Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Simulation Zone

    5.0 (3 reviews)
    Open 12:00 pm - 10:00 PM

    Simulation Zone Photos

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Simulation Zone

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Thrilling experience -- felt like I was really on the track! Great staff and atmosphere.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of A S.
    0
    3
    0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Ask the Community - Simulation Zone

    Underground Retrocade

    Underground Retrocade

    4.4(80 reviews)
    10.9 mi

    It was really fun with a ton of old fashioned arcade games it also has a section where you can play…read moreair hockey and it has 2 floors fulls of games, it's really affordable and it makes you feel really happy as soon as you walk in.

    This place is perfect for gaming aficionados who grew up in the late 70s and 80s. The nostalgia…read morethat hits you when you hear the sounds from all the games and the telltale "game over" music that cues you to enter your initials after a good round. Every time I felt excited to see a game and start playing, I would look over my shoulder to see another classic. I took photos of the ones that brought back strong memories of playing with my cousin at the bowling alley or the 7-Eleven, at the camp grounds and at the hotels, and even at the casinos when our parents were hitting the slots. $20 unlimited gaming is a steal for what you get here. I have no complaints. There are bathrooms in the back as well as a coat rack. There is plenty of space to feel comfortable taking your time. While there is no food, there are drinks available and they allow in and out privileges with your wristband. My wish would be that they find 720, the skateboarding game... Paperboy, and Crazy Taxi, and add them to the lineup. Also a few more shooters from the 90s, as those were quarter guzzlers that we could never finish with real money. I've been here twice and will be back again soon!

    Photos
    Underground Retrocade
    Underground Retrocade - Joust.

    Joust.

    Underground Retrocade - Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. The best part is the soundtrack and the sound bites from the movie.

    See all

    Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. The best part is the soundtrack and the sound bites from the movie.

    Main Event Hoffman Estates

    Main Event Hoffman Estates

    2.6(263 reviews)
    10.0 mi
    $$

    We made reservations for 2hr bowling in advance. It was enough 2 games for 5 ladies. Also had…read moredrinks and food. We had one lane and there was a big family with kids the next lane we shared with. They had a lot of bowling balls, so no room to add any more. Least they were nice to just shared the bowling balls. They had a good range of weights to choose from. The lanes were decent and you can add bumpers. There are a lot of kids of all sizes, so be patient if they come to your lane or don't know bowling etiquette. This is a family kids friendly place. The shoes are Velcro and wide, so they were loose on me and the Velcro would always come undone. There are cubbies underneath the seats to put your shoes under. Our waiter was great and we had ordered alcoholic drinks and pizzas. The cauliflower crust don't come in large, so we got small individual size to share. The hot honey flatbread is like the size of 2 small individual pizzas. Pizza and the fries were decently good. Also had the chicken nachos, which I wouldn't recommend to get. The sauce was pretty salty and the diced chicken weren't that great. Place has arcade, rope course, laser tag, pool tables, and more. Lots of birthday parties being held so lots and lots of kids.

    We had a girls bowling date. I was able to reserve a date online and we booked 2 hours. The price…read moreincludes bowling, shoes, fees and taxes. You can have up to 6 people on a lane. We had a group of 5 and had plenty of room to sit. However the area is quite narrow so it was hard to talk to the whole group. You can add bumpers to each bowler. It's easy to take on and off. You can also add a group selfie to the tv which was quite fun. There was a drink and food menu on the table. They do not list any items as GF. I had to do a lot of research prior to understand what I could eat. The server was knowledgeable. I informed him I was celiac/gluten free. He indicated they have a dedicated fryer for fries so we were able to share them. We also ordered a couple cauliflower pizzas. For drinks, I ordered a peach sangria and frozen strawberry margarita. The food was delicious and the fries had a great seasoning.

    Photos
    Main Event Hoffman Estates
    Main Event Hoffman Estates
    Main Event Hoffman Estates

    See all

    Nickel City - New carpet and layout has changed.

