Retro gaming lounge at Seattle airport lets you play for free

Free anything is rare at an airport these days. But at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), travelers can now settle in and play retro Atari-era video games such as Ms. Pac-Man and Donkey Kong before their flights for free.

The games are available at the recently opened Sky Gamerz gaming lounge in SEA's North Satellite terminal — the departure point for many Alaska Airlines flights.

On one side of the Sky Gamerz venue, there is a traditional bar with large-screen TVs playing sports and news channels. The other side, which is open to people of all ages, has individual tables with side-by-side retro gaming stations that allow anyone to play for free.

Players may choose from a list of classic games, including Super Mario Bros, Ms. Pac-Man, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Asteroids and Video Pinball. To play, a traveler simply needs to trade their ID for a loaner game cartridge.

"One guy came in, started at one end and played every game we had," said Mario Pujals, the lounge's on-site general manager.

While players are not required to make a food or drink purchase, the well-priced, creative menu — designed by food and beverage company SSP — has everything from craft cocktails and beers to poke nachos, pulled pork sliders and Nutella-filled French toast.

Concept creators

Sky Gamerz is the brainchild of H. Lamar Willis and Jonathan Ford, who serve as the lounge's director of gaming and director of operations, respectively.

They had been running a company in Atlanta that brought video games to weddings, birthday parties and other events inside a 32-foot-long climate-controlled trailer. The trailer was outfitted with 55-inch flat-screen TVs and every type of gaming console, including Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo.

They thought a similar idea might work in airports.

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"Once we took into consideration that business travelers are your most frequent travelers, we knew we wanted to focus on retro gaming," Willis said. "We believed that business travelers would love it, and that younger travelers would enjoy being introduced to it."

And they suspected it would be a hit if the gaming was free.

The duo initially secured a slot for their concept at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), but the location faced delays due to the coronavirus pandemic and other issues. So, they partnered with SSP, which operates at many airports, and developed the idea to roll out the first location at SEA.

Step inside Sky Gamerz, and you will find leather chairs (perfect for long gaming stints), colorful neon tube lighting (that will be adjusted for various occasions) and a retail wall with gaming-themed merchandise such as headphones, power cords and T-shirts.

There is even a small VIP room in the back of the venue perfect for families with small kids or anyone who wants a little privacy.

While no purchase is necessary while playing the retro Atari games, Sky Gamerz makes it tempting and easy to order a small plate, full meal or treat. During our visit, we spotted (and then decided to taste test) what may be the best value dessert at SEA airport: the Sky Gamerz ice cream sandwich.

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HARRIET BASKAS/FOR THE POINTS GUY

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The ice cream sandwich (made fresh for each order) consists of 4 ounces of vanilla ice cream stuffed between two large, warm chocolate chunk cookies.

Our Sky Gamerz guide just happened to have a tape measure with him. So, when we were alarmed at the size of our hefty dessert, he measured it at more than 4 inches across — perfect for sharing. At just $8 (plus tax), it's an excellent value for a dessert at pretty much any airport.

Other airports with gaming centers

Now that it is open at SEA, Sky Gamerz plans to open its second branch at ATL sometime in 2026.

Travelers can find video gaming areas at other airports as well. You will notice arcade-style gaming corners in some airports and full-fledged video gaming lounges at airports in Singapore and Dubai.

Back in the U.S., video game lounge company Gameway offers areas with individual gaming stations at New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Houston's William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), two locations at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), two locations at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and, soon, Chicago's Midway International Airport (MDW).

As a nice bonus, Gameway has a partnership with Priority Pass and, depending on the location, cardholders may get a complimentary hour to play video games, plus a snack.