Top-tier side quests if you’re going to PAX West

Around the Seattle Convention Center

The Seattle Convention Center’s Summit building feels a bit like an open world game in and of itself, especially with its enormous windows and endless climb. (Don’t worry, there are escalators.)

Pick your path on the futuristic climb at Seattle Convention Center’s Summit building. Adam Hunter/LMN Architects

When you’re ready to venture outside, check out the all-ages street party the Seattle Convention Center is hosting on Ninth Avenue between Pike and Pine Streets. There will be music, food trucks, and a beer garden from 10 AM-7 PM on the Friday-Sunday of PAX West, and from 10 AM-4 PM on Monday.

You can also wander to bustling Westlake Park for games like ping pong, giant chess, shuffleboard, and more. The Friday of PAX West, there will be food trucks, a beer garden, and live music, and on Saturday, there will be a free screening of Wonka (2023). It’s a good time.

Ping pong players enjoy the sun and free games at Westlake Park, right in the heart of Downtown. Bobbie Nickel

Two other great gaming spots are just a couple blocks away: underground ping pong “social club” Spin and family-friendly arcade Gameworks.

If you want to play ping pong with a cocktail in your other hand, head to Spin. Courtesy Spin Seattle

If the word “counterculture” piques your interest, be sure to head a few blocks west to check out Seattle Art Museum’s eccentric Poke in the Eye: Art of the West Coast Counterculture exhibition, which explores the West Coast rejection of New York’s pop art and minimalism movement during the sixties and seventies.

Seattle Art Museum’s “Poke in the Eye” exhibition features West Coast art that was intentionally off-beat. Courtesy Seattle Art Museum

Capitol Hill

One of Seattle’s most vibrant and inclusive neighborhoods is a quick trip up Pike or Pine Streets, where gaming community watering holes are hosting special events during PAX West. Go to the 12^th annual “Unofficial PAX Party” at cyberpunk-themed Time Warp on Friday, or if you have kids, check out the all-ages Raygun Lounge.

Cyberpunk-themed Time Warp is a favorite haunt for local gamers. Courtesy Time Warp

If billiards or bowling is your thing, check out the always-bopping Garage on Broadway. Nearby Rhein Haus is a favorite for bocce ball in addition to its biergarten and brats.

If you want to experience more of Seattle’s nightlife, you’re in the right neighborhood. Carnival-themed Unicorn has a pinball arcade, and tiki-themed Hula Hula has nightly karaoke. Just get there early if you want to sing!

Sensory overload is standard at Unicorn. Courtesy Unicorn

Seattle Center into Upper Queen Anne

PAX West puts you in a great spot to take the historic Seattle Center Monorail over to Seattle Center where activities abound on Labor Day Weekend, including some events specifically designed for PAX West attendees.

If you’re in town early, Pacific Science Center is hosting Laser Gamer Night the Wednesday ahead of the convention, designing its beloved Laser Dome show around hits from Zelda, Baldur’s Gate, Donkey Kong, and the TRON: Legacy soundtracks.

Pacific Science Center’s white arches make great backgrounds for photos. Rachael Jones

Across campus, the very cool Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) is hosting an exhibit called Indie Game Revolution about the development of independent video games around the world.

Naturally, game-playing is built into MoPOP’s Indie Game Revolution exhibition. Courtesy MoPOP

Also happening at Seattle Center over Labor Day Weekend: massive art & music festival Bumbershoot and a Seattle Storm game at Climate Pledge Arena. It’s gonna be bumpin’!

Looking for something more quiet? Hike or catch a bus into Upper Queen Anne for a classic view of the Seattle skyline at Kerry Park, or check out one of the many board and card game events at charming Blue Highway.

Head to Kerry Park for the picture that goes on our postcards. Rachael Jones

South Lake Union

It’s not all Amazon buildings in this neighborhood. Lake Union Park is a fantastic spot to watch boats and seaplanes, and it’s right across the street from a triangle of play:

• Art Marble 21, a giant bar with pool tables, skee-ball, and bocce
• Flatstick Pub, a popular mini golf and Duffleboard™ spot
• Tapster, a self-pour tasting room featuring every beverage under the sun as well as events!

