Best Games for Airbnb Hosts: Arcade Machines & Tables
A comfortable bed gets your Airbnb on the shortlist. Something guests can picture themselves enjoying together gives them another reason to choose it.
That might be a foosball table for the family tournament, an arcade cabinet for a rainy evening, or a pool table that makes a beautiful living space even more inviting. You do not need to turn the entire property into a game room. Sometimes, one well-chosen piece is enough to give the listing a feature worth talking about.
So, which games would we choose? Here are the arcade machines and tables we would start with at Mancave Empire, why we like them for a rental, and how to find something that makes sense for your space and budget.
Can games help your Airbnb stand out?
There are some encouraging numbers behind the idea. Look at what rental managers are reporting about properties that give guests more to do.
AvantStay: mountain rentals with game rooms
42% Higher average nightly rates
49% Higher revenue per available unit
25% More revenue per bedroom
Across a year of performance in Asheville, Black Mountain and the Smoky Mountains, AvantStay's homes with game rooms outperformed those without them on these measures. Arcade games, foosball and billiards were among the features it highlighted.
A Gatlinburg chalet's garage upgrade
23% Reported revenue growth within four months
Revive Vacations turned a five-bedroom chalet's detached garage into a themed space with air hockey, foosball, shuffleboard, poker, new décor and seating. The manager reported this growth following the makeover.
Game rooms in Joshua Tree
12% Higher revenue per available unit
AvantStay also found that its Joshua Tree homes with indoor game rooms earned more per available unit than those without. Its advice for that market still favored outdoor amenities, a useful reminder to match the entertainment to your guests' trip.
There is a guest-experience angle, too. In Expedia Group's Unpack '24 findings, 42% of travelers said they booked vacation homes with amenities they could not afford at home or wanted to try. The report discussed outdoor amenities, but the appeal is easy to understand: people enjoy having something different to experience on vacation.
And a 2025 study of more than 4,000 Denver Airbnb listings, using data collected in 2019, linked entertainment amenities with higher overall guest ratings. It looked at a broad mix, including TVs, streaming and game consoles.
Together, these are encouraging signals that entertainment can play a part in your nightly rates, bookings and guest reviews. For us, the next question is what your guests would actually enjoy and which piece would fit your property best.
Foosball: Roberto Sport Pro Winner
Foosball is one of our first suggestions because guests can walk up and start playing. There is no screen to navigate, no subscription to explain and no power connection to arrange. It is an easy invitation for people to spend time together.
The Roberto Sport Pro Winner starts at $1,669 and brings telescopic rods, a tempered-glass playfield and adjustable feet. Leave room for people to stand and play on both sides, and you have an activity the whole group can join.
Roberto Sport Custom Design Pro Winner
From $1,669 Selected customization and artwork services are extra.Bring your rental's colors, name or logo into the cabinet and playfield design. Choose colors for selected components to tie the table into your interiors.
Shop Custom Pro Winner →Make it part of your property's identity
A custom table does not have to shout for attention. It can pick up the colors in your room, feature artwork connected to the location, or carry your property's own logo. We like that it turns a fun addition into something that feels made for the place.
Why we like it for the budget: you get a shared activity without adding another electronic system to manage. You can keep the design simple or put more into the artwork, depending on how much of a feature you want it to become.
Read our foosball table buying guide, or explore the custom foosball design options.
Arcade machines: choose your size, budget and style
You may be surprised how little floor space you need to add an arcade experience. The Quality Arcades range gives you several ways to do it, from a larger standing cabinet to a wall-mounted machine or a pedestal connected to your TV.
Hexacade
From $2,578.95Our pick when you want the arcade to be a centerpiece. The 43-inch screen gives it a bigger presence in a dedicated entertainment area.
Optional four-player controls let you build the setup around a larger group.
Shop Hexacade →
Retro-Slim
From $1,660.95A standing arcade cabinet with a 32-inch screen and a body approximately 19 inches deep. A good option when you want the classic arcade look in a smaller space.
It also starts below the Hexacade's price, leaving more of your budget for other additions.
Shop Retro-Slim →
Wall Mount
From $1,540.95A 32-inch screen and two-player controls without a full cabinet extending to the floor. We would look at this when a standing machine might crowd the room.
Plan for secure mounting and clear space in front for the players.
Shop Wall Mount →
Pedestal
From $1,340.95 Connects to your own TV; TV not included.Arcade-style controls connect to a separate screen. If you already have a suitable TV, this gives you another way to put it to use.
It has the lowest starting price of these four formats. Leave space for the players, screen viewing distance and tidy cabling.
Shop Pedestal →Quality Arcades also offers custom artwork and wraps, including custom Retro-Slim, custom Hexacade and custom Wall Mount options. You can bring the same colors, artwork or property branding into whichever format suits the room.
For guests, we would keep the experience simple: familiar controls, games they will enjoy and a short instruction card beside the machine. Our home multicade buying guide explains the different formats and options.
Pool: Connelly Billiards Del Sol
If your property sits at the more luxurious end of the market, a pool table can be both a shared activity and a beautiful piece of furniture. We would look at Connelly Billiards when you want the games to fit naturally into a carefully designed room.
