Great atmosphere and staff! Perfect for parties. Cant wait until they reopen.

You never know what you might see. There is a parade and music next weekPM

They have a fabulous pin selection. But during covid they have reinvented themselves as a retro emporium.. they have the best 30-40 year old trading cards( with gum.. when appropriate).. beer,soda.. and the doghouse for hot dogs right next door. Jason, the owner rocks!!! Simply amazeballs unicorn.ask them about their puzzle contests..

Excellent pinball lineup. All play very well.

Great for little kids 10 and down. This is a perfect party place for kids.Games were kids dirty

Still as bad as last time. Open yet not open? Poorly ran business. Suprised theyre still open.

Good ol memories from 30 yrs ago!! Pretty clean too, Im impressed

So Awesome. Many old-school video games and pinball machines, air hockey, foosball, small outdoor area, selection of good micro and macro brew bottles and cans. A few of the games work great, a few dont work at all, and the rest are somewhere in between, but its just awesome that they are there and they are doing their best to keep them up. The owner, Jason and the tenders (Monty etc.) are friendly too.

Great stuff and great staff!

Planned a company event at the Waterland Arcade and we had a great time! We had a three hour party including games and Virtual Reality and had employees and their families. The venue was a good size for our 25-30 and I speculate would be very comfortable for up to 50. The beverages are reasonably priced. We had food from the Des Moines Dog House, next door, and they were a great match for the evening. Not only were there games for everyone, the VR was enjoyed by ALL ages!

Stopped here for a Groupon and will now keep this as a new hang out. Staff was very friendly and the atmosphere was very welcoming. Plenty of games and activities, a nice snack bar with beer and food items. Can’t wait to come back and play some fun vintage games.

Great addition to waterfront Des Moines. Much improved over the previous iteration. Hope it is here for a long time.

Cozy spot. Lots of games and no attitudes. Definitely going back.

Had such a great time there today! Great games and great ownership!! This is definitely a must see in Des Moines!!

Great little local Arcade. Fun place to take the kids. Inventory gets larger everytime we visit.

I dig this place. Cool owners, cool vibe, cool environment, they have TMNT. Nuff said

Loved this place. Many games to choose from and friendly people and atmosphere. Fun place to visit. I recommend this place.

Great place, lots of cool games! awesome foosball tables! :)

Virtual reality. Foosball. Skeeball. Pinball and beer selection very good.

A great place to drop some quarters. There are pinball machines and classic machines and table tops. A good variety.

Great Cider selection and loads of love from the staff!

Well, it is definitely a cool place....WHEN ITS ACTUALLY OPEN! My favorite game there is the all in one units where you can pick from hundreds of classic games including all the Double Dragons, Golden Axe, Street Fighter series, etc etc.The issue here is that this place never seems to be open when it is supposed to be! I just went over there today during business hours and it was closed. I know that the guy who runs the hot dog place next door also runs the arcade. So I went over there and asked the girl behind the counter. She has never really been that helpful. She usually gives me a vapid stare and tells me something like, well, if the guy is not there then it isnt open, I guess.The kicker here is that I have had a conversation with actual owner earlier in May. He told me that they were extending their hours there after their Grand Opening that month. I went to this Grand Opening and it turned out to be a private party for a kids birthday. The place was actually open but my wife and I were not allowed inside.Its just kind of sad, really. This place is really cool, but this is not how you run a business and keep - let alone attract -

It seems to me a bit rundown but other than that and the loud music its everything an arcade should be. I was there for 2 hours and spent a grand total of 10 dollars, so for the time its pretty cheap.

Love this place! Went in today with my son and wife and we all had a blast! I love the old school pinball machines and all the retro games! I really hope this place flourishes. The man running the place was very nice and welcoming and gave us a little tour and showed us what some of the multi game machines can do. Definitely going to frequent this awesome little arcade!

Video games and cold beer

Waterland is awesome! Small, but perfect neighborhood arcade.

GREAT venue for a kids birthday or for anyone who loves a classic arcade. Having the option for the adults to grab a beer in their beer garden is a nice option. This place has all of the classics.

Don’t waste your time I’m trying to take your kids to play arcade games there because I went the at 5:30 on a Sunday when they don’t close until 7;00 and when I got there the open sign was on but the doors were locked. My kids and I stood there knocking for 10 min and no response.

What a great addition to downtown Des Moines!

It is nice to see the old arcade is still around. My kids had a blast at a recent party held there. However there are a lot of games not working. Air hockey table is on its last legs, at least 3 pinball machines didnt work, and one arcade game. It would do them well to remove these until repaired because it really distracted from an otherwise great place. They are understaffed for parties, with just one person there. But the staff was very friendly. All and all a good experience that needs some adjustments.

What a cool place! Kids loved it, and great place for adults too. Tons of retro games, pinball and even a bar

A great idea. @owner. Theres companies that maintenance, rotate w/old school,+ newer and take in out (arcade &pin ball)games on rental. Great idea; get the games fixed&rotated. Few staff members and buiseness is booming after a few months. Could be a solid 5. Would be a 1 but idea is soo great expecially the potential. Id love to bring kids and freinds here 4 fun all the time if its right.

Good cheap family fun!

Great idea! Everything game is slightly broken, wonky or had some sort of trick to it. Approx 10 pinball machines, A few old stand up games. Skeeball, foosball. A small sand bar for the adults, tat serves beer and wine.

Always have fun here! Quiet, friendly staff, good snacks, and fun games. The antique pinball machines are my favorite!

Atm was out of order but even if I had cash the change dispenser was also out of order. No staff around. Several games broken. Reminds me of someones half finished basement with some arcade games. If youre going to go bring your own quarters.

Great family place to bring the kids and just have a relaxing time whether its a quick 10-15 minutes just to get out of the house for a minute or just spending hour or more to hang out with the kids. Good family vibe and you can enjoy a cold beer if you like too.

Lots of classic console games AND a bar. If there is a classic have you want to play, there is s pretty good chance it is here!

Str8 filth.

Love this place! Great place for parties or even a fun place for after school

Super fun location, great for birthday parties or anytime fun

Unique place. Classic arcade games plus,a bar with beach sand on the floor - the Sandbar.

Great place

Real chill, dim lights

Cute place and actual sand bar for adults!

More than i expected

Place wasnt open.

Super game s

Great Venue, Great Owner

Street fighter

The have Pac Man!