RACCOIN first impressions: Nostalgic joy

I could easily spend my paycheck on a coin pusher machine at an arcade if I was left unsupervised. An upcoming game that seems to have replicated the mesmerizing fun of penny pushers is RACCOIN: Coin Pusher Roguelike. 

Developed by Doraccoon and published by Playstack, RACCOIN’s demo proves that this title is one to watch for fans of roguelikes and arcade games. Below, you’ll find The Escapist’s first impressions of this charming demo.

The Escapist recaps

• RACCOIN was developed by Doraccoon and published by Playstack; the latter name will be familiar to fans of other roguelikes, like Balatro.
• The RACCOIN demo was generous, providing a good amount of content to dig through, along with a comprehensive introductory level.
• I was incredibly impressed with the aesthetic and sound design of the demo; the game looked adorable and felt surprisingly cozy, and the music helped to add to the nostalgic atmosphere nicely.

Simple on the surface; surprisingly deep 

As you might’ve guessed from the name, RACCOIN: Coin Pusher Roguelike centers around an arcade coin pusher machine. The owner of the arcade is a cute raccoon, as are a number of the other characters that’ll pop up throughout the demo.

Each level in the game will have a target number of points. To get points, you need to push coins out of the machine, using the slots on either side of the machine to fire your own coins onto the moving shelves.

To help you along the way, there are special coins you can pick up, along with additional trinkets, keychains, and prize items. Some are simple in nature, doubling a coin or sticking lots together, while others are more complex, summoning elements like a black hole to move a large number of coins at once.

There’s a spinning prize wheel to keep an eye on, too. As you generate spin power (by playing through a level and racking up coins), you’ll be able to spin the prize wheel, getting everything from a prize ball to a tower of coins. 

Along with the helpful add-ons, you’ll encounter unlucky coins as you progress, making it harder to complete the level’s target. You’ll need to use your coins and special items to help mitigate these hazards.

The demo featured a detailed introductory level, which broke down exactly how to play and what to expect, along with a level featuring the manager character.

Plenty of aesthetic appeal 

Based on the menus in-game, there’ll be plenty more characters, cards, chips, and prizes to look forward to with the full release of RACCOIN. It’s a game that I can see myself spending a lot of time with; it’s simple at first, but it has plenty of depth under the surface. 

Aesthetically speaking, I found RACCOIN to be a surprisingly cozy game. The color palette was soft yet vibrant, and each element – ranging from the bunny coins to the character sprites – felt like they’d been made with love.

The sound design was solid as well. There were plenty of satisfying noises to accompany the core gameplay loop, along with upbeat arcade music. 

In terms of performance, I didn’t run into any issues with the RACCOIN demo. It looked good and ran smoothly, with no performance quirks, bugs, or glitches to note.

The RACCOIN demo felt well-rounded and stylish, with a certain level of nostalgic joy that kept me coming back for more. I’ve played a lot of roguelikes this year, and I’m already excited to see the full release of this game – if you’re a fan of arcade games with a retro style and quirky aesthetic, I’d recommend keeping an eye out for RACCOIN when it hits. 

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