    Nickel City

    3.4(155 reviews)
    14.9 mi

    I haven't been to Nickel City since the remodel, so I was curious to see what it looked like…read more The gentleman behind the desk was as kind as I remembered, and let me know what the options to put on the game cards were. He even let me turn in all of my "vintage" coupons that I had stashed away in the car--there was about 2,500 worth and he added them to my card, no questions asked! The space is very open and more quiet than other arcades. We were there on a Saturday night from about 6p-9:45p. $25/per person went a pretty long way! We played air hockey, the Simpsons, discovered some cool import games, tried our luck at the egg game, etc. I believe most of our party of 4 has credits left over. They still have the gear game that I remembered, the game where you have to drop the red balls into the buckets, etc., but I was pleasantly surprised to see they had a cool, new Hot Wheels puck game, a huge Monopoly spinner, and the Rick and Morty drop game that entertained me for the majority of my time there. I have a hard time parting with my tickets (clearly, based on the stash in my car), but the "store" had a wide variety of items and fair prices. We ate dinner before heading over so I cannot speak on the cafe nor did I use the bathroom myself. There are not as many games as other arcades, but it is a very nice place to spend some time!

    This place sure has been cleaned up! It's been a while since I've been to Nickel City, so I'm not…read moresure when they renovated, but it's great now! The place seems to have more emphasis on carnival-type games where you get tickets as a result of playing them, such as skee-ball, basketball, ball bucket drop, etc. They do still have the nickel arcades, but definitely it is the minority. They also reconfigured the layout, and it feels more spacious and less clutter. All, surprisingly, all games were working and there was not a single out-of-order sign when I went. Sadly, there is no more free arcade section, except for a Tetris arcade near the basketball machine. While the arcades do take the good ol' fashioned Jefferson, all other games require a game card. Load up the game card at two different kiosk, one near the counter selling overpriced prizes, or one in the back near the bathrooms. Overall experience, I like it! With just spending $11, my teenager was able to entertain himself for close to 2-hrs. That's a great price for me. This cheap parent will come back. BATHROOM REVIEW: Located near the back, the bathrooms are the only thing that appears to not be renovated. Everything was in working order, and got the job done. Don't forget to wash your hands, because we all know you'll be touching everything afterwards. Sit or squat? Squat.

    Photos
    Nickel City - Prizes to win with tickets.

    Prizes to win with tickets.

    Nickel City - A variety of games to play.

    A variety of games to play.

    Nickel City - Remodeled interior and no more nickels!

    See all

    Remodeled interior and no more nickels!

    Lakeside Recreation Center - Treat yourself to something delicious at our Dockside Diner! Dive into one of our mouthwatering Finger Food favorites.

    Lakeside Recreation Center

    4.1(34 reviews)
    7.0 mi

    One if my best friend's son was leaving for the Army and wanted to go to his favorite bowling alley…read morefor his going away gathering. When we arrived majority of the lanes were occupied but we were able to get a lane pretty quickly. There is a bar located about 3/4 into the building and a food area at the end of the building next to the aracde. We ordered food: pizza, onion rings, and mac-n-cheese bites. The onion rings we crisp and the batter was not too think, it was just the right amount. The pizze was a thicker thin crust and tasted good. The pizza was tasty which can be hot or miss at a bowling alley. The night was really fun and I am excited about my friend's son and the next chapter of his life.

    From the outside I didn't think much of the place until I went inside, where it bustling with…read moreactivities. I didn't catch the staff's name behind the counter, but he was incredibly helpful and enthusiastic about his job. Professional or novice bowlers, it didn't matter. It seemed like he wanted us to have the best experience ever! I only meant to stay an hour, but our little entourage had so much fun bowling we actually stayed until closing! The next time we're in this neck of the woods we'll be sure to pay this bowling alley and second visit.

    Photos
    Lakeside Recreation Center - The Finger Foods are always popular at Lakeside

    The Finger Foods are always popular at Lakeside

    Lakeside Recreation Center - We offer a variety of sandwiches featuring 1/3 pound hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese, and a variety of Chicken sandwiches.

    We offer a variety of sandwiches featuring 1/3 pound hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese, and a variety of Chicken sandwiches.

    Lakeside Recreation Center - The Lanes!

    See all

    The Lanes!

    Games On Lincoln - More games. Egg game very challenging!

