Chill arcade bar with plenty of games and a decent selection of drinks. They're pretty thorough on ID (both checking and required to give up when opening a tab). Place itself is quite big with plenty of classics and pin ball but also some newer games such a time crisis 5, walking dead, and Mario kart. There's also basketball and skeeballas well. They do have the punch strength game but oddly enough that is only money vs their own tokens they have you buy to play. If you want to buy tokens with card, need to buy at least $20 worth. Almost all games were functional which was great. Place is clean enough for a colfax arcade bar. Outdoor area available with Jenna too. read more

The biggest issue is not repairing the games or getting them in good working order. There's often something wrong with the paddles/joysticks whatever you want to call them. The basketball hoops game was a joke, too. The scores weren't near accurate. And rotating new/more games in, I wish they'd do more of that. I'm SO SAD they took out the one Bubble Bobble game they had when I first moved to Denver. That is my favorite game. It did, however, break every time I played it to a certain level which was frustrating AF. I don't know if that's why it got removed. Hard to imagine it was unfixable, but I guess that does happen. I HATE the Mario Bros they have!!! The joystick does not work! The little guy just won't go! Ugh. Get rid of it or fix it. That's all. They do have different drink specials throughout the week, which is good. And the location is in an accessible, close to downtown spot. This still is better than the other city location in LoDo, cause of the layout. It's less like a dungeon and bigger. Lots of pinball (not my jam) and some skeeball which is so fun but goes so fast! Note that NO KIDS are allowed at this location at all. The LoDo allows them at certain times of the day. read more

The 1Up was good. Most games are 25 cents but pinball is a dollar which blows. They have VS Packman which is fun. Bathrooms are all gender which is a plus read more

The 1UP Arcade Bar - Colfax - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Tired of overcrowded dance clubs? Want to be entertained and boozed at once and play some nostalgic arcade games, all at once? Well, you've found the spot! The only complaint I have is that there isn't one closer to me in Atlanta! Great drinks and decent bar food, but the diamond in the rough of this dicey spot is the vast selection of every arcade game I've ever played, and possibly a good chunk of any ever created! What more can you ask for!? We played a few games of Jenga out back and that was mildly entertaining. The service is decent, a bit dry but we found that everywhere in Denver--no biggie! If you want cool nostalgic vibes and incredibly entertaining games and tasty drinks, I highly recommend this spot--we went 3 different nights and not once was it overcrowded, just busy! read more

Pretty cool arcade with a bar! Drinks were fun and named after video games. I got The Frogger which was really good and game with a gummy frog. I like that you can run a tab and pay for your arcade tokens on your tab. Nice since you don't have to feed money into a machine to get tokens. We had a lot of fun playing the games including a giant pac man game that we could play together. Really fun. Great pinball games and games I haven't seen in years like The Simpsons game. No food here but they do sell pizza from nearby that they keep in a warmer. There wasn't much in there when we were there and I didn't know how long it had been sitting there so I decided to pass. Bathrooms are unisex so you could have someone of the opposite sex in the stall right next to you. If that bothers you, hold it! Fun place, I would go again! read more

Large selection or arcade games and tons of pinball! I had a great time at 1 up. There were options to use coins or get a $20 coin bag from the bar if you did not have cash. I was able to play every game that I ever wanted coming to an arcade. The selection was very big. Most games were about 25cents and pinball was $1. They also had skee ball and many different racing games. I saw posters for a couple different tournaments that sounded awesome. The drinks were all on theme as well and they had daily deals. Saturdays they had $3 mystery shots. I tried one and it tasted like a strawberry jolly rancher. read more

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After our dinner date bae wanted to come here. The location was a distance from where we ate. There is parking on the street. But do be careful it's a sketchy area. And they do check id at the door. This was a first visit for me so bae showed me around and a few of this favorite old school games. They have a bar in the frost but we didn't partake this time. We went to the shooting games first, pinballs, skew all area. This was a separate area from the rest and there are gender neutral bathrooms. Ad another bar back there; although I didn't see any bartenders. Also there is an outside patio with outside games as well. Not too much seating outside I think I saw a bench. We be sure to check it out again. read more