Connelly Billiards Del Sol
From $6,595 7-foot configuration.Mid-century styling, a hardwood cabinet and a slate playing surface. Finish choices help you make it part of the room's design.
Shop Connelly Del Sol →Why we would consider the bigger spend: this is a piece guests can enjoy playing and appreciate as part of the space. For a premium rental, that combination makes it especially interesting.
Give it enough room to play properly. Professional assembly, leveling and comfortable cue clearance are part of the plan. Our pool table buying guide will help you choose a size that works.
Air hockey: Valley Dynamo or ICE Air FX Pro
Have a garage or another room you can dedicate to entertainment? Air hockey adds fast, lively matches that people can jump into between other activities. We would start with the available playing space, power and delivery access, then choose the look you want.
Valley Dynamo Pro Style
From $4,995 Base 7-foot table; custom artwork is extra.The Custom Design Pro Style gives you cabinet and playfield customization options, so you can bring your rental's colors and identity into the table.
Choose a custom playfield, a cabinet wrap or both, depending on the finish you have in mind.
Shop Custom Valley Dynamo →
ICE Air FX Pro
From $7,195 With the custom-design graphics option.A backlit acrylic playing surface, programmable LEDs and electronic scoring give this table an illuminated arcade look.
The Custom Design Free Play version lets you pair that experience with your own graphics.
Shop Custom ICE Air FX Pro →Why we like it alongside other games: air hockey adds a different pace to the room. Someone can be playing an arcade game while another pair has a quick match. Keep spare pucks and pushers handy, and think about where the sound will travel when choosing its spot.
Compare the practical details in our air hockey buying guide, then explore the possibilities in our custom air hockey table guide.
Your colors. Your property. Your games.
Customization can be as simple as matching the room's colors or adding your rental's name. Or you can go further with artwork inspired by the setting, a personal logo or a theme that runs through the property.
If you want to go all out, imagine a coordinated arcade machine, foosball table and air hockey table, all designed around the same idea. We can work through the available artwork and finish options with you so the pieces feel like they belong together.
Once it is ready, give it a proper place in your listing photos. Show guests what they can look forward to, and make the games easy to find in your amenity descriptions. For inspiration, explore our custom arcade artwork and cabinet options.
What about coin-operated games?
We can also help you find similar machines in coin-operated versions if you would like the games to bring in a separate revenue stream. There are options worth exploring for shared entertainment areas and properties where paid games fit the experience.
For a private Airbnb, though, we would usually lean toward free play. Guests have already paid for their stay, and asking them to pay again for a game inside the rental might feel like an unwelcome extra. We like the idea of the games being something they can enjoy freely and another reason to choose your place.
If you are considering both approaches, tell us about your property and we can help you compare the options.
Make the budget work for your property
You do not need to buy everything at once. We would start with the piece your guests are most likely to use, give it a good spot in the property and build from there.
What should I include in the total budget?
Start with the equipment and any artwork or upgrades you want. Add accessories, tax and delivery or installation, then leave a little room for ongoing cleaning, replacement parts and upkeep.
As bookings come in, compare any additional income with those costs. That gives you a much clearer picture of how the purchase is working for your rental.
What if I only have room for one game?
Think about the people you host. Foosball brings people together for a match, while an arcade offers a choice of screen-based games. A wall-mounted machine can help when floor space is tight. Choose something your guests can comfortably play and that you will enjoy showing in the listing.
How do I make it easy for guests and cleaners?
Leave short operating instructions, keep accessories together and add a quick function check to the turnover routine. If you manage the property remotely, have someone local who can help when a small issue needs attention.
More games to explore
Depending on your guests and plans, you could also look at pinball machines, electronic dartboards, Champion or Hathaway shuffleboard tables, and even boxing machines.
Each brings a different kind of fun. If pinball is on your shortlist, our pinball machine buying guide is a useful place to begin.
White-glove delivery, including for remote hosts
You do not have to live around the corner to make this happen. We can arrange additional white-glove delivery, including room-of-choice placement and the assembly or installation your order needs.
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Tell us where everything is going.
Share the items, address and room, along with details such as stairs, narrow doorways or awkward turns.
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We put together the delivery quote.
White-glove service is quoted separately around the products, access and setup involved. We will work through what you need before delivery day.
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Have someone there to provide access.
A local representative can let the team in and show them where the equipment belongs while the team handles the placement and setup included in your quote.
Read more about our shipping and delivery options, or send us your project details for a white-glove quote.
Let's work on your Airbnb project
We have already supplied equipment for Airbnb rentals, and we would love to work with more hosts on projects like these. Whether you want one arcade machine or a coordinated custom setup, tell us about your property, guests, space and budget.
We also want to follow the results with our own customers. If you are interested, we would love to build a case study around the first year after installation: how bookings and nightly rates develop, whether guests mention the games in reviews, and how the return compares with the cost of the equipment and upkeep.
We would look at similar seasons and keep track of other changes you make along the way. It would be a chance to learn together and share something useful with other hosts considering the same investment.
Have a rental and an idea? Send us a few photos or measurements and tell us what you would like your guests to experience.