It's not the easiest place to find. Know that it's on the corner on the 2nd story. The gps will only get you so far. They do have a couple of sandwich board signs that is a huge help. When you go upstairs it's the business next to the cookie business. I found them on Yelp under things to do. From the pictures I saw they had skee ball and that got my attention. I used to play skee ball with my dad and seeing those machine brings up such fond memories. When we entered we asked if they had skee ball and if it was working. He said yes and said we can look around before paying. That was really nice of him. I didn't realize that this place is set up with unlimited play. You just hit the start button and play. You are charged a flat fee to play $20 all day or 15 minutes for $8. All I really wanted to play was skee ball and it being so late and they were to close in a little over an hour we opted for the 15 minutes. It totally wasn't long enough. I wish we came here earlier in the day so we could enjoy playing all day. They give you a little buzzer that vibrates when your time is up if you choose the 15 minute option. We lucked out and no one was on the skee ball lanes when we went back. They have 2 lanes. Perfect for us to play together. We played numerous games. It was so fun. Then we played the next game over basketball . It's that game that you see how many baskets you can make. I think my max I made was 6. My husband out did me on both games. After we were tired we spent the last couple of minutes playing pinball. I really wished we had more time. I recommend getting there early in the day and getting the all day pass. You have in and out privileges. So you can take breaks to eat, gamble, ski, ect. read more

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The Ultimate Nostalgia Trip! This place is a total hole-in-the-wall gem! My family had so much fun, and even as someone who didn't play, I had the best time just soaking in the vibes. What makes it top-notch: * The Setup: I love that it's prepaid for your time. No fumbling with quarters or change machines! You just pay for your block of time and enjoy. * The Games: They have all the classics--The Simpsons, Pac-Man, and some really great old-school pinball machines. * The Vibe: The throwback decor and posters are incredible. The absolute highlight? The Saved by the Bell themed bathroom. It is so well done! If you want a "blast from the past" that is super reasonable for the price, you have to come through. So glad this place is here! read more

Retroactive Arcade - Arcades Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California

I honestly don't know what there could be to complain about here, a wide array of classic arcade games with unlimited play for one flat fee. The inner child in me was elated to play some games I hadn't played in decades and the outter adult was happy they had beer, cider and seltzers to fuel the competition between the parents. Service was great, the friendly gentlemen explained everything quickly and then let us free. The "ambiance" is that of 80's and 90's mall arcade or Mini golf, game noises from beeps and boops to hadokens and GET OVER HERE! Love this place and will definitely be back. read more

Great place, fun games and an awesome owner! Nice selection of games. Loved all of the decorations.

We visited Retroactive Arcade as a family and were all very impressed. I lost track of time while in the arcade, the place is exactly as advertised. I loved it. It brought back so many memories of all the games I grew up playing. The place looks amazing, it was very clean and there are even hand sanitizers at most of the games. I did not partake in the food, but there were snacks and drinks for purchase. Service was sufficient, we didn't need help with anything and were able to pay quickly and get gaming. I really enjoyed this place and will come back. read more

A neat little place at a great price with a good selection of classic arcade games. It could use a little more variety like more shooters. I recommend getting the unlimited play if you're staying at a hotel nearby. The decor is nostalgic while matching the era of some of the games. The bathroom is clean and well maintained. It can be a little cramped when it gets busy. read more

Kevin was fantastic--welcoming, thorough, and great at explaining how everything works. The game selection is impressive, with a perfect mix of new and classic titles, all in excellent condition. We spent a few hours there and absolutely got our money's worth--especially compared to the casino arcades down the street. Whether you're an adult looking for a fun night out or a family wanting to keep the kids entertained, this is a great place to go. They offer plenty of snacks and beverages, and we loved that you can leave and return the same day. We even saw a family head out for dinner and come back for more games. The space felt incredibly clean and well run, with hand sanitizer available at nearly every game station. You can tell they take pride in maintaining the place. We can't wait to come back! read more

