Add-a-Ball

Seattle I love your barcades so much!
Pros:
+ HUGE SPACE, lots of small to medium rooms, connected. If feels like a house from the 70’s
+ Awesome décor/​atmosphere, feels like a basement party from the 70’s, has that musty dirty feel, but it works
+ Bartenders can break larger bills
+ ATM at the entrance
+ Cheap booze
+ Interesting variety of older and «newer» retro games, was missing a few classics however
+ Gigantic mural of galactic Hasselhoff
+ Came around 5−6pm on Saturday and pretty much had the place to ourselves
Cons:
+ Lack of retro video games like Galaga, Centipede, ect…
+ Bathrooms were not working well, plumbing issues, not good (décor was cool though)
+ Stuck up bartenders
If you are in Fremont, spend a few hours at Add-​a-​Ball, its a great barcade!

Tricky to find, but eventually found it hahaha. One of our stops for our Fremont pub crawl. It’s really interesting inside! Lots of games to play. Casual and chill. Sitting spots too to catch up with friends. Had a group with us, and we all had a good time.

This great little spot located right up the road from Theo’s Chocolate Factory. The games here are all A list titles including the Pinball which they can boast as they have a Medieval Madness! They don’t have much for sitting space, they also don’t have much to offer for food, and the bar doesn’t hard alcohol either. But the upside is that there are several restaurants and bars to get a full stomach and drunk on hard alcohol prior to coming in for some gaming. They also are «pot friendly» and every time I’ve went there is always a couple guys near the entrance getting stoned (probably for medicinal purposes)…

Arcade games everywhere! This is not a bar, this is an arcade with a tiny bar in the corner. Expect to wait a while and deal with rude staff when you choose to get a drink, but relish in the fact you can reminisce about the 80’s arcade lifestyle.
Whatever your game preference, you’ll be able to get on the machine, but remember that patience is a virtue & you may need to remind people you’re waiting.

Feeling like a kid again yet you can get drunk like an adult, what isn’t there to love about this place? They have a large selection of pin ball machines and affordable drinks ($ 4 – 5 beers). The place can get crowded so don’t come expecting to have your personal space considered. This place is great for a date or a group of friends who just want to relax on a Friday night!

We went on a Friday afternoon/​evening. It’s cramped inside, grungy/​divey, but fun!

Took me back to my childhood. Thankfully we met people who recommended this place. The vibe is great. Small but good selection of beer on tap. It’s everything you want in a night out.

Wonderful little bar and great rotating pinball games. Loved it when they had The Twilight Zone pinball game… they also have a vending machine of microwave popcorn, which is awesome. They serve md 20/​20, which goes well with… well, pinball and awesome.

Best selection of games, awesome layout, bar service is quick, and it’s rad! They’ve got cash machines and quarter machines. They rotate their games often so you can come back and try new games.

Nice vibes, very reasonably priced drinks and nice games. In fact, this is the only barcade I have encountered in Seattle with Time Crisis and for that they can have all the stars!
I will be back again, can’t beat their prices especially not in that area. They had enough games to keep us occupied for over 2 hours although the place is not large.

Ended up here after an event! Was not sure what we were getting into but super glad we ended up there!
This is seriously a basic, nothing fancy bar/​arcade! Great drinks and lots of games! They have seriously a great selection of arcade games. And cup holders on the games, genius!
The place is very crowded with games and people. But they have a nice outside patio area!
Would totally come back!

Great prices on drinks and it has such a cool vibe. It gets really crowded on weekend evenings but I like to come on the afternoons to have a fun time playing pinball and drink. Fun décor with some hidden gems to discover on the walls.

If you’re claustrophobic, avoid this place at all costs.
This is an arcade, so you know what you’re getting into for the most part. But imagine cramming an arcade into a dusty old closet. This is Add-​a-​Ball. When you walk in, there’s a bunch of people outside smoking and drinking like you came unannounced to your cousin’s neighbor’s fourth of July party. No one seemed very friendly and when I walked inside, quite a number of drinks were spilled on me.
I avoided the pinball machines since apparently you had to sign up on a waiting list to play the ones in the front. What about standing in line or the DDR way where you leave a quarter on the edge of the machine? Oh well. I just played a few of the retro machines for an hour then left.

What a random and awesome find! This place is a little hard to find, the entrance being hidden down a semi-​alley way and looks a little junky from the outside. BUT go inside and you will find an dive bar /​arcade! Pinball machines galore and other old school arcade games! The bar is little more than a counter with a mini fridge but it’s perfect for the divey atmosphere. There are some booths if you want to sit and chat (you could also sit and play Jenga) but I’d recommend bringing lots of quarters instead (they do have change machines too) and challenging your friends to some games instead! I also think this would be a fun place for a date night!