Great arcade bar and have spent a lot of money at these locations over the years. I would have to say the girl bartender (the one who always has a bad attitude and kicks people out for no reason) and the security should probably be replaced at the Colfax location. They're bad for business! read more

We just came from an amazing show at the Ogden. We saw the arcade and it looked like such an amazing time however we were denied at the door because of an empty seltzer can. I'll say that again we were denied because our friend had an EMPTY can in her bag. They claimed that because we already tried to bring outside alcohol in we couldn't come in even if we THREW IT AWAY. Don't support this business if you can help it. There are other arcades. read more

Ive spentt thousands of dollars here over several years and the bartenders know my name but tonight an audacious "bouncer" Ive never seen before kicked my friend and I out as soon as we walked in because he believed that we threw away an angry orchard can into their trash on our way in. What we threw away was a plastic water bottle. He even asked us "If I check the cameras what will I see", we insisted he did check the cameras because we were innocent. Refused and made us leave. We spent a lot of money ubering to one of my favorite places in the world and one power tripping employee ruined it. Its not a club buddy read more

1up is awesome I could head to either 1 and always have a great time. Awesome people great food good drinks. Always loved old school arcade and pinball. read more

We love this place, and Ashley F is always a delight. She makes us laugh and smile and honestly shes a large part of why we come back. We also adore the LGBT friendly atmosphere and how great the pinball is. Alec is a sweetheart and always so thorough at the door. Can't recommend this place enough read more

The 1UP Arcade Bar - Colfax - A limited addition coin - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

We have been here at least 5 times and we always keep on coming back! The concept of a bar with old fashioned games is amazing! Every time go we have such a great time! The drinks are always good, the games are fair priced, and everyone is here to have a good time! I recommend for a great date night or a night out with your friends! Dan & Lexi read more

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Friendly staff, great games, always welcoming despite my strangeness, and exquisite ambience. Check out Dariusburst! Four quarters will get you infinite lives and let you feel like a god of space, though it won't record your score. Great for getting a feel for the game and pumping yourself up! The food is great for arcade fare! read more

Ok, this place is so fun! All the best games (classic ones like pinball, pacman, super mario, tetris...) will only run you $0.25-0.50 per game. The drinks are strong and the menu is long! One gripe -- some of the game controllers don't function optimally (not just the older games, some of the newer ones too) and that can take away from the experience. The vibe is really fun, and the place is designed so there was minimal elbow jostling on a Friday night. I saw people of all ages (21+) out there. Friendly bar service (you don't have to fight to get attention and eye contact). Really fun date night :) read more

The 1UP Arcade Bar - Colfax - Lots of signaling of inclusivity - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Came here on a weekday afternoon because we had to kill some time before dinner. Street parking was easy to find on the side streets. I've been to a few arcade bars before, but mostly the all you can play ones for $10 or so. It's not unlimited play here, so we didn't want to start any games that we knew would eat up a lot of lives. Case in point, we tried Contra and died within minutes. We stuck to basketball and skeeball. These only cost 1 or 2 quarters, which is a steal considering Dave and Busters probably charges $1+ now. The place was really empty which was nice so we didn't have to wait for the games. They serve alcohol, but we had just come from a happy hour. They don't have a big selection of games, but since it is pay to play, all the games we tried had no issues. read more

Some of the best priced drinks in all of Denver. This is our go-to date night spot. We've never encountered any rude patrons or staff. Love it. Back patio in the summer is the best! read more

This place is so fun for a group hangout or a date night! It takes you back to the arcade days of when you were younger except.. now there's booze! Arcade games and drinks there's not much more you could ask for. I've been to the downtown location as well and they are both a great time! This one is just a little closer to for me to get to. Bonus tip make sure to bring tons of quarters so you don't have to hit up the atm. read more

