By: Adriana Duarte ’27
Round1 Bowling and Arcade is located in Danbury, Connecticut there is the Danbury Fair Mall at 7 Backus Ave, Danbury, CT. It is a shopping mall very close to New York. Since it opened in 1986. It has been around for 38 years. The mall has had many updates with their most recent attraction being Round1, a bowling alley and arcade.
It was introduced, March 24, 2024. Round1 is known to have very unique games that are different from other arcade games that families might see at arcades such as Dave n’ Busters. Round1 is known for having Japanese games imported from Japan. They also have a wide variety between games, claw machines, a victory zone with a lot of prizes, and food and beverages available at a bar. I went to the arcade on a Saturday; it was very gloomy and rainy outside, but once inside, the vibes were so much better. I was with my mother and sister. It was still fairly crowded despite the weather, which shows the sacrifices people make just to experience Round 1 firsthand!
At Round 1, there are party rooms, karaoke, billiards, ping pong, a kid’s play zone, an indoor sports complex and so much more but I only spent money on the games themselves and the arcade portion. I started off buying a game card and loading game credits onto the card. Prices were different depending on how many credits you wanted: $55 for 300 chips, $72 for 450 credits, and finally $110 for 777 credits. These prices were the regular prices for families without a CLUB membership. For families that purchased a CLUB membership, the prices are the same but game credits are boosted to 313, 465 and 800. Round1 is also open Monday-Sunday with hours differing.
Personally, my game-plan when visiting Round1 was to conquer the claw machines! I won a good amount of stuffed animals from them, about 2-3 small ones and 2 bigger plushies! I played some of their Japanese games such as the dance rhythm games they have, as well as some of the American arcade games they have like Crossy Road, Piano Tiles and Pac Man.
This was not my first time at Round1. I have been before and each time me and my family come here, it is loads of fun and there is always something for each of us to do.
I personally would encourage family and friends to visit Round1, whether it be for a birthday party or just on a random Saturday to go have some fun with their families. I love how unique Round1 is, how diverse it is, and how it has different things for different age ranges. Round1 is an attraction that is definitely enjoyable year-round which is good. I highly recommend it for anybody who has yet to experience the fun and bright lights it brings to people’s faces.
The Raider Press 