Creative night out. Mask Up and enjoy some old school pinball and video games. 5$ in coins will have you playing for hours. Great pizza by the slice. (Ask for fresh slice!!!) Specialty Drinks were cool. I had the Simpsons Margarita. Outside area with giant 4square. 2 levels of gaming. Mario Cart Ms Pac-Man frogger. Ooo and South Park pinball our favorites.

Even though it was pretty empty because of the temporary restrictions, bar up and downstairs, big selection of games from pinball to dance dance, great for an adult arcade party.

Great place to be if you love vintage video games. Had an awesome first time will definetly go back.

I love that theres a second floor now but they got rid of the couch and TV gaming area and even giant Jenga!!! Why would anyone ever get rid of Giant Jenga!?! I was so bummed when I heard that. My BF flew in from TX and I was really looking forward to having a few beers and playing that... We stuck to Ski-ball which worked but not as fun. Guess Im being a little picky but you dont find jenga like that alot of places.

Assortment of beers mixed with an arcade/pinball area.This is a chain Im told, and it looks similar to others. I havent been to any of others, but I did enjoy myself here.Some of their games had issues like skee ball where you couldnt read the digits... or the mario party was super pixelated because of how big they made it.It needs a bit of fixing up, but aside from that there is a decent variety of games to play. No prizes if you do well, its a straight up arcade.They have an upstairs and a down stair area. Downstairs its much darker as there are no windows. Its basement level.Parking is available on the street with metered parking.

Loved it!! The drinks were creative and delicious, the environment was relaxed and enjoyable, and the pizza was to die for! Will always come back as much as possible! Would definitely bring friends and refer!

Good customer service, positive vibes. The game machines need to be better maintained. Machines kept taking my coins. Overall its a good place. For sure would go back.

Very awesome place to hangout and have fun. Amazing variety of local beers as well as great national brands. The games are only a quarter/token to play! Loads of classic arcade games, pinball, skeeball, and classic console games.The pizza is incredible. Super tasty and super cheesy

More of a 3.5 but thats not an option. It can easily get cramped in here on the weekends and the bar/food is a bit pricey. Other than that its a pretty nice place. 2 floors full of games and plenty to do. Unlike the food and drinks, the tokens are actually pretty cheap. Nice selection of games and a good way to either start or end a night.

It is a great place, They had all the sanitation measures such as sanitizing, the use of masks and Social distance, which if I would have liked is more variety of games,In the basement there were many disconnected games, And that took away variety. But they were of that it was excellent

Wonderful time here. Excellent games available (particularly like they have two sets of skiball)Many other games available for both solo people, couples, or groups.Playing games is pretty cheap - its a quarter per game, for any game. Easy to get coins - both at the bar or using one of the machines throughout the bar.The drinks were pretty delicious too.

Pretty fun place. Some of the pinball machines felt like they hadnt been maintenanced - sticky flippers, balls getting stuck or hung. The macaroni pizza was AMAZING! There was a wide selection at the bar and fair drink prices.

Had fun. Bottom floor bartender needs some serious ppl skills

They have Dance Dance Revolution and late night pizza. Do I need to say anything else?

Came in from out of town and this place was awesome! So much fun and such a great deal. We must have gone during some happy hour or some special the tokens were half priced and we only got $10 worth and were unable to spend them all in the hour of time we had set aside for the night. We were told we could take our tokens and bring them back anytime. We gave them to our local friends of course :) this place is top notch and even have some pizza slices for sales which is awesome.

This is a fun place to check out some old school arcade games. The 5 v 5 Killer Queen game was awesome. I would give it more stars except for a few things. More than a few machines ate our tokens. It isnt the cleanest place in the world though and it definitely has a dive bar vibe to it.

Buffalo chicken pizza waa amazing

Aden was great! Attentive bartenders, the only good drink in town (that I enjoyed that evening) and a good selection of games depending on your gaming moods. I have been multiple times and have never been disappointed.

Most fun bar I’ve been to in years! Excellent beer selection and the pizza comes in handy after a long night of skeeball!

Love the place, but honestly wished they had more rythem games, showing people dancing to the music while enjoying together or by themselves makes them want to come to this place even more but theres still those nice arcade games that you can still enjoy but for those who are mostly by themselves maybe getting to make new friends from the skills they have on those games like DDR

Loved all the old-school games! Bartenders were attentive and friendly and drinks were good. Good variety of drink options.

