Flat Top Johnny’s (1 Kendall Square, Cambridge, 617/494-9565, www.flattopjohnnys.com) feels like a 1940s pool hall, updated with a punk-rock soundtrack and a Roy Lichtenstein–esque mural on one wall. The crowd consists of the hipper denizens of Cambridge, who seem like they’ve taken time off from their art or recording studio to rack a few.

The computerized scorekeepers at Kings (50 Dalton St., 617/266-2695, www.kingsbackbay.com) keep track of the pins so you don’t have to. The self-consciously retro Back Bay bowling alley is a favorite with after-work leagues. The balls are the regular size—not the smaller candlepins common in New England. A small side room has eight vintage pool tables.

The Fenway area’s Jillian’s (145 Ipswich St., 617/437-0300, www.jilliansboston.com) is an homage to attention deficit disorder, with a 16-lane bowling alley and what seems like miles of the latest arcade games and pool tables on three different floors. If you can’t have fun here, you probably don’t know how.