Thursday nights, SF has a new standing plan: Arcade Karaoke, a party format that puts a karaoke setup inside an arcade bar so you're singing between rounds of Skee-Ball and whatever else is bolted to the floor. The $3 shot pricing is the headline draw, and it's real — not a one-drink-minimum shell game. Check the venue's social for the exact start time and address before you head out, as details have been shifting week to week on this one.

What makes this worth a Thursday: the arcade-plus-karaoke combo means you're not locked into performing or watching. You can cycle between the two, which takes the pressure off both the singing and the standing-around. The $3 shots suggest a dive-bar price point regardless of how the room looks. Thursdays also tend to run younger and looser than Friday or Saturday the same venues — the crowd that shows up mid-week usually means it.

Practical notes: confirm the venue address before leaving the house — this event has appeared at more than one location. BART will get you closer than parking will on a Thursday night in most of the neighborhoods these events land in. Bring cash for the shots; card minimums at bar events will eat into the savings fast.

If you've got two hours: skip the karaoke queue on arrival, warm up on the arcade games, then put your name in once you've got a drink in hand and a feel for how the room is running.