The 1UP Arcade Bar - Colfax - Gaming! - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Sketchy in general bc it's on colfax but much easier to park than the lodo location. Also much bigger so more games. 4 pop a shot and 4 skeeball stations. Even two areas with bathrooms. It's fun coming here! read more

I love 1up on genera principle. Alcohol and arcade games? Yes, please! Great idea for a date- and this location is within walking distance of both the Fillmore and the Ogden, so you could get bonus points by visiting before or after a show. Many of the skee ball games were out of order, and only one of the two bars was open on a Saturday night. Also, I try to track my water to stay hydrated, and they wouldn't let me bring my hydroflask in (like I get why, but it still sucks!) Drinks were reasonable priced, and service was quick and friendly, despite how busy they were. They take tokens now instead of doing coins, so be sure to bring some cash to exchange for tokens. $10 will last two people about an hour of heavy game play- even a couple games on the pinball machines, which cost $1 per credit or $2 for three credits. Everything else was between 1-2 tokens. They had skee balls, multiple large multi player pac man games, arcade games galore, an entire wall of pinball machines... definitely something for every arcade taste (except air hockey- I would be there daily if they added air hockey). Always fun and a great spot to visit before or after a show! read more

Game prices range from $.25 for skee-ball to $1 for pinball. Also for $.50 you can try to win a White Claw! read more

The 1UP Arcade Bar - Colfax - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

I've been coming here a few times a month since I moved to cap hill and I just gotta tell the girlies, this is somewhere you can feel safe. There was a guy tonight hitting on me, buying me games, etc. he was totally fine at first and I was having fun. Then he used the R word, and I told him "strike one, you don't get to use that word, ever." And initially he backed off. Then later he tried to defend his use of it, and asked me why it made me mad, and as I was explaining he started talking over me, would not shut up, so I told him to fuck off and I walked away mid-game. He then approached me AGAIN trying to "apologize" while simultaneously trying to defend his dog-shit take, as I repeatedly, loudly, told him to leave me the fuck alone. When I walked up to the guys working the door, who had overheard and had already been discussing throwing him out. They acted immediately when I told them that he wouldn't leave me alone, and once he was kicked out, not one, but two of them went out of their way to find me and assure me that he was gone. I went to thank them as I was leaving, and they even doubled down to ask me his name so that they could officially ban him so I could continue to feel safe coming in. I appreciate not only the immediate response, but the above and beyond assurance that they had my back. Thank you to the three lovely gentlemen working the door tonight. I didn't catch their names, but if a manager or higher up is reading this, check the schedule and give some raises ;) much love, I'll keep coming back. read more

Very VERY clickey; if you dont frequent here dont EVER expect to get a drink everytime i've tried we wait until we watch while the bartenders pick and choose who they serve; familiar faves to the front even if you are there prior; BS BARTENDERS read more

Excellent experience at 1up- the service/staff were great, the bar had an excellent variety of games, and this was just a fun time. The arcade bar still maintained a divey atmosphere while still having very clean bathrooms and mix of new school/old school games. I'm likely biased due to enjoying games in general, but still a 5 star experience. read more

The 1UP Arcade Bar - Colfax - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Absolutely LOVED this spot! What a fun place to hangout with friends, go on a date or just have some fun no matter the circumstances. They have so many fun arcade games - my favorites were the basketball, skiball and guitar hero... so fun! They have a nice bar area considering this is more of a dive-ish spot with arcade games and the prices are definitely reasonable. I would totally come back here! read more

It was fun coming here when I visited CO. I will say parking was harder to find in the area, so just be prepared for that. They have a ton of games! We went mainly to play, and not to drink, so it wasn't crazy expensive. For two people we cashed in about $15 for tokens (you can also use quarters there) and we're able to play for a few hours. The games ranged in tokens used, but a lot only took 1-2 tokens. Since we came on a Saturday it was pretty busy, and we had to wait for some of the more popular games, but it was never overwhelmingly busy. Also some of the games do steal your tokens so beware read more