It was really fun. Theres a game called Queen bee that introduced us to some new people. It has a big beer selection, but I prefer the mixed drinks. We got there pretty early so it seemed dead but it was pretty busy by the time we left.

Fun barcade, only problem was music was just slightly too loud to hear friends and girlfriend.

Super fun video arcade. I killed hundreds of zombies here . Theres video games and pinball games and even a couch where you can play Mario Brothers on an old TV. Very cool!Its hard to find but theres 2 entrances. Its like youre walking down a staircase into the subway. Did I mention theres a BAR!

New TMNT cab & great beer selection. Radical!

Great place! Wonderful pizza and great games

Had a great time with friends and the pizza was delicious!

Good music, fun menus, and great food

Loved the Up Down. Most barcades charge a lot for the games but not Up Down. They have a good choice of alcohol and a spot to put down your tokens and glass at every game you play. The 2 for 1 tokens at the bar meant that I beat old video games from my childhood that I never could.

Fun arcade bar that you can drink and play childhood games at!!

House of the dead. I love this and I hope they get more 1980 decade arcade games.

Fun times. Great deal for playing those old games we all loved. There was a token deal going that was 2 for 1 so look for that if you can get it. Skee ball was a blast but the downstairs alleys were too dark. Great bar cocktails menu

Although staff is busy since this place is always packed, they are kind, attentive, and quick. There is an activity for everyone and they often have amazing specials. 10/10 would recommend.

This would be a 5 star place if it wasnt for one aspect of the place....Its a great place for old heads to come and game! Just a word of advise, dont order a mixed drink. Bartender I had didnt even pour a full shot in the glass. Pretty lame thing to do to a bunch of people who will spend money on games and drinks

Great drink prices and game selection. Unfortunately because of this it can get very busy at times. So if you are like me and you dont want to be jostled while going for a kill screen, I recommend getting there early.

First time her and absolutely loved the atmosphere and drinks :)

One of my favorite places in Des Moines. I went back when you hey we’re just downstairs and was pleasantly surprised when I visited later and they had two levels! Lots of games and the drinks are delicious and priced well.

I love the soft lighting. It has a good variety of old school games. Also has some of the best pizza Ive ever had. Wonderful calm and relaxing atmosphere.

Great for retro games, as well as a few modern classics. The pizza is better than it has any business being. Very solid beer selection. Only gripe is that its liquor selection is pretty subpar, especially considering its beer lineup.

Very fun place to try. Lots of game options - group and solo. If you can load up on tokens before 8pm you can get a LOT for a little - weve spent as little as $5 for an hours worth of entertainment. Love that they expanded.

Had a great time on our first visit. All games are just one token. Saturday had a two-for-one token night and drink specials. There is even some free games to play plenty to keep you busy all night.

Could not have asked for a better experience! Drove 12 hours to get here and well worth it. Great beer selection, nearly all the machines were working, really tasty pizza and very helpful staff. Des Moines is no longer a drive through city but a location to stay for us now.

I love updown! Amazing food, beer and pizza! Could spend hours in here and not get bored.

Up Down is pretty sweet! Typical arcade/bar but the prices are great and the staff is too! Check it out!Edit: Ok seriously... this place is killer fun. Bumpin atmosphere, great drinks, and this pizza.. I mean come on!

Absolutely splendid! You feel like you are right back in the 90s! Went for birthday and the wonderful staff/patrons just keep giving me free tokens to play. Great customer service by bartender (dont know his name *sad face*). Loved the experience so much!

Great place to hang out and get your arcade on. Fabulous and friendly staff.

Lots of good old arcade games. Several pinball machines too! Surprisingly good craft beer selection.

Fun place to go. Love playing ski ball. Do wish they had more of these though. Like that there are two floors to play games on. Good times.

Very good time here. Games are fun and food was delicious. Staff all smiles and i will come back.

Used to love this place until tonight. Bartender ignored us as well as everyone who works there. Just wanted pizza and a drink. Ignored us 8 times. Pizza was good tho.

