Strikes & Spares Entertainment Center is a family entertainment venue serving South Bend and the surrounding Michiana region from its address in Mishawaka, Indiana. The facility combines a sizeable video arcade with a broad spread of in-house attractions, which has made it a familiar stop for birthday parties, group outings, and weekend family visits in the area.
Positioned just south of the South Bend city limits, the venue sits within easy driving distance for residents of the Michiana corridor as well as visitors passing through northern Indiana. Its combination of attractions under a single roof puts it in the same conversation as other Midwestern family entertainment centers tracked in the directory, alongside neighboring spots in Mishawaka such as Kawaii Klaws of Mishawaka, Generations Adventureplex, Smiley’s Space Themed Adventure Park, Mega Play, and Generations Raceway.
Prospective visitors can browse the directory’s arcade finder to compare this location against other regional options, or open the interactive arcade map to see how Strikes & Spares fits alongside neighboring venues in the South Bend area.
At a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Address | Mishawaka, IN |
| Phone | +1 574-243-2695 |
| Website | strikesandspares.us |
| Hours | Monday–Thursday: 11AM–10PM Friday: 11AM–12AM Saturday: 12PM–12AM Sunday: 12PM–8PM |
| Rating | 4.3 out of 5 from approximately 1,900 reviews |
| Best For | Families, group outings, birthday parties |
What Players Say
Strikes & Spares earns praise for packing an impressive roster of activities under one roof. A reviewer summed up the variety as “bowling, arcade games, glow in the dark mini golf, bumper cars, SO much more” — Google review — and that breadth shows up repeatedly in the feedback, anchored by 42 mentions of the activity lineup. Cleanliness and facility condition are highlighted in roughly 16 visitor comments, including the remark, “The place was clean, smelled great and service was fantastic” — Google review.
Cost is the most frequently raised caveat and is noted across 28 reviewer mentions. A widely cited take reads, “a great place just remember to go with a thick wallet” — Google review, capturing the mixed sentiment around pricing across attractions, food, and drinks. Many reviewers recommend buying Groupon wristband deals in advance — “Found a Groupon for $23 a person for unlimited play all day with a wristband” — Google review — as a way to manage the bill. Food and beverage pricing draws similar mixed feedback, including the comment, “eat somewhere else because there’s no reason for is so expensive” — Google review.
Customer service experiences vary: most visitors describe friendly and helpful staff, while a smaller number report isolated rude encounters across 22 staff-related mentions, including the review “the employee was completely rude to my daughter, the employee had an attitude” — Google review. Crowds and wait times — particularly for the go-karts — also draw mixed commentary, with one visitor noting, “The line for the Go Karts does take a long time, but is fun and worth it” — Google review. Bowling lanes are well regarded for comfort and privacy across 18 bowling-specific mentions, summed up by the comment, “The bowling lanes are comfortable allowing for privacy at each lane” — Google review.
Birthday parties are a recurring highlight, with kid-friendliness and party bookings flagged positively across roughly 16 reviewer mentions. Hosts are named specifically — “Autumn gave my kid and our party guests the ultimate birthday party” — Google review. Prospective visitors should also weigh one serious hygiene complaint among the rare negative reports: a reviewer claims, “Have bed bugs in there, one crawled in my daughters bag” — Google review — an isolated but notable concern against an otherwise largely positive body of feedback.
Games & Machines
Strikes & Spares is described by visitors as housing a large arcade alongside the venue’s other attractions, including bowling, go-karts, bumper cars, blacklight mini golf, a ninja course, and VR experiences. The arcade itself reads as a substantial component of the broader entertainment mix rather than the sole offering on site, so visitors planning a trip should expect to pair their gameplay with several non-arcade activities rather than walk into a dedicated arcade hall.
Specific machine lineups, current game counts, and prize-counter details are not published on the venue’s online profile. Players looking for hard data on a particular title should contact the venue directly using the phone number listed in the table above.
Visiting
Strikes & Spares sits in Mishawaka, Indiana, immediately south of South Bend, with easy access from the broader Michiana region. On-site amenities include a food and beverage program, though reviews indicate the on-site dining prices run high — a common thread among visitor feedback — so budgeting accordingly or eating beforehand is a frequently cited strategy among repeat visitors.
Standard weekly hours run from late morning into the evening Monday through Thursday, with extended late-night hours on Friday and Saturday afternoons into midnight, and a shorter Sunday window of 12PM to 8PM. The extended Friday and Saturday hours make the venue a popular weekend destination, while weekday afternoons are typically less crowded. Visitors citing the go-kart line in reviews suggest that midweek and early-evening trips tend to minimize wait times.
Birthday party and group bookings are a substantial part of the business and are highlighted repeatedly across the reviews, with specific staff members called out by name in positive accounts. Hosts interested in arranging a party can reach the venue at +1 574-243-2695 or through the official site, and operators or staff who manage this listing can claim the directory entry to update hours, pricing, and the current game mix.
To compare this location against other options in the Michiana area, browse the directory’s arcade finder or open the interactive arcade map.