My grandmother lived in Tahoe growing up so we used to come every weekend. Now I bring my own kids a couple times out the year so they can have Tahoe memories too! We came across this arcade walking and sight seeing and it was just so nostalgic to see all the arcade games from my generation! The prices are way better than the casino arcade and had a much better selection of games! You pay a fee to get in and get to play the games all day long! This is amazing and wish there was something like this when I was a kid. We happen to peek in the window right when someone came to open up the place. I didn't catch his name but super friendly and allowed us to take a tour of the inside! Of course once the kids got a peek they wanted to stay and play! Love the color schemes and plenty of seating out front! This is such a great idea and definitely a great location! I would highly recommend this for your kiddos or adults who are kids at heart to enjoy some good arcade fun! We definitely will be back again when in town! read more

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This place is amazing!!! So many memories from our childhood come rushing back as you enter and play. Unlimited play with in and out privileges. Wish we had one of these back home. Definitely a great family event, date night, or friends time for sure!!! read more

Pricing was great for unlimited play (~20 bucks flat). Pricing for about 20 minutes seems to be not worth it unless ur just checking in and want to play for a bit (~10 bucks flat). All machines were very well kept and the atmosphere was awesome, it felt very retro. Recommend 100%. read more

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Trying to entertsin teens on a camping trip can be diffcult at times. They are too young to gamble. So what do you do, but take them to.the arcade. Games galore to keep them stimulated for hours. They loved every moment of it. I even had fun on some old games. A great place to take the family. read more

I was really excited when I saw this place being built in the June of 2025. It wasn't open yet before our trip ended, unfortunately. However, when we came back for our yearly summer trip it was open for business and I was so excited. It didn't disappoint! The selection of games was awesome; there were arcade games reaching back to the early 80's, shooters, pinball, even a skeeball game air hockey and shooting. The vibe and decor of the place is top notch retro. I got a real kick out of the movie jerseys on the back left wall! My wife and I loved it so much we went twice and the second time we played until the owner killed the power at closing time. We were in the back area having a blast on Frogger and Dig Dug and hadn't realized the time and that the owner had turned on the lights in the main room. The man at the front desk, who I assume is the owner, was really friendly and even chatted with me for quite a while about retro games and the business in general. They have a selection of tasty junk food snacks, sodas, water and even beers. One of the best parts is that you pay your entry fee and then everything is free-play and you can come and go. Here's your plan: play for a couple hours, walk to one of the many nearby restaurants or bars to eat dinner, then come back and play for a couple more hours. That's what we did both times and it was a great time! Whether you are a middle-aged retro game nerd like me, somewhat enjoy old games or even just like retro 80's/90's stuff this place is highly, highly recommended. And for 20 bucks, it's a steal!! Just go, you will love it!!! read more

This place ROCKS! Great machines and other games - best flashback experience in an arcade. Excellent tunes too. The proprietor is awesome and friendly. Great Unlimited Play deals so pay one price and you can play from open to closing time and come and go in between. I'll take this over the casinos ANY day... and I did! Wake up your inner Pinball Wizard at the Retroactive Arcade! read more

Retroactive Arcade - Unlimited Play Wristbands - Arcades Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California

Place was great! Kevin was helpful and he's built a nice business. Kids and adults had a great time! Great price too, shocked at the great deal read more

Throw back fun! $55 for 1 adult 2 kids unlimited play on Christmas Eve 2025! They were open 2p-10p even through Christmas break/storms. Great place to bypass traffic. Don't forget the outdoor patio games. The bathroom wins for best in show! No food--concession stand for junk food/candy only. Dogs welcome. They have dog bed and water bowls. Games were in good, working condition. Hand sanitizer at every game. read more

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Super fun experience with my six-year-old son. Unlimited play is a lot of fun, especially if you're new to video games which my son of course is. Lotta retro fun and great pinball too and the staff is really friendly and accommodating. Really good time. We'll definitely come back. read more

We saw signs for the arcade on the way to get pho and thought we could come back and check it out on our walk back. On our walk back to the hotel, we found the arcade upstairs and it just opened (12:00pm, we got there at 12:05pm). There wasnt anyone in the front or any customers at all so we thought we could just walk in and look at the games they offered to see if there was anything interesting, NOPE!!! Around the entrance to the backroom, a worker appeared. The worker (guy) physically blocked our way and said we are not able to tour and look at the games before paying. Then pushed really hard to sell the unlimited games for $25/person without letting us look at the games. We asked how would we know what games they had if we cant see them, He pointed that they had all retroactive 80's-90's games and basketball in the back and pointed, but when I tried to look, he literally moved again and blocked my view. I have no idea what this dude's problem was. We just decided to leave instead and just continued touring the rest of South Tahoe. What a complete embarrassment of an establishment. read more

Great place! Very friendly, games are great, very reasonable pricing with the unlimited pass. Will definitely be back again in the future.