    Games On Lincoln

    3.5(6 reviews)
    20.4 mi

    Two days in a row now, this place is closed when it should be open, with nothing other than a…read morehand-written note on the door saying "closed at 4pm." My children and I are disappointed, and angry, and confused.

    My video game loving children have been eagerly awaiting for this to open. It's finally open and…read morehas some great kid friendly neighbors- a toy store and ice cream/gelato parlor. Kid heaven! When my kids first walked into Games on Lincoln they were a little disappointed by how small it is, especially in comparison to places like Nickel City. That being said i like that it's small because it's a great way to kill a bit of time, but also easy to get out of there within the hour. I usually have to bribe my kids to get them out of Nickel City within a few hours. And because it's new Games on Lincoln is very clean and due to the size should be easy to keep clean! Fingers crossed. You put money on a card and like all arcades you go thru money pretty fast here. I loaded up my kids cards with $10 several times and they seemed to run out fast- a combo of the games being a little expensive and I think they may have swiped a few extra times (so teach your kids to just swipe once). The machine itself is a little glitchy, but the staff was helpful...and can also take cash up by the cash register. I do think some sort of unlimited game card would be great- whether it's for one specific time or even a monthly membership. The games itself are perfect for my 8 and 6 year olds, but my 3 year old is a little young for it (although they were nice to pull up a chair so he could play his favorite game, pac-man). They didn't get enough tickets to get any cool prizes so are keeping their cards for next time. And I'm sure there will be a next time since it's an easy way to kill some time after dinner in the area (Stacked and Folded, Little Rickys, etc) before or after ice cream. Speaking of ice cream seems like a no brainer to get rid of their crappy prizes and let people redeem tickets at the ice cream parlor and toy store...also a great way to drive business to those businesses as well. According to the staff they may be taking over the hair salon next door and making this way bigger, which would also give the ability to host birthday parties. My kids were excited about the possibility of even more games. And if that happens there goes my ability to get them in and out fast, but then again always looking for good places to kill time with the kids in the winter.

    Photos
    Games On Lincoln - Arcade is ready for biz

    Arcade is ready for biz

    Games On Lincoln - The prizes

    See all

    The prizes

    Immersive Gamebox - Oakbrook

    Immersive Gamebox - Oakbrook

    4.3(62 reviews)
    25.1 mi

    Visited with a group of 9 on a Thursday to enjoy 90 minutes of game time! The person working did a…read moregreat job at explaining games and options our group had. We ended up dividing the 90 minutes into (3) 30 minute games so our groups could keep rotating. They have lockers to lock belongings in, rooms can host up to 6 people and have options to order simple beverages while you play. Our first game was Box Party which is their version of a Mario Party. There are a couple of mini game options as you work through the map. This by far was our group's favorite game! We chose the 30 minute game but easily could have played it for the full 90 minutes. Our second game was Floor is Lava. This one was fun but a bit harder than I was expecting it to be. There are parts where you bump into other players so I recommend playing with good friends or family. This is more of a group task game. Our third game was Angry Birds. This overall was the group's least favorite as it wasn't very physical. The game takes on the classic idea of launching birds at towers to get points. This was more individual tasks than team tasks. Overall, this was such a fun experience! They offer games for any aged guest and for any comfort level of players together. I enjoyed having the personalization of our "meeps" to play in each game too.

    My husband and I went and enjoyed it. We did the one hour Squid Game experience and it was pretty…read morefun. I was curious how they would turn the games into an immersive experience. I won't ruin it, but I will say it was definitely fun and there was some intensity to it. While it utilized VR headsets, tt definitely was not a full VR experience. You interact with the game on the walls. There was an option to purchase beverages during the experience which we did not do. After the ad popped up a few times it got to be a little annoying. It was just the two of us so we were able to do each game repeatedly, which made it even more fun because it allowed us to figure out how to solve the puzzles. Because of that I wouldn't suggest going with more than four or five people. Overall, I would say it was worth the trip to Oakbrook.

    Photos
    Immersive Gamebox - Oakbrook - Hiking

    Hiking

    Immersive Gamebox - Oakbrook
    Immersive Gamebox - Oakbrook

    See all

    Simulation Zone - arcades - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...