Game selection is legit. Had so many awesome old school games including plenty I'd never even heard of. They also have some fun new stuff like the TMNT co-op game - just like the original but with sick graphics (huge money suck but fun as hell). Plenty of fighting games as well (believe I even saw two versions of Mortal Kombat). I'm not particularly into pinball but I do like looking at the different machines. Their selection was excellent - they had a Sopranos one which I found wildly entertaining. I didn't drink during my last visit but my interaction with the door person (ID checker) was very pleasant. She was really friendly. read more

With the caveat that I haven't been here during late night hours, nor have I paid with a credit card here, this is a pretty cool spot if you were a kid in the 90s. Even if you're not going to drink, the game selection here takes you down memory lane in the best possible way. They have classics like Paperboy, but the best nostalgia comes in with the multiplayer games like The Simpsons, X-Men, Double Dragon, and House of the Dead. They also have a pretty amazing selection of new and old pinball games. I can't imagine what the electricity bill is for The 1up, but whatever it is, it's worth it. This is one of the most amazing spreads of arcade games that I've seen anywhere, so it makes for a really fun experience. I wasn't overly impressed with the alcohol selection here during happy hour, but the games more than made up for it. If you got some cash to burn and a cool group of friends that don't mind some of the characters that you'll occasionally find here, the 1up is a great spot to take a trip down memory lane and have some old school fun. read more

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Not as good as the other locations but I can't complain, it was still a great time! Parking is impossible as it's off Colfax but you have Sancho's and Slice works next door so a perfect night of fun read more

The 1UP Arcade Bar - Colfax - Best game EVA - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

1st time and stopped by this place to kill some time before my concert. When you get there they check your ID to get in. They've got 2 bars. Pinball machines in one area and lots of other games all over. Games are reasonably priced for sure. Great and fun place to come to for a cheap date. I spent about an hour and a half playing pinball machines which I love. I had a fun and awesome time. Never laughed so much and felt like I was 12 years old. I would definitely come back. read more

The 1UP Arcade Bar - Colfax - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

It's fun for being the adult version of the arcade you *may have grown up with. The staff was a bit aloof, and seems they get real tired of having to explain the process with getting change for the games which comes across borderline rude to patrons. Which plays...yep..plays....;) to them having to keep your card for a tab if you need to start a tab. Seems like they need to find a way for ppl to get change off of cards without having to hit the atm and then the change machine...somewhat ironic to ask for current technology for a room full of older arcade games! It's a tricky situation across the board for them and customers. I love the concept of this place but it fell to 3 stars with the touch of 'tude and from some of the maintenance. Most of the skeeball games were shut down, ones working were without balls (who really needs to take these ppl!!! Stop clowning), etc. this spot is on COLFAX so it has that touch and feel...the games feel grimey. But then again it kind of adds to the REAL arcade feel! Honestly...I like it. But think this particular one might not be for everyone. AND for the love of GOD. Someone needs to get the message out that the majority of DENVER doesn't take verticals IDs. It's not just this place. Taking it out on them doesn't change the fact that this is the rule that most bars in Denver follow. read more

This place is awesome! They have so many retro games and it's only a quarter or two to play. The drinks here are also super cheap which is great! I really enjoyed my time here and I'll definitely be back when I'm in the area! read more

I've always loved the 1up. I was a fan when the first one opened in LoDo, but loved the vibe of the 2up (this former location's name) a bit more. This weekend, husband and I were trying to force ourselves to do something out of our wheelhouse for date night. We tend to be so tired on Friday that we eat some carbs, have two drinks and head home. This weekend, however, we decided to come make a trip across town to the arcade. It had been quite a while since either of us had been in. We had no idea that the arcade expanded! Where it was a 3-star whole in the wall before, The 1up is a freaking amazing experience now. SO so impressed with the game selection. Husband was walking around like a giddy child commenting on every game. We loved the selection of two-person games they had. My favorite was the Guitar Hero game and hubs loved Tekken. We will honestly be back soon and often. The layout is wonderful, roomy for a legit arcade. The drinks were small but very mighty. The bartenders were nice enough and made our drinks the perfect strength. They also have a PHOTOBOOTH! YASSSS. We were stoked to see this in here. One small complaint is the cost of the games. They felt very pricy to me. But honestly, given how clean everything was, how much space there was, meh. This is a little complaint from me. Although if they made the premium songs on guitar hero free, I'd probably never leave ;) read more