I would give negative stars if I could, Very rude guy at the front desk... I just needed to use the bathroom and he asked for a wristband. Mind you there is a restroom sign at the front of the store. Nice. The "rude" guy states "No public bathrooms" and to "get out" I don't recommend using there bathroom. read more

We loved this place! Our family travels to S. Lake Tahoe a few times a year and we are always looking for new activities. The Retroactive Arcade was fantastic. We paid for the all day adult and kid passes ($25 per adult and $15 per kid) and even though we only stayed 2 hours and didn't return, it was totally worth it. We usually spend twice that much at the casino arcades just for our kid to play games for a single hour. We were the only people inside when we first got there and it was fantastic. It got really crowded later and so we headed out. I hope they stay around and even expand! We will be back. read more

The place was amazing! Hands down the cheapest and one of the coolest places in that area of town. Compared the other arcades in town, this is the best one in tahoe. It is mostly all classic arcade games, which is a cool thing to see with every new arcade being ultra modern. It was 10$ for me, since i was a teen and local, and the ticket is good for all day, all games are free after paying admission. The owner is also super nice and personal able. If your looking for a good arcade in town, this is where to go! read more

Retroactive Arcade - cool off-road racing game they have, very fun - Arcades Near Me - South Lake Tahoe, California

This arcade is awesome!! My kids, wife and I loved it. The owner Kevin, let us look around and was very welcoming. The games are mostly from the 80's and 90's which is great. The setup, ambiance and overall vibe is very upbeat and fun. The decor is perfect for the retro theme. I was pleasantly surprised that my kids (12,9,7) never got board considering they play Roblox and some of the other modern games. Retroactive games are very well balanced with racing games, fighting, shooters, basketball, Skee ball, darts, air hockey and an ice hockey foosball. They have so many old school classics with fun for all ages. The overall layout is perfect for the space. I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a great time with incredible value. By far the best value I have found anywhere around these parts. You can pay a flat fee and have unlimited play for the whole day. You can come and go as you choose. This is the best around! They also provide a local discount. read more

Cheap and fun. All of the old school video games brought me back to my childhood. The price is right!!

Awesome place and the owner was super friendly loved the pay once and play as much as you want. Can't wait to go back and enjoy the games and fun atmosphere. Love all the retro decorations and the bathroom is super cool, check it out! read more

I love this arcade lots of awesome games and the decor is amazing in this place. Owner is nice and prices aren't to bad love that you pay once and have access to games all day. read more

Had a great time there with the family. Was able to first tour the back to discover a lot of favorites from skeeball to a good variety of classic and modern pinball machines before paying. Compared to the casino arcades it was relief not having to pick and choose what games to spend money on. Enough selection that the kids are already asking to go back during our next trip. read more

This is a must stop by place whether you have kids or not. The place is fantastic deal. It's so much cleaner than the casino arcades. It's also a much better value as they have all day options gentleman in the front is very nice and very helpful. read more

It was an amazing and fun place to go. I went with my girlfriend and we didn't even realize that 2 hours had gone by just like that. So many retro games that was fun to experience for the first time read more

Took my kids here and had a killer time. All of the games brought me back to when I was their age - so much fun. Don't think that the $6 for 15 minutes is going to be enough because it's not. Just go for the unlimited - we thought we'd only be there for a little while and ended up leaving after 4+ hours. The owner (I think he was?) was super friendly and, unlike the other review, let us walk around and check everything out before paying a dime. By the time we left, the place was PACKED. Do yourself a favor and check it out, you won't be disappointed. read more

We were visiting Tahoe for my daughter's birthday, found this little jam on her last night here. Was so fun and the owner working the front desk was so nice and so helpful! All of the games were in great condition. The place was clean. We had a blast! I would definitely recommend it ! read more