An arcade game used to define a kind of video-game found in coin-operated entertainment machine. These machines were installed in public places like malls, cinemas, bowling, bars, or in places exclusively dedicated to games, called video arcades or game centres. A coin was needed to play, games were generally short, easy, and playful. This kind of machines has almost disappeared since the arrival of video games playable at home.

But there are still some arcade cabinet left, and nowadays, these machines are way more sophisticated than the ones including the game Pacman for instance. Current coin-operated entertainment machines give the feeling to live the game much more than home video games. Indeed, they are often supplied with accessories ( weapons, dance carpets...) or are build like car, motorbike, or plane cockpits.

Nowadays, arcade games refers to every easy game with a simple gameplay. The principle of arcade games relies on a serial of shorts levels, an increasing difficulty level, and simple controls. Pacman, Space Invaders, or Donkey Kong are among the most famous arcade games, and have left memories to every player. Many arcade games have been reused in cell phones.

Today, arcade games are mainly developed on the Internet. These games are made by independent developers and are exclusively created for the Internet, and thus they can be run directly from a web browser.