Hungry? You’re near local favorite mbar, known for its Eastern Mediterranean cuisine and gorgeous rooftop views of Lake Union.

Be sure to take in summer on Lake Union before you head to the nearby gaming spots. It’s unparalleled. Rachael Jones

Belltown to the Seattle Waterfront

If you’re looking for a neighborhood with character, Belltown delivers. I recommend looking for the clown sign with the flashing lights. This is Shorty’s, a dive known for pinball and hot dogs.

Pinball Cove greets you as soon as you enter at Shorty’s. Bobbie Nickel

In the neighborhood early? Stop at Bang Bang, a friendly New Mexican cafe with hearty hatch chile dishes and plenty of vegan options.

Bang Bang is a good place to fuel up on the hill between Belltown and the Waterfront. Bobbie Nickel

From Belltown, it’s an easy drop down to the revamped Seattle Waterfront, where the Seattle Aquarium’s new Ocean Pavilion just opened, and an all-ages Block Party will be going on all day Friday. Don’t miss the free games, music, food trucks, and dance lessons at Pier 62.

Visitors play giant chess at Pier 62, a game-centered favorite part of the newly-revamped Seattle Waterfront. Adam Lu, Courtesy of Friends of Waterfront Park

Pioneer Square

Seattle’s first neighborhood is a solid stroll or quick Link light rail ride away from Downtown, with playful spaces nestled among its historic buildings. (Pro tip: As of 8/30, light rail day passes are only $6.) Lune Café has board games, The Meyer has pinball, and Indigenous band Khu.éex’ will play a free concert at beautiful Occidental Park on the Thursday before PAX West.

Thrill-seekers should explore Seattle’s underbelly with Beneath the Streets or Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour, which take visitors below Pioneer Square to learn about Seattle’s early and sometimes unsavory history.

Oh, and speaking of underground: there’s a Flatstick Pub location in Pioneer Square too that’s below street level.

Chinatown-International District

While the C-ID is known for its great food and diverse cultural communities, it’s also home to a few gaming hotspots. Pink Gorilla is a favorite buying, selling, and trading spot for local gamers, and the self-proclaimed oldest retro video game store in the Pacific Northwest. Right around the corner is the Seattle Pinball Museum, where admission includes free play on all the games exhibited, and Pokémon shop Tabletop Village.

Seattle Pinball Museum has over 50 games, and admission includes free play. Courtesy Seattle Pinball Museum

As if anyone needs another reason to check out legendary nearby market Uwajimaya, a BANDAI Gashapon pop-up shop just opened there. Pick up a capsule toy from one of their vending machines before taking your taste buds on an adventure at the Uwajimaya Food Hall. Come hungry.

The popular BANDAI Gashapon pop-up shop is right at the entrance of legendary Asian market Uwajimaya. Bobbie Nickel

Other neighborhood recs include Oasis Tea Zone, where you can enjoy late-night boba and pinball, and the newly-opened Zakka-ya, whose small goods cover various fandoms.

Oasis feels like a bar for boba, and it is. They also have late-night food and pinball. Bobbie Nickel

Other neighborhoods

No list of Seattle gaming spots is complete without Mox Boarding House in Ballard, a combination store and restaurant where you can test out games while you eat, or Add-a-Ball, a perfectly grungy arcade in Fremont. You can easily bike, scooter, or catch a bus to that side of town.

If you feel like an adventure on the water —it is Seattle summer, after all—take the King County Water Taxi from Pier 52 in downtown over to West Seattle. You can grab a bite at Marination ma kai and bike or scooter two miles, past the Flower Houses, to the well-stocked West Seattle Arcade. Be sure to explore Alki Beach afterward, or catch a bus to deeper neighborhood game stores Meeples and The Missing Piece.

Whatever you decide to do while you’re in Seattle, you’ll find tons of opportunities to play. Happy gaming!