Rebeka Sobodacha, left, watches while Caitlin Flynn plays Scared Stiff, an Elvira-Themed pinball machine at Arcadia in 2022. Ben McCanna/Portland Press Herald

Even though outdoor basketball courts and baseball diamonds will soon be frozen over, this is a great time to get out and play.

That’s because there’s been a big jump in the number of southern Maine bars, cafes and breweries offering games of all types in the last few years. Ever since the pandemic eased up and people started seeking crowded nightlife once again, many Maine establishments restarted or added trivia night. The number of places with pinball machines, arcade games and board games has continued to grow, too.

Below is a look at some of the places where you can play games while knocking back a brew or a cocktail. You can also check out our comprehensive list of trivia nights, at pressherald.com/guides.

ON BOARD 

Another Round on Congress Street in Portland is a board game bar and cafe that opened in June. It offers more than 200 board games of every genre, from nostalgic favorites like Monopoly, Scrabble or Trouble to lesser-known titles like Exploding Kittens, Pandemic and Squid Game. Some of the other titles listed on the venue’s website are backgammon, chess, Boggle, Chutes and Ladders, Guess Who?, Trivial Pursuit and Yahtzee. It’s $3 per person for an hour of play. There’s coffee and coffee drinks, local beers, cocktails and snacks, including Portland’s HiFi Donuts.

PINBALL WIZARDS

Maine Silverball Tavern on Scamman Street in Saco opened in June of 2022. The place has more than 40 pinball machines, from vintage ones from the 1970s to newer models. There are also weekly pinball leagues, as well as tournaments and opportunities to rent the whole place out. There are more than 100 drink selections, including a large variety of craft beer.

Some tournament winners at Maine Silverball Tavern in Saco. Photo courtesy of Maine Silverball Tavern

Wessie’s Den on Brown Street in Westbrook also opened in 2022, billing itself as the city’s only “arcade and pinball pub.” There are rows of pinball machines and classic video arcade games like “Punch-Out” and “Mortal Kombat.” There’s a full bar and restaurant menu, plus trivia nights – with prizes – on Mondays. The barcade is named for Wessie, the legendary 10-foot-long snake that was reportedly seen near the Presumpscot River in Westbrook in 2016.

Arcadia on Congress Street in Portland is a giant arcade and bar with Skee Ball and pinball, as well as old and new video arcade games – Donkey Kong and Galaga, to name two. Wednesday’s all-night happy hour includes free pinball sessions, and there’s a trivia night on Thursdays.

Arcade games of all kinds can be found at Arcadia. Ben McCanna/Portland Press Herald

THERE WILL BE A QUIZ

Austin Street Brewery on Fox Street in Portland is one of the many local breweries with weekly trivia contests, and this one is at 6 p.m. on Mondays. It’s mostly general knowledge questions, and teams play eight rounds, including picture, audio and wager rounds. Prizes will be awarded. It’s hosted by Raise the Bar Trivia. A couple other breweries with trivia nights include Bissell Brothers on Thompson’s Point in Portland on Wednesdays and Mast Landing Brewing Co. in Freeport and Westbrook, also on Wednesdays.

Gritty McDuff’s on Fore Street in the Old Port has long held a trivia night, hosted by the duo of Joe and Rob, on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. There are themed rounds, speed rounds and audio rounds.

Moderation Brewing on Maine Street in Brunswick hosts trivia every other Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the fall, with the last session this year being Dec. 17.  The unusual format includes Tricky Questions for Fun, a stream-of-consciousness round that includes 10 questions, all linked to the one before. There are also themed and picture rounds. Also in Brunswick, Flight Deck Brewing Co. on Atlantic Ave., hosts Thursday night trivia at 6 p.m.

If you want a pint of Guinness while proving you know a lot of useless information, the Irish pub RiRa on Commercial Street on Portland’s waterfront has trivia on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. and Feile Irish Pub on Post Road in Wells hosts one on Thursdays at 7 p.m.

A trivia night crowd at Ri Ra in 2020. Photo by Brianna Soukup/Portland Press Herald

Pat’s Pizza on Route 1 in Scarborough is one of the places known primarily for food that offer trivia nights now. It’s at 7 p.m. Tuesdays, with prizes for the top three teams, food and drink specials, and giveaways.

Wilson County Barbecue on Hanover Street in Portland hosts trivia games Wednesday at 7 p.m. About half the topics are requested from people who played the week before. There are rotating beverage specials, 75-cent wings and, of course, the full barbecue menu.

BILLIARDS AND BULLSEYES

There are still plenty of places with traditional bar-type recreational activities, namely pool tables and dart boards. Mill Towne Tavern and Billiards on Main Street in Sanford has both. They have several pool tables and various leagues and competitions, as well as dart boards, arcade games, live music and food and drink. And trivia on Tuesday nights.

Rosie’s Restaurant and Pub on Fore Street has been known as a place to play darts for years. The venerable Old Port pub, opened in 1987, has a dart nook. There are two dart boards side by side against a brick wall and set off from the rest of the bar. There’s also a trivia night on Tuesdays, with food specials, including on wings, poutine and spring rolls.

Andy’s Old Port Pub on Commercial Street has cozy billiard room in the back, with exposed brick walls. The pub also had darts, arcade games, and live music several nights a weekend in the summer. Amigo’s Mexican Restaurant on Dana Street in the Old Port, just off Commercial, is a two-level venue that has pool, darts, free board games on Mondays and live music on the weekends.

Pool tables await players at Mill Towne Tavern. Photo by Qamar Cowger