Unable to beat ‘insurmountable odds,’ this downtown Boise bar will close after 12 years

It’s game over for Spacebar Arcade.

After closing for nearly a year before relocating to a larger space nearby in 2023, the video-game bar at 620 W. Idaho St. will shutter permanently.

“Despite our best efforts,” co-owner Will Hay posted Friday on Facebook , “we were unable to overcome the insurmountable odds that were stacked against us.”

Spacebar Arcade’s last day will be Sunday.

In February, the downtown Boise gaming destination lost access to the liquor license it had leased. Open to customers 21 and older only, it attempted to remain in business by selling beer, wine and canned cocktails.

That put it in the same alcohol situation as Boise’s other classic arcade and bar, Realms , 109 S. 23rd St., which is open to all ages.

Spacebar Arcade first opened in 2012 at 200 N. Capitol Blvd.

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