I think this is my first time on yelp reviewing a bar, so yay! Atmosphere: It is a bit dark in here, and the front entrance is very small, we almost missed it. There is a bar in the front room and there are 3 rooms total with machines to play. Pinball up front and center, just the way I like it. Service: Great daily drink and token specials. Our bartender was really awesome, and patient since I was a noob and it was my first time there. The only thing I can think of for improvement in this facility is hand sanitizer stations, one per room. Flu season is upon us and everyone in here is touching the machines. I had my trusty hand sanitizer in my purse so I was okay, but I think it'd be a nice addition to the place since they don't take up much room. Looking forward to coming back here. read more

Nice selection of pinball machines that we spent most of our time here trying to conquer. We always love Pac-Man and the old school games we grew up with I k know my photos stink but still have to share them with you lol read more

Player 2 Arcade Bar - Comic wall - Bars Near Me - Appleton, Wisconsin

We had a great time with our two kids during the day. They had good drinks too! We loved the vintage games. read more

Player 2 Arcade Bar - Vintage arcade game - Bars Near Me - Appleton, Wisconsin

See all

I love player 2. I've had many a great times here, and I hope to have more in the future. I saw another review that mentioned the music is a little loud, and I agree with that, but other than that this is a great place to blow off some steam. Pac-man is my fav! read more

Since I was in WI to visit family we drove by to downtown Appleton and spotted Player 2 Arcade Bar, with an empty parking slot available (knock on wood). As we walked in, I saw rows after rows of classic video games and a few pinball machines in front. And the fun didn't end there... I'll slap down a review to cover the rest of that fun. Atmosphere is a nostalgia overload with '80s/90s movie posters and murals of video game characters. But you do have to be 21 years old or older to enter as the bartender will ask for your ID up front. I'm just over that so it doesn't worry me. The machines are pretty well maintained. Classics, pinball, fighting games and some shooters. Played the classic X-Men as Nightcrawler and the controls were spot-on. I wish there were more racing games though (Daytona, Crazy Taxi, etc). It would drive a bit more appeal. Unlike most barcades which have only a multi-game machine with a Raspberry Pi running illegally emulated games and shitty joysticks, this place has the games the way they were meant to be played. I mean, if I want to play Galaga, I want it by itself. If I want to play Street Fighter II, I want that game by itself. Machines run off tokens and nearly every game costs only 1 token. The pinball tables take 2 as they have a lot of play, and they're not rigged. Though I wish there were more racing games, Player 2 is a neat addition to Appleton's downtown as arcades are almost extinct there. Just make sure you're at least 21 and have your ID with you. read more

See all

Thank you Player 2 for letting me relive my childhood...and have a beer! Player 2 is an incredibly amazing addition to downtown Appleton. As much as I love drinking beer, it's even better with a game. Player 2 has three rooms with a variety of arcade games. They have some of my favorite as a kid (X-Men, Rampage, NFL Blitz, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat), plus the classics like Galaga, Ms Packman, Donkey Kong, plus a few pinball machines. Most games cost a token ($0.25/token) and you buy tokens in $5 increments at the bar. I'd recommend bring a small zipper bag, or fanny pack to carry the tokens as they give it to you in a plastic cup. I get paranoid letting them sit around and someone accidentally takes them. The beer selection is fantastic...it's tall boy heaven! They have several coolers of only 16 oz tall boys of different craft breweries. Yeah they do have tapped beer, but in this atmosphere, I can foresee more accidents of spilled drinks and would rather have a can than glass. Be sure to check out their daily specials. Lots of good deals, not just for drinks but also tokens! I've been here twice and it has been littered with college kids, which makes sense since it's so close to Lawrence University and who doesn't like playing games. Even though it's a younger crowd, everyone is welcome as it's a super fun atmosphere! I hope for the best as it's unique for our area...so treasure the cool spots that we have here. read more

See all

I went here with Katelyn L. and her review is awesome and pretty much sums up our entire experience. I really like this idea I just wish they had more standing space for people I felt in the way most of the time but other than that I really like this place. I am not a big gamer so the TV's with old movies were a plus for me while everyone else went around playing games and I got to watch SPEED and drink yummy beer! read more

Player 2 Arcade Bar - Honey blonde ale. - Bars Near Me - Appleton, Wisconsin

Lots of cool games. Only a quarter (or token) to play. Great selection of drinks. They even have pinball. read more

A throw back for this old head. Plenty of vintage games and let's me relive being a kid. Drinks are cold. Service quick. Nice spot.

Super cool vibes. Bartenders, drinks and people are great. Super sweet spot, can't get this type of vibe anywhere else. Great job!

