Check your couches for spare change, we're going to the arcade!

insert happy retro beeping noises here

Mar 08, 2026

It’s no secret that I am a huuuuuge fan of arcade games, with their nostalgic retro beeping noises and their addictive dopamine exuding loops. I’ve been into coin dozer machines ever since I was a toddler, and that personality trait translates to my gaming habits as well.

Let me introduce you to some of my favourite arcade games!

Dungeon Clawler

Dungeon Clawler is the game that reopened the arcade game compartment in my heart.

I initially played the demo for about 80 hours and then played the full game for 80 more.

The premise is a dungeon crawler, but you’re a rabbit with a claw machine claw for an arm and you attack enemies by picking up items from the claw machine. Add roguelike elements to the mix and bam, instant addiction.

I’ve played enough Day of the Tentacle to know where this is going.

I’ve seen this game go from a handful of characters to an extensive set of highly different playable characters with their unique claw mechanics that make every run a vastly different experience. Trying your luck and strategic insight, this game leans heavily into the “okay, just one more round, and then I’m really going to bed” experience.

And bonus points: the characters are all rabbits! ♥

Cupiclaw

Cupiclaw is another claw machine game, yet with a completely different set of mechanics and storyline.

You dropped your engagement ring (happens to the best of us, right?) and now you have to quickly make your way up the claw machine hierarchy ladder to win it back.

The machines are filled with adorable little toys, each with their own unique skills, many of them interacting with each other, challenging the player to lean into their luck and go for the most optimal builds.

I had played the demo and loved the mechanics, and now that the full game released earlier this week, adding the story line and even more adorable prizes, I’m so completely and utterly sold!

And as always, bonus points for there being a rabbit plushie I can fabricate an entire build around. ♥

Ballionaire

Ballionaire is a trip and a half.

The premise is simple: drop a ball into a bagatelle machine, watch it hit all the things and hope for the best. Or, alternatively, understand what the things to and set them up in a way that optimises your points output. That’s an option.

Different stages, different loadouts, different balls - all the elements to make this an addictive roguelike experience that I just can’t get enough of! The demo is good, the full game even better.

RACCOIN: Coin Pusher Roguelike

RACCOIN: Coin Pusher Roguelike is the game of my childhood dreams.

I’ve said before that Raccoin is one of the most addictive loops I’ve ever encountered, and I still mean it. It gives me exactly the same feeling I have when playing a real life coin dozer game, from the comfort of my own desk.

You drop coins, hope physics are on your side, and score points. Special coins, power-ups, and random prizes make every run unique. Score enough points to progress to the next level, before running out of coins.

Peglin

Peglin is another bagatelle game, that feels like digital bubble wrap.

I already reviewed this game during goblin week, but I’m happy to repeat how amazing it is once more.

You launch different balls through a bagatelle-style board, hitting targets to score points. Each ball has unique strengths and weaknesses, and its landing affects the damage dealt to enemies or yourself. Between battles, you encounter shops and random events to upgrade or acquire new balls.