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[title]RECOMMENDED: Updated best bars with games
Ace Bar
In an Alphabet City space several times larger than your apartment, two pool tables, a pair of Skee-Ball lanes, darts and Big Buck Hunter will keep you amused for hours. 531 E 5th St between Aves A and B (212-979-8476, acebar.com)
Barcade
This grown-up arcade delivers a lineup of classic quarter machines, including Donkey Kong, Contra and Arkanoid; the suds list tends more toward Captain Lawrence than Coors. 388 Union Ave between Ainslie and Powers Sts, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-302-6464, barcadebrooklyn.com)
Bar Sepia
Snag a banquette or couch and make use of well-worn editions of Scrabble, Yahtzee and other classic board games. 234 Underhill Ave between Eastern Pkwy and Lincoln Pl, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn (718-399-6680)
Break Bar and Billiards
All the usual suspects (pool, arcade games, etc.) populate this sprawling sports lounge. You'll also find some bar rarities, like a Pop-A-Shot basketball machine and air hockey. 32-04 Broadway at 32nd St, Astoria, Queens (718-777-5400, break-ny.com)
The Diamond
Owner Dave Pollack caters to the game-loving beer geek: He serves plenty of quality session (lower-alcohol) brews that will keep you buzzed but still standing through a long evening of shuffleboard and rubber-ring quoits (think indoor horseshoes). 43 Franklin St between Calyer and Quay Sts, Greenpoint, Brooklyn (718-383-5030, thediamondbrooklyn.com)
Fat Cat
NYU students quaff brewskis and take advantage of a full slate of games at this subterranean hangout: Pool tables, Ping-Pong, foosball, backgammon, chess, Scrabble and shuffleboard provide diversion for fratboys and math majors alike. 75 Christopher St between Grove and W 10th Sts (212-675-6056, fatcatmusic.org)
Full Circle Bar
The new HQ of Brewskee-Ball—the first-ever national Skee-Ball league—houses three lanes in the back and another in front for warm-up rolls. Four-buck Genny Dogs (Genesee Cream Ale and a hot dog) keep players on the ramps deep into the night. 318 Grand St between Havemeyer St and Marcy Ave, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (347-725-4588, fullcirclebar.com)
Jake's Dilemma
We're not sure what Jake's dilemma is, but here's yours: to play beer pong or foosball, or both? 430 Amsterdam Ave between 80th and 81st Sts (212-580-0556, nycbestbar.com/jakes)
Lunasa
This cleaned-up take on an Irish pub entertains with a stack of board games, like Connect Four. A fun experiment: Down a few Guinness pints and see how it affects your Jenga skills. 126 First Ave between St. Marks Pl and E 7th St (212-228-8580, lunasabar.com)
Nancy Whiskey
Located on a quiet Tribeca street corner, this unfussy drinks den boasts one of Manhattan's few shuffleboard tables—and certainly one of the most well-used. 1 Lispenard St at West Broadway (212-226-9943, nancywhiskeypub.com)
SPiN
The Susan Sarandon--backed Ping-Pong nightspot is somewhere between a swanky gym and a cocktail lounge, and it's got prices to match the dressed-up digs (after 6pm nonmembers pay $20 per half hour). Book a lesson with a pro, or just sip your drink while watching the balls fly in the bleachers. 48 E 23rd St between Madison and Park Aves (212-982-8802, spinyc.com)
Union Hall
While indie-rock fans head to the basement for the frequent live sets, game lovers beeline to the two bocce courts. 702 Union St between Fifth and Sixth Aves, Park Slope, Brooklyn (718-638-4400, unionhallny.com)
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