This is my favorite arcade bar. The drinks are cheap but good. And they have a lot of old school arcade games. Fun place to hangout on the weekend. read more

Katie only cares if you're alone in the bar. Otherwise you have to wait an hour for an over priced drink withgames that are consistently out of order. Not worth it read more

I live downtown. This is my neighborhood. There are so many bars to go to on the Ave. The owners are completely hands off. Mike repairs the machines as needed, and I will give him credit for that. The problem is that Mike and Marissa don't know how to operate a bar in Wisconsin. They keep hiring underage staff so they don't drink. I get that. However they have also negated shaking for a shot. Their reasons are because there are staff that are taking advantage of it. Which I also get. However if you are to maintain a bar on College Ave., you must be more hands on or have someone trustworthy to vet your staff, if Mike and Marissa are unable to. Neither of them have any bar experience. I will testify that I personally helped Marissa in tapping her first keg. I loved the fact that she wanted to be involved and learn. However, somewhere along the way that stopped. They need to reignite the flame that got them into this business, and not just get blinded by the money. read more

What's not to love about this place? They have a very wide selection of games, whether you like the shooting games, fighting games, sports, pinball, or the classics like Mario and Pacman. I've been here several times and have yet to have a bad experience. There are good days/better days to go pending on their daily deals, so check out their Facebook page before you go. My only critique is that when it gets busy, you feel a bit cramped if all the games are being played. But there's only so much they can do with the space they have. And they sure do pack in the games! I just hope this place gets more and more successful so that they can move to a bigger facility. But in the meantime, I'll enjoy the space they have :) read more

This is a newer spot on College Ave in Appleton. When I first heard about this place I was super excited to here something like this was opening in the area. I've been to a few arcade bars in Chicago and had a blast so I've been looking forward to checking this place out. At first when we walked in I wasn't so sure because it looked small, but when I discovered it just kept going it got better. It was a Friday so it was decently busy when we got there. By the time we left around 11pm it was getting almost claustrophobic. I didn't play many games but there was not a shortage in terms of quantity or variety. Vintage games, fighting games, shooting games, one player or two players. All games only require one token (except the pinball machines, they take 2) so $5 tokens gets you pretty far. The bartenders were great. And if playing games isn't your thing they are always showing old movies on the TVs (last night it was Speed, The Big Lebowski, and Ghostbusters 2). I love that there is finally something different than just your standard College Ave bar around and will defeat be back! read more

Absolutely love this place! Great pricing for games! Wish they had food. But other than that it's nice to just get out of the house and play some classics! read more

This bar was a good time. They have old vintage video arcade games that are a quarter a game. The walls are covered in comic book covers and cult movie posters. Fun atmosphere, fun times! read more

Player 2 is by far my favorite bar on the Ave. They have reasonably priced cocktails and very cheap arcade games where you and your friends can go and drink and play games all night long and have a great time. All the bartenders that I've seen are always on top of it and in a great mood. I always love going there and meeting new people and just hanging out with my friends. read more

This is one of my new favorite hangouts. Lots of old school video games that I loved playing in my childhood, such as Mario, Mario 3, Q-Bert, Ms. Pac-Man, and Burgertime. The bartender was friendly and fast with the drinks. It costs 1 or 2 tokens to play a game (most games are only 1) and the tokens are only 25 cents. I bought $5 worth of tokens and it lasted me a long time. I never had to wait for a game I wanted to play either, although I was there on a Tuesday afternoon and I'm sure it's more crowded on Friday and Saturday nights. My only complaint would be that drink prices are a little high compared to the other bars in the area ($5 for a Bacardi and Diet Coke), but I wasn't there to get wasted-I was there to play video games. Plus I assume that's to offset the cost of the game machines. Also, there could be more seating around the bar area. It was pretty busy and I was there around 3 pm on a Tuesday afternoon. But overall, awesome place! read more

Nick if such s wonderful bartender. Also, you can't go wrong w/ guitar hero and all the new pinball games & guitar hero!

By far one of my favorite bars to go to so far. I've been there a couple of times now. I pretty much spent my whole 21st birthday there hanging out with friends and playing games. Their house drinks are all so good along with their house shots. The staff is quick and always nice and fun too. I honestly have no complaints about this bar! read more

Great concept and wonderful place to revisit your youth. Highly recommended. From the classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to the original Super Mario Brothers. The arcade games rock. Also they have amazing drink specials. Definitely try it out. read more

I like this place quite a bit.Theres a great selection of classic arcade games and pinball machines. Beer is priced fairly as well.