Got a little drunk and had an awesome time playing video games with my boyfriend! Great bartenders and bar back! The barback was hilarious! Met new people and enjoyed the whole time there! Great for all ages! Will be back for sure! Keep up the good work Up Down!

Near basement bar in the East Village of Des Moines featuring a good beer selection and arcade games. Theres eight different pinball machines and a wide selection of arcade games from the more recent to ones several decades old. In fact Im pretty sure I had my bear run on the Simpsons arcade game since the 1990s on my visit here. Tokens are super affordable in that it most games require just one token to play; $5 kept me busy for almost two hours!

Great deals for happy hour, awesome pizza slices, and awesome games. The one game that wasnt working, the bartender immediately refunded us the tokes plus extra.... it might be a small gesture but it made a great impression

Good mix of games, always a good beer selection and pizza slices hit the spot on a late night.

Amazing! Great atmosphere, wonderful attentive bar tenders. Super fun games!!! Not all the games cost tokens either so if youd rather spend your $ on drinks you can and still have fun.

Great service, multiple bars, and plenty of. Games. Didnt try the pizza but looked and smaller good! Plus they had dbz playing!

We went for the 1st time since the upstairs has been done. They have great pizza and just love the atmosphere!

Fun ... Great place to hang out with friends

Probably one of my favorite bars to go to. Since theyve added the upstairs, its a lot faster to get served, theres pizza for when you need to even out a bit and even more games to play. Their specialty drinks are fantastic and its a fun place to hang out, especially if youre not any good at games. I would recommend going on Thursdays when they have 10 cent tokens because you can buy $5 worth and take home your extras for the next time you go.

Tons of fun! The pizza was wonderful!

What a gem in the heart of Des Moines. Walking in there brought me back to my childhood days of pure fun and laughter. I highly recommend this spot.

Always one of my favorite places to end the night. Get the pizza, you wont be sorry.

Way too crowded they need a capacity the place was ridiculously packed not even slightly fun. Toxic environment where drunk people turn angry and impatient. Needs capacity then would be decent.

I had been wanting to take a friend for awhile and we decided on a night to go. He wanted to bring his brother who has special needs and is in his 30’s. My friend called ahead of time to make sure that it was okay to do so. The owner, Ben, was extremely welcoming and told my friend to bring his brother and to make sure to find him when they got there. When we got there, the owner had free coins and Mountain Dew waiting for my friends brother. I’ve always loved Up Down, but seeing the owner care for someone with special needs and making sure he has a great night made my love for Up Down increase dramatically. I’m thankful for people like Ben who are out there in the world! It gives hope that all isn’t lost!

If you love arcade games, the 80s and 90s, beer or cocktails then this is definitely worth a stop. The have surprisingly good pizza too. Friday the pizza is $2 per slice during happy hour and they also give free tokens to the first 100 people. Loads of craft beer on tap and rotates frequently. Classics like donkey Kong, galaga, tmnt, X-Men and rotating pinball machines.

Lots of ol skool games, but they didnt serve Hennessy

Been a few times and love it so much! The staff is always awesome and I dig the vibe and retro environment. Ive been a few friend and husband dates and with coworkers, so its fun for everyone. Played Pac man!!!!

Very cool place if youre into all the retro arcade games. Everything only costs a token ($.25) and they have all types of different deals. Def worth a stop if youre into video games

Had a great time playing games I played from my childhood!

Bartenders are very nice and are quick to serve you. Great atmosphere.

Fun place tongo get drinks and play video games with friends!

Cool concept with a lot of game options. Pretty good drink options too

Up-Down has gone under some redevelopment if you havent been there in a while. The new space really opens up the area, and creates great flow to enjoy time with friends and the games. But, Up-Down still deals with issues of cabinets being down, unresponsive buttons on your favorite games, and waits for the most popular ones. They make up for it by providing plenty of options and giving you more tokens to make up when what youre playing isnt working right.

Second visit since over a year ago and the additions have improved the space dramatically. The bar gets a bit humid downstairs from so many machines and people but the upstairs addition helps keep it a bit cooler. Prompt bar service as well.

Fantastic place downtown, cheap fun and great service and a ton of games to play! I come here whenever possible. Weekends are packed but still worth it. Gameside servers will refill drinks so you can keep playing games. All the music and TVs are retro themed. Various game shows from the 90s play and its a nice throwback!

