Amy Haneline

amy.haneline@indystar.com

Ms. Pac-Man and the perfect pilsner. Centipede with a creamy stout. Perhaps you'd prefer Asteroids with a pale ale.

Jeff Moulton, 30, and Austin Howard, 28, want to combine their passions of retro gaming and local craft beer by opening an arcade bar — something they think Downtown is lacking.

"It's just a shame there is not a place you can go play Donkey Kong," said Moulton, a manager at Off The Wall indoor soccer facility.

Moulton is the arcade guy. Howard is the beer guy. Together they think they have a concept that will succeed in Indianapolis. They are modeling Tappers Arcade Bar on arcade bars such as 16 Bit Bar in Columbus, Ohio; Headquarters and The Emporium in Chicago; and Arcadium in Lexington, Ky.

They already have 25 fully functioning games, with more to come. Moulton has been buying arcade systems from eBay and Craigslist and following a community of collectors on message boards. He stores them in his house, at work and wherever he can find the space.

They want the games to be free, and they want to have at least eight taps with local craft beers, four that are dedicated to a particular style and four that rotate. Initially, the food would just be snacks. Tappers' focus is on "the beer and the games," said Howard, who works for an audio visual company.

Of course, all of this is an aspiration. On Sept. 27, Moulton and Howard started an IndieGoGo campaign to raise money to open the bar. The campaign, which aims to raise $30,000, ends Nov. 26, and so far they have raised almost $10,000. If they don't meet their goal, they walk away with nothing.

Even if that happens, they are still determined to get the arcade bar off the ground.

"I want to serve beer and to have a place where people can have a great time and play these games to their hearts' content," Moulton said.

Want to play?

Tappers and Indiana City Beer are teaming up for a Halloween party on Oct. 31. Tappers will bring some of its retro arcade games, and Indiana City will release its new pumpkin beer at its brewery at 24 Shelby St. Festivities begin at 7 p.m. Costumes are encouraged.

Follow Amy Haneline on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Email her at amy.haneline@indystar.com. Please drink responsibly. Don't drink and drive.