Ace Bar
531 E. 5th St., nr. Ave. A; 212-979-8476
With pinball machines and a game room large enough that pool players never risk accidental puncture from even the most inept darts enthusiast, Ace Bar is almost a Chuck E. Cheese’s for alcoholic co-eds.
Barcade
388 Union Ave., nr. Ainslie St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn; 718-302-6464
It’s all in the name: Moon Patrol, Frogger, Donkey Kong, Zaxxon, and Centipede are all on the 30-strong list of vintage arcade games lined up around the perimeter of this gritty playland. All you need is a fistful of quarters and bleary-eyed victory is yours for the taking.
Bleecker Street Bar
56-58 Bleecker St., nr. Crosby St.; 212-334-0244
Three dartboards and a Big Buck Hunter would be enough for hours of socializing, but this NYU hangout outdoes itself with its back room, where three green-felt pool tables await your sure hand.
The Diamond
43 Franklin St., nr. Calyer St., Greenpoint, Brooklyn; 718-383-5030
The nerdy beer offerings are sublime and all, but this Greenpoint hideaway’s secret weapon is its unique bar games. Mini-shuffleboard, played on a skinny, sleek table, lives alongside the bar, while a horseshoe predecessor called “rubber-ring quoits” greets backyard revelers.
Nancy Whiskey Pub
1 Lispenard St., at W. Broadway; 212-226-9943
Serving the beer-and-ball community since 1967, Nancy Whiskey also provides the after-work crowd with some stress relief in the form of bank shuffleboard. It’s probably the most broken-in bar game in the city.