Atmosphere is cool, drinks are good, service is good. However, EVERY JOYSTICK IS BROKEN! I get that drunk people arent exactly known for their finesse, but if you are going to have arcade games and charge people to play them you should probably make sure the games work. They need a full time maintenance guy. This bar would get five stars if the machines worked.

Wednesdays are 2 for 1 tokens! We stocked up and are excited to go back. Pleasently surprised by how good the food and drinks were, and the amount of games there. Barcades tend to skimp out on one of these, but UpDown has it right

This place is the best bar/arcade Ive been to its got everything you could ask for craft beers domestic beers arcades and classic consoles its pretty cool playing GoldenEye on a projector with friends definitely would go again

One of my favorite places to hang out in the metro. Up-Down has a huge selection of old arcade games - especially pinball machines. They switch out pinball machines often, so you will always be surprised and have an opportunity to play something different. I especially love the couch area where you can play old-school consoles for free or the N64 area where you can battle your friends in Mario Kart on a giant projection screen. The beer selection is awesome - with several Iowa craft beers and is fairly priced. They always have a cider option - which I appreciate since Im gluten-free. The best part is that almost all of the games are only one token!

Used to love this place before the update. Its not cozy and fun anymore.

Great drinks, staff and games! Good deals daily on tokens and food. I really enjoyed the Princess Peach Punch and the Sonic And Knuckels.

Cool arcade spot, decent prices on food & drinks. Its a mixed crowd, which I thought was a plus.

It can be crowded on busy days but overall its a great place to go if youre looking for something unique!

I haven’t been to Up-Down since the upstairs was added. I have to say I wanted to bring my brother who has special needs. So I called and talked with Ben and told him my brother didn’t have an ID but we wanted to come. He said to come say hi when we got there. We did and Ben introduces himself to my brother and gave him some tokens and a mt dew.My brother smiled the entire time we were there. I love it and am so grateful for Ben and how he took time to make my brother feel special

Fun arcade and bar. They had a few drinks on tap, a few decent bottled beer options. Lots of pinball machines and one of my favorite games growing up: R.B.I. Baseball. Would definitely go back

Great place to spend a couple hours having drinks and playing a lot of old school arcade games. Have been before, but not since addition of upstairs. Much roomier now! Good drinks and lot of fun for Fathers Day!

Arcade Bar. Enough said? This place is great aside from the fact that it gets so incredibly packed every night. If you go early or later though it is less busy.

Very fun all times. During the weekend its packed with people but Ive still had fun. Ive gone on Sunday and Monday and you can play any games you want. I was able to actually read all of the titles and not really have to wait for anything. Plus good deals with tokens. Weekend is still fun to but you have to like being around people.

Wonderful retro bar with fun staff, good pizza, awesome video game themed drinks, and affordable game plays.

Cool place to go chill with friends especially before shows at woolies.

If they were going for a bar atmosphere thats like hanging out at your childhood arcade (but with beer) they nailed it! Nice beer selection and great entertainment for an hour or all night. Worth the trip if youve never been!

If you love old school arcade games and craft beer this is your spot. Very busy on the weekends but all in all a fun friendly atmosphere. They also offer cocktails and pizza.

Always enjoy going here. I try to avoid nights during the weekend when it gets busy but otherwise a fun place to go and play some games. You can usually get two for one tokens from the bar. Cant wait for the expansion to open!

So much better since the remodel! Will definitely be back more often.

Up down is a wonderfully nostalgic place. You walk in and see bright flashing lights and people having fun. I had the pleasure of expiriencing games Ive only heard about through books/YouTube/tv- games that were years before my time. I spent $5 on tokens and for my friend and i, and I still have half left over after a night. 5/5

I love this bar and adding pizza is just more to love. Classic games everywhere and only 1 token a play. 6 Skeeball lanes so I can always play when I want and the best craft beer selection around.

Great place to spend time reliving your childhood arcade games. Also, killer bee is the game to play!

Very hot downstairs but a decent place to grab a drink, hang with friends and play games. The games were reasonably priced as well.

Always a pleasant experience. Great prices, great games, great time.

Its not bad, drinks are comparable for prices but taste great. Giant pizza slices and lots of retro arcade games. When it gets busy, you might wait a but for the games you want to play.