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Super fun! Lots of gaming options, mostly old school but there are a bunch of new games too. Great selection of pinball machines, you are sure to find one you like. There is multiplayer options for the pinball games. Competitive fun, a nice way to pass time and hang out with friends. There is a four player Pac-Man battle game that is great for groups. There are a couple of skee-ball games, basketball hoops (arcade style), and lots of other games. Make sure to bring your ID with you, everyone gets checked. Outside they have a smoking area and two tables with large wood pieces to play Jenga. Be careful of the wooden pieces when they fall, usually one person in the group manages to get a small cut trying to catch this suckers. Splints everywhere. read more

I always chill here for a couple beers after church. The games are sick. They change them all the time and the all day happy hour on Sundays is awesome. The music's usually sick and I find a lot of new songs through them. If you're cool with them, they're cool with you. If you're coming to an arcade bar expecting to be treated like royalty... fix your vibe or move back to california haha read more

*based on One Sunday afternoon visit* $1 mimosas and $2 doubles on Sunday's! BEST DEAL IN TOWN. And they're essentially all champagne. Tons of games to choose from, both single and multi player. Great place to spend a lazy Sunday and to bring visitors who can't experience adult beverages and video games in public elsewhere. Bathrooms (on a Sunday at 1pm) were also very clean and welcoming. Most games are $0.25 or $0.50 and worth their value. read more

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While on vacation we went to two locations. Had a great time playing games of our childhood and drinking old school drinks such as mad dog 20/20. Rates on games and drinks very reaaonable. We spent about 2 hours both times. Only downside was some of the shotting games were broken. read more

The 1UP Arcade Bar - Colfax - Bathroom art - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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As a person who doesn't play video games, this place was actually really fun to visit! There is a little something there for everyone to enjoy. 1UP has a photo booth, ski ball, pin ball, and tons of nostalgic video games (PACMan, MarioKart, etc.). The space is very large and open which is nice when it gets busy... you never feel overcrowded. There are two bars, but the night we visited only one was open. While it was busy, the bartenders (all female which is awesome) were friendly, prompt, and made us excellent margaritas. One thing that I wish 1UP had more of was drink stands or places to set your drink. I'd hate to set my drink on an arcade machine and have it spill or leave my drink at a table while playing a game and have a stranger mess with it. read more

Super nice bouncers and fun atmosphere. My drink was $5 which seemed low/normal to me. Love the games and there's plenty of room and a ton of old arcade games plus pinball. They have "the worlds biggest paceman". Great for a group of friends or a date. The Lodo location has an outside patio that this one lacks. read more

About 18 months ago, I had a really unhappy experience at 1up Colfax and gave it a very negative review: I have been back many times since, and now feel that was an isolated experience, and on balance I think 1up is a great asset to the neighborhood and pinball community. Though there are indeed a lot of places now to play pinball: 1up Colfax's impeccable maintained and well-valued games make it an amazing bang-for-buck go-to. It's a pretty tight vibe on the service front (to open a tab I have to leave my ID at the bar), but it's a pretty sketch neighborhood. It's a dank atmosphere, but you're not here for the atmosphere: you're here for the games. Its monthly pinball tournaments are a gold standard for Colorado competitive pinball. I'm not deleting my prior review because that happened and it was not great, but in a way, I'm leaving it up there to urge anyone else who's had an episodic negative 1up experience to shrug, get over it and come back. read more