Summer is around the corner so that means two things: Florida summer thunderstorms with severe humidity and kids are out of school. Here are five spots within the greater Orlando area where you can hide inside for the afternoon or evening and get in some game time.

The Pinball Lounge

North of Orlando in Oviedo, you’ll find a separate pinball lounge tucked inside the local bowling alley. There are over 40 machines in the space that is complete with a bar, but it’s also kid-friendly. Exchange your dollars for quarters to play the machines, or go on a day/time that it’s $10 all-you-can-play.

Address: 376 E Broadway St, Oviedo, FL 32765

Player 1 Orlando

Five dollars gets you unlimited play, although they strongly suggest you are keeping your bar tab open and active during your stay.

Banks of old school arcade games line the walls, along with older consoles like Game Cubes and Sega Genesis which are in comfy booths where you can sit back, beer in hand and relive the glory days of Sonic the Hedgehog along with hundreds of other titles thanks to handy ROM cartridges.  At the bar, newer consoles are set up with Wii's and Play-stations so you can play newer games, and there is an area in the corner for more active games like Rock Band and Dance Dance Revolution Universe.

ID's will be checked at the door, so this is a 21 and up hang after 6 p.m. and the beer list is plentiful with selections both on tap and in the bottle.

Address: 8562 Palm Pkwy, Orlando, FL 32836

game time

Game Time isn’t a locally-owned spot, but it is one of the biggest indoor arcades you’ll find in the area with a location in Ocoee and Kissimmee.

They have two options for game play based on either hours or credits. $25 is the minimum to load your card to play and not only do they have larger arcade games, but classic games that include Skeeball, Air Hockey, and the World’s Largest Pac-Man.

arcade monsters

Arcade Monsters boasts being the largest arcade in Central Florida, and they just might be with over 100 retro arcade games, pinball, air hockey, bubble hockey, foosball, a VR area, and retro and new consoles. Playing Smash Brothers projected on a huge wall is not a bad afternoon in my opinion.

t’s pay-to-play but a one time fee gets you unlimited all day fun. The standard cost is $19.99 but they have different deals on some days of the week, even offering discounts for girl gamer appreciation and cosplay. If you decide you want to hang there a lot they have monthly memberships.

Address: 15 Alafaya Woods Blvd Suite 111, Oviedo, FL

GATCHA

Japanese themed arcade has opened in the Florida Mall - Gatcha USA. Gacha games are very popular in Japan, and while the arcade in the Florida Mall isn’t quite at the level of those arcades, it’s striving to bring a taste of it here to us in Orlando.

How it works:

• Pay upfront for a physical card full of credits. Each game play is five credits.

• Spend your credits at the machines for a chance to win.

• Some crane machines are the classic position and launch, while others have more strategy as you use try to get small ping pong balls into designated areas. Those are much harder.

• New plushies are constantly coming in, and if you have your sights set on a larger plushie, sometimes they offer a trade. Smaller plushies to get a larger one.

• Plushies vary from Anime, Sanrio, Pokemon, Nintendo, and more.