Every time I come here, I get really excited to play pinball and hang out in a cool place. And about 1 hour later (tops) I remember why I don’t actually like this place as much as I think I do.
The idea of it is great. I love all the games and the bar with the weirdest assortment of drinks. (anyone want some mad dog??). I also really like that you can just sit outside when you want to take a break. And the Jenga. i LOVE jenga.
Things that I don’t like: the door says «No Bro’s Allowed” — don’t get me wrong, I hate bros. But the bros don’t possess anything. it should be «bros» not «bro’s» and I literally have an anxiety attack every time I read the door.
I also just generally don’t like the people who are here. I’m a weirdo who lives just a couple blocks from here. I love all sorts of people, except for the mean ones. and there seem to be a lot of mean people who frequent add-​a-​ball. Maybe they’re not trying to be mean, but that’s how they come off. Apparently one night there was a tournament starting while we were already on a machine, and a guy came over and just said ‘I need this machine for the tournament’ and just literally moved me out of his way and started playing my game… um… that’s not very nice. or socially acceptable. this past weekend i came here with my mom (and I’m currently in a giant cast and on crutches) and i walked up to a game that had no one occupying it and no one even near by. I put my money in, and started playing. AGAIN, someone came over and said ‘this is my machine’ and essentially pushed me out of his way.
I guess I just don’t understand in what world it’s acceptable to walk up to a stranger and force them to move… there are words that most people learn, «please» and «thank you» are a few that come to mind… try them out.

Ah nostalgia. Had a blast going down memory lane here. Dr Mario, street fighter, Tetris, pinball, mrs PAC man… Games I forgot I knew how to play and music that got stuck in my head for days.
Sad to realize I’d been passing by this gem for years without realizing it was even there — maybe I was too sidetracked by the chocolate samples across the street ;).
Also enjoyed their small patio, people watching and grapefruit cider beer, which was really nice and refreshing as well.

Time after time, this place never fails.
This drunken arcade oasis is located in the basement of a sketchy alley. Although it is incredibly divey and the well liquors are the literal bottom line I’ve never had a bad time.
The staff is super friendly, especially Max the bartender (definitely the best dude ever).
Don’t like the chick you’re on a date with, cool. Just play games and ignore her.
Overall, it’s incredible. If you’re in Fremont it’s definitely a must-​see!

Hidden gem in Fremont! Dive bar with retro pinball and arcade games. And Jenga galore.
A good place to start the night — and then migrate out toward other Fremont haunts!

I had a very enjoyable visit to this place.
I would have given it 5 stars if the layout was a bit roomier and a couple of the games we tried to play was not broken and wasted quarters because of it.
They were having a pinball tournament in the middle of my visit here but the clientele was very patient and awesome about the non tournament players on the machines getting a game in. Actually, awesome in both sportsmanship and support with people that were just average pinball players in the mix of the professional crowd.
This place is really laid back and welcoming. Full bar is available which is a very nice touch and option. The span of years that the pinball and video games ranged were very large making it enjoyable to be able to play very different experiences of gaming.
The establishment is a bit on the older side but they did their best with the layout and architecture of the place. Booths are also available for table games and/​or just sitting down with geeky gamer friends to enjoy a drink or two while resting up for the next adventure!
There was a loose dog walking around the whole place which was fine but, not everyone would feel comfortable about that and/​or allergens associated with it. No one seemed to care about the leash law or the dog itself as the noise of the place would overload any living creature. Many felt sorry for the animal as it kept walking back and forth looking for some answers to life.
I am a fan and had a great time while visiting. Thanks!

I’ve known about Add-​a-​Ball for a long time but never made it in till last week. This is not a fancy place — this is a place for people who like to casually enjoy a drink, play pinball, and play video games. If you’re expecting something else, maybe this is not the place for you.
The night I was there, there was a bit of smoking going on at the front door. I’m not sure that’s always the norm but you may want to consider it if you’re sensitive to smoke. Right inside the door is the bar. It’s cash only and has a limited selection but I think it has just about everything I would need — beer, shots, and a few cocktails.
Great selection of pinball games! My favorite is Space Invaders, which I used to play at the old Dairy Queen in my town when I was 14 years old. Love it! You can also choose a few retro games like Super Mario Bros (and 2 and 3) and Bubble Bubble. Awesomeness! The walls are filled with great paintings such as Patrick Swayze from his Point Break days. The women’s bathroom is hilarious. It was out of toilet paper and paper towels but had a fully stopped tampon vending machine where each came in a plastic globe accompanied by a mint.
I had a great time and hope to go back again soon!