and on point. I will definitely come back for a follow up review. I want to see how this place is busy. read more

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Check in was so easy. Show your ID to the gist. Plenty of games to play. Lots of alcohol selections!! Love this place!! read more

Arcade Monsters - Arcades Near Me - San Diego, California

The games are super fun and love that it's all you can play! It's also themed really well! read more

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Lots of different game variety for a pretty good price! Came here on a monday night for a friend's bday and it was pretty empty which meant we could play a lot of the games we wanted and didnt have to wait for lines. read more

Arcade Monsters - Interior - Arcades Near Me - San Diego, California

This is a fun concept you can find in Gaslamp! For $25 a person, you get all you can play, as long as you can play, or until they close. There's at least 200 games here, majority of them from Japan, and a very cool retro setup. Many rooms, different layouts and lots of different types of games. They have a bar, do not take cash. My techie husband was in heaven. It was a fun evening out! read more

Came here on a Sunday afternoon. It's downtown so you'll have to find street parking. It's $25 for unlimited play and $35 for unlimited play with reentry. There are two floors of endless games. Old school fighting games, Japanese rhythm games, pinball machines, a pool table, super smash brothers on GameCube, and so much more. There were a few games that were out in order but overall most games worked and seemed clean. It wasn't very crowded the time we went so we never had to wait for any game. There was a long line forming as we left so I can see it being more crowded towards the night with more adults. The drinks were pretty cheap, with a triple shot being only $20. Don't expect much from the food though. I'd recommend eating somewhere else but if you had to, the chicken tenders and fries weren't terrible. I wouldn't recommend the pizza though. There is seating upstairs to eat but they're in little random corners that you'll have to find. Overall, I had a fun time here. I could've stayed all day just exploring all the games. The neon theme is fun, though the building is a bit of a maze at first. It can be a little warm in some areas of the building but it wasn't a big deal. Service was nice and our food cane out in a timely manner. I'd definitely recommend a visit here and would love to come back. read more

Arcade Monsters - Chicken tenders with assortment of sauces - Arcades Near Me - San Diego, California

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The arcade, food, and atmosphere was good, however this is the first place I've ever been to where the liquor was very clearly watered down which is why I give it 1 star. I ordered two shots of whisky and two cocktails, and when we took the shots of whisky the whisky was without a doubt diluted, which is completely unacceptable. With the cost of everything being so high in general right now, the last thing anyone wants when they go out for a good time is to be ripped off with watered down drinks and shots. Give the customer what they paid for. Cutting liquor with water is atrocious behavior and owners/management should be ashamed. To all you reading this review, if you do decide to go here, just order beer and don't order any shots or cocktails as you will not be getting the liquor you paid for. read more

Ready for all you can play games? This is the place to go. The fun interior adds to the ambiance. The walls are covered with memorabilia, including the elevator and bathrooms. This is perfect for all ages. We took my 17 year old sons and my friend's 9 year old daughter. The two story venue had something for everyone. read more

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Amazing style amazing service amazing vibes. Great environment to have fun. Its been so long since ive been to san diego and i came here after a padres game and it was an amazing time!!! read more

Arcade Monsters - Arcades Near Me - San Diego, California

All-you-can-play arcade is a cool concept, and I wanted to like it, but the overall experience was mediocre. Positives: Nice staff, cool theming with neon graffiti murals covering every inch of wall, good variety of physical games, retro games, and rhythm games. Stronger focus on retro games though, as they comprise the majority. Negatives: Hot, broken, and sticky. Hot - Went during a summer evening and it is OPPRESSIVELY hot in there, especially in some of the smaller rooms upstairs lacking a fan. As a consequence, everyone is sweaty and it is literally humid indoors despite being in dry, dry San Diego. It is difficult to stay long and take advantage of the all-you-can-play when you are uncomfortable the whole time. Broken - A third of the games are out of order or broken enough to severely impact gameplay. They are in poor shape due to being treated roughly and insufficient maintenance. Sticky - Everything, and I truly mean everything, is covered in a layer of stickiness. The machines are not cleaned sufficiently regularly, and there is spilled drink and trash filled cupholders everywhere. Aside: Not a demerit to the arcade, but parking is also difficult since it's right by Petco Park. However if you are patient and a little lucky, you can street park for free nearby after 6PM all days of the week. Unless you plan to spam a niche Japanese rhythm game for 6 hours, take your $25 and put it toward a card at Round 1, perhaps their free play option if you want a similar all-you-can-play experience. I would not come back. read more

Arcade Monsters - View of upstairs play area - Arcades Near Me - San Diego, California

This place is much better for groups than coin op in my opinion because it's much bigger. There is a full bar & plenty of games on 2 floors. Emma was our bartender and she was great! $25 for unlimited play & $35 for in and out privileges. Most of the games are in a different language but are pretty easy to figure out. Definitely adult & kid friendly. read more

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Stopped by here after dinner and had a blast!! I did not expect the arcade to be so big inside. I absolutely loved the pinball machines as well as the retro games. Not all the games were functioning properly but there were enough in the arcade to keep you busy and entertained. I went in thinking I would only spend 30 mins of my time playing games, but ended up spending two hours there. Recommend for those who love retro games.. read more

Talk about nostalgia! Arcade Monsters made me feel like I jumped into a time capsule! A true arcade in the sense that they offered the traditional arcade machine experience. Arcade machines from other countries, foosball tables, pool tables, air hockey, and all other traditional arcade games. They have vending machines available for beverages or drinks , alcoholic beverages are available as well. The art is amazing and the blacklights set the vibe. Downsides are it can get hot in there since only some areas have A/C and a handful of machines were out of service. They dont take cash and add a surcharge if credit cards are used, but it's a one time fee for all you can play! Overall a good experience! read more

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$25 All you can play is a good deal for avid video game players. It can be a bit of an adjudtment inside with the neon and lights, but there are nostalgic games like N64, computer games, etc. There are also activities like skee ball, basketball, and pool. It's great for a fun night out and kid-friendly until evening read more

The decor was insanely cool here! It was exciting just walking around and seeing everything. There was plenty of fun games, but also many were out of order. I really would've liked more of a variety with the types of games they offered. I wasn't a fan of the drinks. They were weak, pricey, and kinda hard to drink. The boba concept of having it lided is a nice safety precaution as well. Although I would've liked a normal straw. Workers were very nice as well. read more

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I think this place is a really good deal if you plan to stay here for hours and hours. Theres a lot of different things to play and theres tons of japanese rhythm games. Quite a few of the machines are kinda broken or not functioning fully but not enough to ruin the fun. This is one of my favorite places to go in san diego read more