Tempe, Arizona sits just east of Phoenix and is best known as the home of Arizona State University, the Tempe Town Lake waterfront, and the lively Mill Avenue District. Beyond the college-town energy, the city has built a genuine retro gaming scene, with pinball rooms, classic arcades, and barcades drawing visitors from across the Phoenix metro area.
Electric Bat Arcade is a pinball-focused barcade tucked inside the legendary Yucca Tap Room on West Southern Avenue. With long daily hours, a tournament calendar, and a dark, edgy aesthetic built around its bat-themed logo and rock-inspired branding, the venue caters equally to casual players stopping in for a few flips and to competitive pinball enthusiasts chasing a leaderboard spot.
For a broader look at venues in the area, the arcade finder and the interactive arcade map are useful starting points for exploring other Tempe spots such as The Gaming Zone, the original Electric Bat Arcade, Level Up Gaming, and The Gaming Zone.
At a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Address | 25 W Southern Ave, Tempe, Arizona |
| Phone | +1 480-967-4777 |
| Hours | Daily, 6:00 AM – 2:00 AM (open every day of the week) |
| Rating | 4.8 out of 5 from 253 reviews |
| Best For | Pinball tournaments, barcade atmosphere, late-night gaming, corporate events |
The Scene
Electric Bat Arcade presents itself with a dark, edgy aesthetic that matches its bat-themed logo and rock-inspired branding. The space is small in footprint but heavy on atmosphere, leaning into the barcade tradition where pinball machines hum alongside the host tap room’s lighting and crowd noise. It reads as a destination for players who care about the game itself rather than a broad mix of cabinets, and the result is a focused room where pinball is clearly the point.
The venue operates on an unusually long daily schedule, opening at 6:00 AM and running through 2:00 AM every day of the week. That wide window makes it workable for an early-morning pinball session, an afternoon tournament stop, or a late-night flip session alongside a Yucca Tap Room crowd. The space is set up for community play as well: a tournament calendar lists scheduled events, a streaming rig is on site for broadcasting matches, and the venue produces its own podcast covering pinball topics. A shop area and on-site tools round out the supporting infrastructure.
Because Electric Bat Arcade is housed inside the Yucca Tap Room, drinks are part of the surrounding environment, though the venue itself does not list a specific food or drink menu. The age policy reflects that setup: under-21 players are welcome when accompanied by a guardian before 7:00 PM, after which the space shifts toward its adult barcade hours. Corporate parties are also available to book, giving the venue a second identity as a private event space for groups who want a pinball-themed gathering.
Games & Machines
Electric Bat Arcade is built around pinball. The venue’s machine lineup is centered on pinball tables rather than a broader mix of classic arcade cabinets, which keeps the focus tight for players who want to chase specific flipper titles or work on tournament-style skills. A tournament calendar organizes regular competitive play, and a streaming rig is part of the on-site setup, suggesting that some matches are broadcast or recorded for the venue’s podcast and online channels.
Beyond the machines themselves, the venue lists a small set of supporting features: a shop area for pinball-related purchases, tools that point to a maintenance-friendly setup, and the previously mentioned streaming rig and podcast. The overall direction is less “every classic arcade game under one roof” and more “a dedicated pinball room with community infrastructure,” which is a notable point of difference when stacked against general-purpose arcades operating in the same city.
Visiting
Electric Bat Arcade is located at 25 W Southern Ave in Tempe, inside the Yucca Tap Room. The address sits within easy reach of the broader Mill Avenue corridor and is straightforward to plug into a maps app for first-time visitors. The phone line listed on the venue’s site is +1 480-967-4777 for direct inquiries about machine lineups, tournament scheduling, or private bookings.
Hours are simple to plan around: the venue is open daily from 6:00 AM to 2:00 AM, including weekends. The age policy is worth noting for families and younger players — guests under 21 are welcome when accompanied by a guardian prior to 7:00 PM, after which the space shifts to its adult barcade format. Drinks are available through the host tap room environment, though Electric Bat does not publish its own food or drink menu, so guests planning to eat should set expectations accordingly or check with the Yucca Tap Room directly.
For groups, corporate parties are available to book through the venue, making the space a workable option for team events, launch nights, or pinball-themed gatherings. Players interested in the wider Tempe arcade map can browse the arcade finder or open the interactive arcade map to compare this location with nearby spots such as Level Up Gaming and Level Up Gaming. Venue owners who want to update any of the details above can use the claim your listing page to take control of their directory entry.