arcades

An arcade is a venue or collection of machines that offer coin-operated entertainment. Traditional arcades house a range of devices including video games, pinball, light-gun shooters, driving simulators, rhythm games, and redemption games that dispense tickets redeemable for prizes. Arcades can operate as standalone halls or be located inside malls, entertainment complexes, or pubs.

Coin-operated amusements appeared in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as mechanical games in arcades and fairs. The modern arcade boom began in the late 1970s and early 1980s with video games such as Space Invaders, Pac-Man, and Donkey Kong, drawing players into dedicated spaces and helping establish arcade culture as a social activity.

Cabinets come in upright and sit-down designs, sometimes linked to form multi-game towers. Genres include fighting games, platformers, shooters, racing sims, and rhythm games. Pinball and electro-mechanical games also remained common, while redemption games emphasize ticket prizes rather than high scores.

Arcades are typically operated on a coin- or token-based revenue model, with operators maintaining machines and rotating titles to attract repeat customers. They serve as social hubs for local communities, enabling high-score competitions and events and contributing to regional gaming scenes.

In recent decades, dedicated arcades faced competition from home consoles and online play, but new formats have emerged, including barcades, family entertainment centers, and VR arcades. Today, arcades persist as nostalgic venues and testing grounds for new hardware and indie titles.