A game night out in Pasadena →
2 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.4 mi
5:30 PMFriendly competition
2
7:00 PMDinner
← Los AngelesDate night guide · Los Angeles
Best arcades & games for a date in Los Angeles
Bowling, arcades and escape rooms, then dinner to settle the score.
61 spots · Jump to the list
A little competition gets you past first-date small talk faster than anything. Bowling, arcades, escape rooms and mini golf give you something to do with your hands and something to laugh about over dinner afterwards. Most are walk-in; escape rooms need booking.
This guide ranks 61 arcades & games in Los Angeles, from Koreatown / Mid-City to Pasadena and Glendale. Editors' picks come first, then the rest by rating, and the plans below build a whole evening around the best of them.
Nights people planned here
Published date nights with a stop on this list.
Make a night of it
Routes around the top spots on the list, with the best-rated places nearby for the rest of the evening.
A game night out in Catalina Island (Avalon)
2 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.4 mi
5:30 PMFriendly competition
2
7:00 PMDinner
The list
Editors' picks first, then by rating.
Blind Donkey
4.8(14)Pasadena · $$
KingsRow Gastropub
4.8(9)Pasadena · $$
Marlin Club
4.8(4)Catalina Island (Avalon) · $$
Tee'd Up Golf
4.7(22)Redondo / Hermosa Beach
PanIQ Room Long Beach
4.7(10)Long Beach · $$
Paniq Room West Hollywood
4.7(9)West Hollywood · $$
Bowlero Mar Vista
4.6(9)Playa Vista / Marina del Rey · $$
Jim and James
4.6(8)Los Feliz / Griffith Park · $
Busby’s West
4.5(25)West LA / Brentwood · $$
The Bungalow
4.5(19)Santa Monica · $$$
Bowlero Torrance
4.5(16)Torrance · $$
The Clawcade
4.5(14)Torrance · $
Montalbán Rooftop Theater
4.5(11)Hollywood · $$
The Glendale Tap
4.4(14)Glendale · $$
Chicas Tacos (Miracle Mile)
4.4(12)Mid-Wilshire / Miracle Mile · $
Los Angeles Museum of Love
4.4(7)Los Feliz / Griffith Park · $$
Hinano Café
4.3(23)Venice · $
Uncle Ollie's Penthouse
4.3(21)Downtown Los Angeles · $$
Colorado Bar
4.3(12)Pasadena · $
Frank ‘n Hank
4.2(16)Koreatown / Mid-City · $
Monte Carlo Bar
4.0(12)Koreatown / Mid-City · $$
Cham Gastropub
4.0(4)Koreatown / Mid-City · $$
Dave's on Broadway
3.9(23)Glendale · $
The Holloway
3.9(14)Silver Lake / Echo Park · $$
Showing 1–24 of 61 spots
Good to know
- What's the best arcade or game spot in Los Angeles for a date?
- Our top pick is Blind Donkey in Pasadena, rated 4.8 out of 5. KingsRow Gastropub and Marlin Club round out the top 3.
- Which Los Angeles neighborhoods have the best arcades & games?
- Koreatown / Mid-City (3), Pasadena (3) and Glendale (2) have the most spots in the top 24.
- Are there affordable arcades & games in Los Angeles?
- Yes — Blind Donkey, KingsRow Gastropub and Marlin Club are all $$ or under.
- What should we do before or after?
- Make it a game night out: friendly competition, then dinner. The plans on this page pair each top spot with the best-rated places within about a 20-minute walk.